Abdulrazak Gurnah

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/abdulrazak-gurnah

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Abdulrazak Gurnah born?December 20, 1948
2. Where was Abdulrazak Gurnah born?Sultanate of Zanzibar, Tanzania
3. What is the nobel prize awarded?2021 for Literature
4. What is the key themes?Effects of colonialism, refugee experiences, cultural identity, displacement
5. Who is Abdulrazak Gurnah?He is a writer from Zanzibar who tells stories about people who leave their homes and about the history of colonialism. He won the Nobel Prize for his books.
6. Why did Abdulrazak Gurnah leave Zanzibar?In the 1960s a revolution happened in Zanzibar, and he had to move to the United Kingdom to find safety.

Postcolonial Literature: Literary works that engage with the aftermath of colonial rule and its cultural impacts.
Displacement: The condition of being forced to leave one's home or country.
Cultural Negotiation: The process of adapting to and interacting with different cultural norms and values.
Literary Canon: A collection of literary works considered to be the most important or influential.