Nuruddin Farah

Nuruddin Farah is widely recognised as one of the greatest contemporary writers in the world. He has been writing for over 50 years and continues to write, publish and develop his ideas. His popularity and reputation are not simply a reflection of his skills as a novelist, but also as a result of his unwavering commitment to chronicling the effects of social and political upheavals on ordinary lives. 

He is the author of 13 novels, as well as plays, short fiction and essays. His novels have been translated into 20 languages and have won numerous awards, including the Premio Cavour in Italy, the Kurt Tucholsky Prize in Germany and the Lettre Ulysses Award. Farah was named the 1998 laureate of the Neustadt International Prize for Literature (arguably the most prestigious international literary award after the Nobel).

His first novel, From a Crooked Rib, published in 1970, has been described as one of the cornerstones of modern African literature. This was followed by A Naked Needle and Sweet and Sour Milk, the first in a trilogy. His most recent novels are Hiding in Plain Sight, North of Dawn and (forthcoming) In the Scheme of Things. 

Born in Somalia and growing up in Ethiopia, Nuruddin Farah was educated in India and the UK. He has lived and taught in numerous countries, including Germany, Italy, Sweden, Sudan, India, Nigeria and Uganda. Today he divides his time between Cape Town, South Africa and Annandale-on-Hudson, New York where he is a Distinguished Professor of Literature at Bard College.

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Photo of Nuruddin Farah © Dennis Andersen