Nuruddin Farah ( so, Nuuradiin Faarax, ar, نورالدين فارح) (born 24 November 1945) is a

Somali Somali may refer to: Horn of Africa * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis ** Somali culture ** Somali cuisine ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Somali ...

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...

. His first novel, ''

From a Crooked Rib ''From a Crooked Rib'' is a 1970 novel by Somali writer Nuruddin Farah. It was Farah’s debut and was published as the 80th book in Heinemann's African Writers Series. Background Following the rejection of two early manuscripts by both Heineman ...

'', was published in 1970 and has been described as "one of the cornerstones of modern East African literature today". He has also written plays both for stage and radio, as well as short stories and essays. Since leaving Somalia in the 1970s he has lived and taught in numerous countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Sudan, India, Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa. Farah has garnered acclaim as one of the greatest contemporary writers in the world, his prose having earned him accolades including the Premio Cavour in Italy, the Kurt Tucholsky Prize in Germany, the Lettre Ulysses Award in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

, and in 1998, the prestigious

Neustadt International Prize for Literature The Neustadt International Prize for Literature is a biennial award for literature sponsored by the University of Oklahoma and its international literary publication, ''World Literature Today''. It is considered one of the more prestigious int ...

. In the same year, the French edition of his novel ''Gifts'' won the St Malo Literature Festival's prize."Nuruddin Farah"
Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage, 2006. In addition, Farah is a perennial nominee for the

Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

Personal life

Nuruddin Farah was born in 1945 in

Baidoa Baidoa (, Somali: Maay.html"_;"title="f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay">f-Maxaa:_Baydhabo,_Maay:_''Baydhowy)''_is_the_largest_city_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia. Between_2002_and_2014,_Baidoa_was_the_capital_of_the_South_West_State_of_Somalia.html" ...

, in

Italian Somaliland Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, الصومال الإيطالي, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th centu ...

. His father Hassan Farah was a merchant and his mother Aleeli (née Faduma) an oral poet."Farah, Nuruddin 1945–"
Encyclopedia.com. Farah was the fourth eldest boy in a large family. As a child, Farah frequented schools in Somalia and adjacent

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

, attending classes in Kallafo in the

Somali State Somali may refer to: Horn of Africa * Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region ** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis ** Somali culture ** Somali cuisine ** Somali language, a Cushitic language ** Somali, ...

. He studied English,

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

and

Amharic Amharic ( or ; (Amharic: ), ', ) is an Ethiopian Semitic language, which is a subgrouping within the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic languages. It is spoken as a first language by the Amharas, and also serves as a lingua franca for all oth ...

. In 1963, three years after Somalia's independence, he was forced to flee the Somali Galbeed following serious border conflicts. From 1966 to 1970, he pursued a degree in

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

and

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...

Panjab University Panjab University (PU) is a collegiate public state university located in Chandigarh, Punjab. Funded through both State and Union governments, it is considered a state university. It traces its origins to the University of the Punjab in Laho ...

Chandigarh Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which al ...

, India, where he met his first wife, Chitra Muliyil Farah, with whom he had a son (the marriage later ended in divorce). Farah subsequently went to England, attending

London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degre ...

(1974–75) and studying for a master's degree in theatre at Essex University (1975–76). His mother died in 1990, and in 1992 he married British-Nigerian academic

Amina Mama Amina Mama (born 19 September 1958) is a Nigerian-British writer, feminist and academic. Her main areas of focus have been post-colonial, militarist and gender issues. She has lived in Africa, Europe, and North America, and worked to build rela ...

and they have a son and a daughter. In 1990, he received a grant from the

German Academic Exchange Service The German Academic Exchange Service, or DAAD (german: Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst), was founded in 1925 and is the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation. Organisation ''DAAD'' is a ...

and moved to Berlin. In 1996, he visited Somalia for the first time in more than 20 years. Farah's sister Basra Farah Hassan, a diplomat, was killed in a bombing in January 2014 while working with the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

. Farah currently resides in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

, and

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

, South Africa.

Literary career

After releasing an early short story in his native

Somali language Somali (Latin script: ; Wadaad: ; Osmanya: 𐒖𐒍 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘 ) is an Afroasiatic language belonging to the Cushitic branch. It is spoken as a mother tongue by Somalis in Greater Somalia and the Somali diaspora. Somali is an ...

, Farah shifted to writing in English while still attending university in India. His books have been translated into 17 languages. His first novel, ''From a Crooked Rib'' (1970), told the story of a

nomad A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the po ...

girl who flees from an

arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures a professional matchmaker may be us ...

to a much older man. Published by

Heinemann Educational Books William Heinemann Ltd., with the imprint Heinemann, was a London publisher founded in 1890 by William Heinemann. Their first published book, 1890's ''The Bondman'', was a huge success in the United Kingdom and launched the company. He was joine ...

(HEB) in their

African Writers Series The African Writers Series (AWS) is a collection of books written by African novelists, poets and politicians. Published by Heinemann, 359 books appeared in the series between 1962 and 2003. The series has provided an international audience for ...

