In Tanzania, Gurnah’s Nobel Prize sparks both joy and debate | Arts and culture news

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Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – The awarding of the Nobel Prize for Literature to Zanzibar-born writer Abdulrazak Gurnah sparked celebrations and sparked a heated debate about identity in Tanzania.

Many in the country recognize recognition for Gurnah’s work among the handful of African novelists who have won the prestigious award, but others wonder if Tanzanians can truly claim the England-based writer as their own.

Gurnah, whose work includes 10 novels, left the Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar as a refugee for the United Kingdom at the end of 1967, three years after a revolution that aimed to end the political domination of the population. Arab minority over the African majority. The months and years that followed were dominated by deep division, tension and vengeance.

Telling his story, Gurnah said he only managed to get a one-month tourist visa that allowed him to travel to Britain where he enrolled for A-level studies in a Canterbury Technical College, in the south-east of England.

In its announcement Thursday, the Swedish Academy said the 73-year-old was being honored “for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the plight of the refugee in the chasm between cultures and continents.”

The Tanzanian and semi-autonomous presidents of Zanzibar were quick to hail Gurnah’s success.

“The award is an honor for you, our Tanzanian nation and Africa in general,” tweeted Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan. For his part, Zanzibar ruler Hussein Ali Mwinyi said: “We deeply appreciate your writings focusing on speeches related to colonialism. Such landmarks are a credit not only to us, but to all of humanity. “

Meanwhile, Gurnah, in an interview with AFP news agency, stressed his close ties to Tanzania.

“Yes, my family is still alive, my family still lives there,” said the retired University of Kent professor. “I go when I can. I’m still connected there… I’m from there. In my head, I live there.

Back home, Gurnah’s Prize sparked long and heated online discussions about belonging and identity, invoking – quite unexpectedly – politically charged debates over the union between Zanzibar and the mainland, including the The relationship has not always been rosy – even though Zanzibar is semi-autonomous, with its president and parliament, there continue to be aspirations for more independence from the Union government.

“The debate over Abdulrazak Gurnah’s ‘Tanzanian’ identity should be a wake-up call and trigger for our government to reflect on the following: (i) Justice; (ii) dual nationality; (iii) union affairs; (iv) quality education and teaching – how do we do in writing and literature? Sociologist Aikande Kwayu tweeted.

Dual nationality has been a long debated issue, with more and more Tanzanians – especially those in the diaspora – advocating for its implementation. Successive governments have avoided it, often citing constitutional restrictions.

“One of the reasons Tanzania cannot allow dual citizenship is the fear that Abdulrazak Gurnah and his grandparents, who fled Zanzibar to escape persecution from Arabs during the Zanzibar revolution, will return and demand their stolen goods. And we shamelessly celebrate his victory? Erick Kabendera, a journalist, wrote.

But others think that his long stay abroad should not deprive him of his roots.

“Gurnah identifies as a Tanzanian of Zanzibar origin. Living in the diaspora, having been exiled or even feeling dislocated from one’s country does not take anything away from one’s heritage and identity. It’s part of who he is, ”said Ida Hadjivayanis, professor of Swahili studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

“There are so many people living in the diaspora with children whose nationality is foreign but who identify as Tanzanian – and so this is the homeland.”

Gurnah forged a critically acclaimed 35-year career rooted in colonialism and immigration after arriving in Britain as a refugee. The Nobel Prize winner was born on the island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean in 1948 and began writing after moving to England as a refugee, where he is now based. [Tolga Akmen/AFP]

Hailing from Zanzibar herself, Hadjivayanis said she was elated beyond words at Gurnah’s victory.

“Gurnah is a truth-telling author,” she said, calling her work honest. “Their (characters in the books) experiences are familiar, their connection to their country (Tanzania and especially Zanzibar) often strikes a chord.”

Hadjivayanis first read Gurnah’s work in 2003, and is currently translating his 1994 novel Paradise into Swahili. Noting that many in Tanzania have yet to read this writer’s books, she called on the government to include his works in the school curriculum.

Mkuki Bgoya, director of one of Tanzania’s largest independent publishers, agreed that Gurnah is not a household name in Tanzania. He recalled a situation in the past where his books took a long time to sell, which he hopes will change quickly following the Nobel Prize win.

He said the reason could be the writing language used in books, but also a generally poor reading culture in Tanzania. But after the award, Bgoya said he believed that not only would local fiction writers be inspired to create more, but it would also spark more interest in reading novels among local readers.

“Our reading culture is heavily focused on non-fiction books. A lot of people read motivational books, ”Bgoya said.

“The book industry in Tanzania is dominated by textbooks and the majority of publishers focus on textbooks. This leaves very little space for other genres such as poetry, novels and short stories, ”he added.

“Now we have paid a lot of attention to this award and we are having passionate conversations about it – the meaning of this work is that it validates the work of fiction, especially on Tanzanian or Tanzanian inspired issues. . “



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