Afterlives is a historical fiction novel by Abdulrazak Gurnah, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2022. The novel follows the lives of four characters who live in a coastal town in Tanzania during the colonial and post-colonial periods. The novel explores the themes of identity, trauma, love, and resistance in the context of the German and British occupation, the First World War, and the independence movement.
The four main characters are Hamza, Khalifa, Asha, and Afiya. Hamza is a former soldier who was captured and tortured by the Germans. He returns to his hometown and works as a clerk for Khalifa, a smart and ambitious Indian-African banker. Khalifa is married to Asha, a beautiful and strong-willed woman who suffers from multiple miscarriages. Asha is the niece of Amur, a wealthy and corrupt merchant who exploits his workers and family. Afiya is Amur’s daughter, who runs away from her abusive father and marries Ilyas, a teacher and activist. Afiya becomes involved in the nationalist movement and faces danger and betrayal. The novel spans several decades and shows how the characters cope with the changes and challenges of their times.
Abdulrazak Gurnah was born in the enchanting year of 1948 on the beautiful island of Zanzibar. Nowadays, he calls England his home and imparts his wisdom at the University of Kent. Among his treasure trove of novels, a few stand out like shining stars: “Paradise,” a work that caught the eyes of judges for both the Booker and the Whitbread Prize; “By the Sea,” a tale that stretched its arms to reach the Booker Prize longlist and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize shortlist; and “Desertion,” a gem that found itself on the Commonwealth Prize shortlist. In the year 2021, a momentous occasion unfolded as he was bestowed the Nobel Prize in Literature. The reason? His unyielding dedication and heartful insight into the impact of colonialism and the poignant journeys of refugees across cultures and continents.
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