Literature and Society: A Dialogue with Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah

During his visit to UNAM, the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in Literature, Abdulrazak Gurnah, reflected on the role of literature in society, emphasizing its power to enrich the human experience rather than solve global challenges.

In a conversation with Anel Pérez, Director of the Center for Foreign Language Teaching (CEPE), poet César Cañedo, and Professor Mario Murgia from the Faculty of Humanities, Gurnah explored literature’s transformative influence. He shared a personal story of being moved to tears by Anna Karenina in his youth, illustrating how literature evokes deep emotional responses and inspires reflection.

Gurnah, best known for his novel Paradise, discussed his journey as a writer and educator. He explained why fiction became his medium of choice for expressing his worldview, contrasting it with the collaborative nature of theater. Throughout his work, he consistently examines themes of migration, displacement, and the enduring impact of colonization.

Anel Pérez described Gurnah’s visit as an invaluable opportunity to delve into key concepts of postcolonial studies. Professor Murgia praised the evocative quality of Gurnah’s prose, noting its ability to prompt readers to engage deeply with the human consequences of colonialism.

Gurnah’s presence at Ciudad Universitaria leaves a lasting legacy of ideas and perspectives that enrich UNAM’s literary and cultural discourse.