Explained: Importance of Nobel winner Abdulrazak Gurnah’s writing in highlighting the refugee experience

What is the news? 

This year’s Nobel Prize for Literature is awarded to “Abdulrazak Gurnah”, who was born in Zanzibar and now lives in the UK. He became the fifth African writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

About Gurnah’s work

He is the author of 10 novels and several short stories and essays. These include “Desertion” and “Paradise”(shortlisted for the Booker prize). 

The Theme of his works mostly dealt with ‘immigrant experience and how exile and loss, shape identities and cultures’. 

What is the significance of his work in the contemporary world? 

At a time when the global refugee crisis is exponentially on the rise, Gurnah’s work draws attention to how racism and prejudice against targeted communities and religions perpetuate cultures of oppression. 

About the Nobel Prize in literature

It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895. The Nobel Prize in literature is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country. The award is based on an author’s body of work as a whole. 

Source: This post is based on the articles 

• “Explained: Importance of Nobel winner Abdulrazak Gurnah’s writing in highlighting the refugee experience” published in ‘Indian Express’ on 08 October 2021. 
• “Tanzanian novelist wins Nobel” published in The Hindu on 08 October 2021.