Honoring Abdulrazak Gurnah, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

The Africa Institute hosted a special reception in honor of the prominent novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah, who was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature, for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism, exile and immigration, and the fate of refugees in the gulf between cultures and continents. Hosted at Abayomi Restaurant (at the Al Qasimiya School in Sharjah) the reception brought together Dr Salah Hassan, Director of The Africa Institute, HRH Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President of The Africa Institute, and members of The Africa Institute faculty and staff, along with guests from the Sharjah Art Foundation.

Gurnah’s work throughout the years has explored themes of identity, exile, and a sense of belonging. His notable novels, “Dottie”, “Memory of Departure” and “Pilgrims Way”, tell dynamic stories focusing on the immigrant experience in Britain. His more recent work, entitled “Afterlives”, explores the impact of colonialism in Tanzania, providing insight into a culturally diverse East Africa, and highlighting perspectives that are not often brought to the fore. Abdulrazak Gurnah is the first black African writer to win this prize since Wole Soyinka in 1986.

For more information on Abdulrazak Gurnah and the Nobel Prize, visit his Nobel Prize biobibliography page.