Photo: Adrian Tync / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Abdulrazak Gurnah is credited as a novelist, university teacher and prose writer. Born on January 1, 1948, Abdulrazak Gurnah is from Zanzibar City, Mjini Magharibi Region, Tanzania. That works out to 78 years old in 2026. Education on record includes University of Kent. Listed accolades include Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (2006), Nobel Prize in Literature (2021) and honorary doctorate (2024).
My Take
Abdulrazak Gurnah's story reminds me why literature matters. Born in Zanzibar and forced to Britain as a refugee during the revolution, he spent decades writing patiently about exile, displacement and colonial memory before the 2021 Nobel finally caught up with him. Books like Paradise and By the Sea give language back to people history tends to silence, and they do it with a quiet, lucid restraint I find far more powerful than spectacle. I respect that he kept writing through long years of relative obscurity. Pulling stories from the margins into the center of world attention is, to me, a deeply important achievement.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Abdulrazak Gurnah
- Name (Japanese)
- アブドゥルラザク・グルナ
- Reading
- あぶどぅるらざく・ぐるな
- Born
- January 1, 1948 (age 78)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Rat
- Origin
- Zanzibar City, Mjini Magharibi Region, Tanzania
- Occupation
- novelist / university teacher / prose writer / editing staff / writer
2. Background
- University
- University of Kent
Awards & achievements
- 2006 Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
- 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature
- 2024 honorary doctorate
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Desertion | — | |
| Notable work | Paradise | — | |
| Notable work | Gravel Heart | — | |
| Notable work | By the Sea | — | |
| Notable work | The Last Gift | — | |
| Notable work | Pilgrims Way | — |
4. Links
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Abdulrazak Gurnah born?
Born January 1, 1948 (age 78).
Where is Abdulrazak Gurnah from?
Abdulrazak Gurnah is from Zanzibar City, Mjini Magharibi Region, Tanzania.
What does Abdulrazak Gurnah do?
Abdulrazak Gurnah works as novelist, university teacher, prose writer, editing staff, writer.
What is Abdulrazak Gurnah known for?
Notable works include Desertion, Paradise, Gravel Heart.
Novelist — see all → · University teacher — see all → · More people from Tanzania →