World Book Club

On this episode of World Book Club Harriett Gilbert talks with nobel Laureate Abdulrzak Gurnah about his hauntingly beautiful novel ‘Paradise’ It tells the story of Yusuf, a 12 year-old boy living in East Africa at the beginning of the 20th century. Sold off to settle his father’s debts, Yusaf embarks on a journey across the African continent. Through his naive and innocent eyes, the journey starts out as an adventure, but every wonderous thing Yusuf sees, every glimpse of paradise, is polluted by violence, the growing influence of colonialism, and the looming spectre of the First World War. This is a stunning novel - a multi-faceted, vivid exploration of the shifting culture of Africa at the turn of the century. It’s layered with mythology, Biblical and Koranic symbolism, and an unflinching insight into the effects of colonialism. Abdulrazak will be answering our listeners' questions here on World Book Club.