★The 2021 Nobel Prize winner Gurna continues to write about the loneliness and struggle of wandering in a foreign land, perfectly interpreting what is meant by "a hometown that cannot be returned, a foreign country that cannot be integrated"
★For the first time, Gurna focuses on the identity crisis encountered by the descendants of immigrants, reveals the harm caused by ethnocentrism to the human soul, and attempts to explore the way out.
★Attached is the unabridged translation of Gurna's acceptance speech, giving a glimpse into the secrets of growth and writing that span two continents and blend with multiple civilizations.
"The Last Gift" is a work published in 2011 by Abdul Razak Gourna, the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature. It is also a companion piece to his other novel "In Praise of Silence". The story tells the story of the protagonist, Abbas, who abandoned his wife and children at the age of nineteen due to low self-esteem and suspicion, fled his hometown of Zanzibar, became a sailor, traveled to major ports around the world, and lived a life of no fixed abode. It was not until fifteen years later that he fell in love at first sight with Mariam, a black mixed-race girl who was abandoned after birth in Exeter, England. The two decided to settle in Norwich and start an ordinary life of having children.
However, life is not happily ever after. The humble status of British immigrants always haunts the family like a nightmare. And Abbas's silence about Zanzibar has made a pair of children like rootless duckweeds, losing themselves in the issue of identity.
Abbas suffered a stroke at the age of sixty-three and remained sick until his death. During these final years, the distant homeland that he had spent most of his life trying to forget became increasingly clear in his mind, making him dream about it. With the encouragement of his wife, he finally told a tape recorder his complete life story, leaving the last gift of his life to his children.
Reader comments
This book is very real. Gulna describes the inner world of the protagonist with delicate writing style, which made me feel the same. In particular, Abbas's longing for his hometown and confusion about his identity are really resonant. I really liked his love story with Mariam, it was very romantic. Gurna also explored race and culture in depth, making me think more about these issues. All in all, this is a book well worth reading.
This book is very real. Gulna describes the inner world of the protagonist with delicate writing style, which made me feel the same. In particular, Abbas's longing for his hometown and confusion about his identity are really resonant. I really liked his love story with Mariam, it was very romantic. Gurna also explored race and culture in depth, making me think more about these issues. All in all, this is a book well worth reading.