, the novel earned him mild but international acclaim. On a tour of Europe following the publication of '' A Naked Needle'' (HEB, 1976), Farah was warned that the Somali government planned to arrest him over its contents. Rather than return and face imprisonment, Farah began a self-imposed exile that would last for 22 years, during which time he taught in the United States, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Sudan, India and Nigeria. Farah describes his purpose for writing as an attempt "to keep my country alive by writing about it", and for

Nadine Gordimer Nadine Gordimer (20 November 192313 July 2014) was a South African writer and political activist. She received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, recognized as a writer "who through her magnificent epic writing has ... been of very great b ...

he was one of the continent's "true interpreters". His

trilogies A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...

of novels – "Variations on the Theme of an African Dictatorship" (1980–83) and "Blood in the Sun" (1986–99) – form the core of his work. First published by Allison and Busby, "Variations" included ''Sweet and Sour Milk'' (1979), ''Sardines'' (1981) and ''Close Sesame'' (1983), and was well received in a number of countries. Farah's reputation was cemented by his most famous novel, ''Maps'' (1986), the first part of his "Blood in the Sun" trilogy. ''Maps'', which is set during the Ogaden conflict of 1977, employs the innovative technique of second-person narration for exploring questions of cultural identity in a post-independence world. Farah followed this with ''Gifts'' (1993) and ''Secrets'' (1998), both of which earned awards. His subsequent "Past Imperfect" trilogy comprises ''Links'' (2004), ''Knots'' (2007) and ''Crossbones'' (2011). His most recent novels are '' Hiding in Plain Sight'', published in 2014, and ''North of Dawn'' (2018). Farah is also a playwright, whose plays include work for the stage — ''A Dagger in Vacuum'' (produced Mogadiscio, 1970), ''The Offering'' (produced Colchester, Essex, 1975), ''Yussuf and His Brothers'' (produced

Jos, Nigeria Jos is a city in the north central region of Nigeria. The city has a population of about 900,000 residents based on the 2006 census. Popularly called "J-Town", it is the administrative capital and largest city of Plateau State. During British ...

, 1982) — and for radio: ''Tartar Delight'', 1980 (Germany), and ''A Spread of Butter''. Besides literature, Farah is an important scholar within Somali Studies. He serves on the International Advisory Board of ''Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies'', published by

Macalester College Macalester College () is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1874, Macalester is exclusively an undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 2,174 students in the fall of 2018 from 50 U.S. states, four U.S te ...

Selected awards and honours

* 1974–76:

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

fellowship * 1980:

English-Speaking Union The English-Speaking Union (ESU) is an international educational membership organistation. Founded by the journalist Sir Evelyn Wrench in 1918, it aims to bring together and empower people of different languages and cultures, by building skill ...

Literary Award (for ''Sweet and Sour Milk'') * 1990: Corman Artists fellowship * 1991:

Kurt Tucholsky Kurt Tucholsky (; 9 January 1890 – 21 December 1935) was a German journalist, satirist, and writer. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Kaspar Hauser (after the historical figure), Peter Panter, Theobald Tiger and Ignaz Wrobel. Tucholsky was o ...

Prize, Stockholm, SwedenWright, Derek (ed.)
"Chronology"
in ''Emerging Perspectives on Nuruddin Farah'', Africa World Press, 2002 (pp. 717–20), p. 719. * 1993: Best Novel Award, Zimbabwe (for ''Gifts'') * 1994: Premio Cavour, Italy (for Italian translation of ''Close Sesame'')Wright, "Chronology", ''Emerging Perspectives'' (2002), p. 718. * 1998: Neustadt International Prize for Literature * 1998: St Malo Literary Festival award (for French edition of ''Gifts'')

Bibliography

Novels

* * * * * * ;''Variations on the Theme of an African Dictatorship'' trilogy * Reprints: Heinemann (African Writers Series 226), 1980;

Graywolf Press Graywolf Press is an independent, non-profit publisher located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Graywolf Press publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Graywolf Press collaborates with organizations such as the College of Saint Benedict, the Mello ...

, 1992. * Reprints: Heinemann (African Writers Series 252), 1982; Graywolf Press, 1992. * Reprints: Graywolf Press, 1992. ;''Blood in the Sun'' trilogy * Reprints: Arcade, 1999. * Reprints: Arcade, 1999; Kwela Books, 2001. * ;''Past Imperfect'' trilogy * Reprints: Riverhead Books, 2004; Duckworth, 2005. * * Reprints: Granta Books, 2012.

Short fiction

* Novella *

Plays

* *̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶-̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶ -̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶̶ The Offering. ''Lotus'' (Afro-Asian Writings) vol. 30, no. 4, 1976, pp. 77–93.

Non-fiction

* * *

Essays

;Autobiographical and literary essays * "Celebrating Differences: The 1998 Neustadt Lecture", ''Emerging Perspectives on Nuruddin Farah'', edited by Derek Wright, Africa World Press, 2002, pp. 15–24. * "Childhood of My Schizophrenia", ''

The Times Literary Supplement ''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp. History The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...

