The Zanzibari novelist becomes the first black African author in 35 years to win the prestigious honor.

Abdulrazak Gurnah has been awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature for his “uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents.” Born on Zanzibar, Gurnah fled persecution and moved to England as a student in the 1960s, where he later began his literary career.

Gurnah has authored 10 novels and numerous short stories, with works such as Memory of Departure, about a failed uprising, and his latest novel Afterlives, earning acclaim for their portrayal of East Africa. His writing challenges stereotypical depictions of the region and provides readers with a more culturally nuanced understanding of the impact of colonialism and the lives of refugees.

In awarding the prize, Anders Olsson, the chair of the Nobel committee, highlighted Gurnah’s ability to broaden the global perspective on East African culture, offering new insights into a part of the world that remains unfamiliar to many.