Nobel Laureate Gurnah: Colonial Legacies Still Influence Contemporary Society [Interview]

Central News Agency (Reporter: Liu Yu-ting, Prague, 17th) — Abdulrazak Gurnah, the 2021 Nobel laureate in Literature and a Tanzanian-born British novelist, recently spoke with a CNA reporter in an exclusive interview about issues such as migration, colonial history, and identity. He pointed out that colonial legacies still affect the world, citing the borders drawn in Africa during the colonial period for administrative convenience as a cause of long-term instability in some countries. Gurnah was recently invited to a panel discussion at the Prague International Book Fair and accepted the interview with CNA amidst his busy schedule. Gurnah hails from the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania, which was under British colonial rule for over 70 years, a key background for his work. In 2021, Gurnah was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his 'uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents.' Gurnah's work focuses on themes of colonialism, diaspora, migration, identity, and traumatic memory in East Africa. Though seemingly dense and serious, his writing is lyrical and beautiful. Several of his books, including 'Theft,' 'By the Sea,' 'Paradise,' and 'Afterlives,' have been translated into traditional Chinese and published by Taiwanese publishers. Gurnah told CNA that his purpose in writing is not to change readers' minds or instill views, but to create reading pleasure and even resonance. In the 1960s, Gurnah left his homeland due to political turmoil and went to study in Britain, the very country that had colonized his home. There, he discovered that British textbooks described the colonial history of Tanzania differently from his own experiences. Gurnah believes that in situations of inequality, history written by colonizers or those in power is likely incomplete. 'When colonizers describe the societies they ruled, they often do so in a way that makes themselves look better.' Gurnah stated that such narratives often fail to present a complete picture of society due to a lack of understanding of the local language, daily life, and cultural memory. Even without malicious intent, a lack of understanding can lead to overlooking complexity, thus leaving out certain aspects from historical accounts. Discussing the long-term impact of colonial history on East Africa, Gurnah said these legacies affect language, culture, and political systems to this day and cannot be easily erased. 'One of the main problems, especially in Africa, is the new borders drawn during the colonial period. Those places were not necessarily 'nation-states' originally.' He said, 'The colonial system left behind units now called countries, but they are actually fragmented, pieced together for the convenience of colonial rule. This is one of the biggest reasons for instability in many places. People find themselves in a country they don't really want to be a part of.' Gurnah pointed out that more than half of the countries in Africa have some form of civil war. These countries are not naturally formed communities, leading to long-term turmoil. Similar problems can be seen in the Middle East and the states that emerged after the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia. Half a century has passed since the end of colonial rule in Tanzania, and Gurnah noted that different generations have different perceptions of colonialism. In his time, he still saw colonial officials in schools, but the younger generation mostly has no direct memory, and colonialism may seem more like 'ancient history.' Today, the younger generation is more concerned with practical issues like healthcare, education, and employment. 'Of course, they still live with its consequences and learn about it in history class.' Even though the colonial era is over, the emotions and conflicts between the colonizing and formerly colonized countries have not dissipated. He said, 'I think there is still some unresolved relationship between the British and their imperial history. For example, how they treat people from former colonies. Sometimes with hostility or resentment, sometimes they can coexist and live together. And the media seems always ready to capture these moments and amplify them, making them look like a crisis.' Today, many people from former colonies who move to the former colonizing countries are often included in discussions of a 'refugee crisis.' 'Sometimes people see all movement as the same thing, which it is not. These movements are often painful, forced migrations. It's rarely for superficial reasons like wanting a 'bigger TV' or a 'better car,' but for more basic needs.' Gurnah said, 'Many who embark on this path have no choice. This 'no choice' may come from war, state violence, or economic hardship. In some cases, it's just to survive.' However, current public discourse on 'refugees' and 'asylum seekers' still contains the influence of historical and power structures, with non-European migrants being more frequently problematized, reflecting the continuation of colonial history in contemporary society. For this writer who has been away from his homeland for over half a century, since arriving in Britain at 18, although societal attitudes towards outsiders have been complex, Gurnah has never strongly pursued 'acceptance,' focusing instead on his own learning and development. Gurnah said that he has lived in Britain for over 50 years, and his family, children, and grandchildren have all grown up there. But he also maintains deep connections to Zanzibar, where his siblings and other relatives live, and he continues to travel between the two places. He said, 'For me now, Britain is like home, and Zanzibar is too, so I have two homes.' He believes that a person's memories, emotions, and cultural experiences cannot be easily divided, and having multiple identities is not a rare case but an increasingly common experience. (Editor: Chen Hui-ping) 1150518