Afterlives

"Not quite. While I still have your attention, I also want to flag up a new book from Abdulrazak Gurnah —who won the 2021 Nobel Prize for his “uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism.” His latest novel, Afterlives , is set in what is now Tanzania (then Tanganyika) during the period of German rule around the turn of the 20th century, following a large cast of characters facing oppression of various kinds during the run-up to the First World War. As Maaza Mengiste has written , “Gurnah is known for decentring European history: a structural decision that is also politically potent.” In Afterlives , Gurnah considers the intergenerational consequences of violence, and asks us to consider colonialism from the African perspective. Part of our best books of 2022 series. What books are you most looking forward to this summer? Let us know. Send us a tweet , or post on our Facebook page ."