'', 23–29 November 1990, p. 1264. * "A Country in Exile", ''

World Literature Today ''World Literature Today'' is an American magazine of international literature and culture, published at the University of Oklahoma. The stated goal of the magazine is to publish international essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, and book revie ...

'', vol. 72, no. 4, 1998, pp. 713–5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/40154257. * "The Creative Writer and the Politician". ''The Classic'', vol. 3, no. 1, 1984, pp. 27–30. * "Do Fences Have Sides?", ''The Commonwealth in Canada: Proceedings of the Second Triennial Conference of CACLALS, Part 2'', edited by Uma Parameswaran, Writers' Workshop, 1983, pp. 174–82. * "Do You Speak German?!", ''Okike: An African Journal of New Writing'', vol. 22, 1982, pp. 33–8. * "Germany—And All That Jazz", ''Okike: An African Journal of New Writing'', vol. 18, 1981, pp. 8–12. * "Ibsen, In Other Words", ''Nordlit'', vol. 34, 2015, pp. 15–22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7557/13.3350. * "In Praise of Exile", ''Literature in Exile'', edited by

John Glad John Glad (December 31, 1941 – December 4, 2015) was an American academic who specialized in the literature and politics of exile, especially Russian literature. He also wrote about, and advocated for, eugenics. Biography John Glad was born in ...

Duke University Press Duke University Press is an academic publisher and university press affiliated with Duke University. It was founded in 1921 by William T. Laprade as The Trinity College Press. (Duke University was initially called Trinity College). In 1926 ...

, 1990, pp. 64–77. * "Savaging the Soul of a Nation", ''The Writer in Politics'', edited by William Glass and Lorin Cuoco.

Southern Illinois University Press Southern Illinois University Press or SIU Press, founded in 1956, is a university press located in Carbondale, Illinois, owned and operated by Southern Illinois University. The press publishes approximately 50 titles annually, among its more tha ...

, 1996, pp. 110–5. * "Why I Write". ''Emerging Perspectives on Nuruddin Farah'', edited by Derek Wright. Africa World Press, 2002 ;Social and political essays * "Bastards of Empire", '' Transition'', vol. 65, 1995, pp. 26–35. * "Centuries-long War for Somali Peninsula", ''WardheerNews'', 12 April 2018. * "Country Cousins", ''

London Review of Books The ''London Review of Books'' (''LRB'') is a British literary magazine published twice monthly that features articles and essays on fiction and non-fiction subjects, which are usually structured as book reviews. History The ''London Review o ...

'', 3 September 1998, pp. 19–20. * "False Accounting", ''

Granta ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and ma ...

'', vol. 49, 1994, pp. 171–81. * "My Life as a Diplomat", ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. 26 May 2007. * "Of Tamarind and Cosmopolitanism", ''African Cities Reader'', edited by

Ntone Edjabe Ntone Edjabe (born 1970) is a Cameroonian writer, journalist, DJ and founding editor of ''Chimurenga (magazine), Chimurenga'' magazine. Life and career Ntone Edjabe was born in Douala, Cameroon, and he moved to Lagos, Nigeria, where he began hi ...

and Edgar Pieterse.

Chimurenga ''Chimurenga'' is a word in the Shona language. The Ndebele equivalent, though not as widely used since the majority of Zimbabweans are Shona speaking, is ''Umvukela'', meaning "revolutionary struggle" or uprising. In specific historical terms ...

, 2010, pp. 178–81. * "People of a Half-Way House", ''London Review of Books'', 21 March 1996, pp. 19–20. * "Praise the Marines? I Suppose So", ''The New York Times'', 28 December 1992, pp. 14–17. * "The Family House". ''Transition'', vol. 99, 2008, pp. 6–15. * "The Women of Kismayo", ''The Times Literary Supplement''. 15 November 1996, p. 18. * "Which way to the Sea, Please?" ''Horn of Africa'', vol. 1, no. 4, 1978, pp. 31–6. Republished by WardheerNews, 4 March 2015.

References

External links

*

Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage, 2006. *Geetha Ganga
"Somalia in the fiction of Nuruddin Farah"
Afrikan Sarvi.

''The New York Times'', 13 November 2014.
"Novelist Nuruddin Farah: Facing A Blank Page Is 'Bravest Thing' A Writer Does"
(interview),

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

, 25 October 2014. *Brittany Vickers
"Somali Author Nuruddin Farah Speaks Truth to Power"
(interview), ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...

'', 14 January 2015. *Lebohang Mojapelo
"'The majority of writers in Africa, of us, confine ourselves, rather than having great ambition'—An interview with Nuruddin Farah"
''Johannesburg Review of Books'', 10 April 2020. {{DEFAULTSORT:Farah, Nurruddin 1945 births Living people Ethnic Somali people Panjab University alumni Somalian novelists Somalian writers The New Yorker people 20th-century novelists 21st-century novelists 20th-century dramatists and playwrights Alumni of the University of Essex Alumni of the University of London Somalian expatriates in the United States 20th-century male writers 21st-century male writers