Nobel Prize in Literature [TKB World]

Nobel Prize in Literature: Tanzanian novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah has received the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature. He has received this honor for his compassionate portrayal of the effects of colonialism and the condition of refugees in the gap between cultures and continents. He has given a poignant description of refugees in his novels.

Abdul Razak was born in 1948. He grew up on the island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean. Abdul Razak arrived in England as a refugee in the 1960s. Until recently he was Professor of English and Postcolonial Literature at the University of Kent, Canterbury. He wrote 10 novels and several short stories.

Started writing at the age of 21

He has described the refugee experience in a very poignant way. He started writing at the age of 21. However, initially he used to write in Swahili language. Later he made English his language. He focused on identity and self-image in his novels.

So far 117 people have got Nobel in Literature

The Nobel Prize in Literature is given by the Swedish Academy, Stockholm Sweden. So far 117 people have been awarded the Nobel in Literature. Out of this, 16 are women. American poet Louise Glick was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2020.