Nuruddin Farah

(Somalia)

"Nuruddin Farah questions all the oppressive stabilities, whether rooted in the family, the clan, the nation, or in the supranational claims or religion and political systems. He is a Somali writer, an African writer, an important voice in postcolonial modernism, and speaks to our age in a very compelling prose." —Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, from his 1998 nominating statement

Nuruddin Farah, the recipient of the 1998 Neustadt Prize, was born in the Italian-ruled southern region of Somalia, Baidoa. His mother was a traditional story teller, and his father was a merchant who later worked for the British government as an interpreter. Soon after his birth, his family moved to Ogden (the Ethiopian West). Farah lived in a multilingual environment and learned to speak Somali, Amharic, English, Italian, and Arabic. When he began to write, Farah chose English as the language of his works.

Nurddin Farahʼs first novel, From A Crooked Rib (1970), tells the story of a nomadic girl who flees from an arranged marriage to a much older man. The novel depicts the authoritarian role of patriarchy in African society and earned Nuruddin Farah praise as a "male feminist." The publication of his second novel, A Naked Needle, angered the Somalian dictatorial regime and finally forced Farah into exile after receiving death threats. Farah would not return to live in Somalia again; he has returned to visit twice but still at great personal risk. Although he no longer lives in Somalia, all of his works depict Somalian life. Farahʼs lifelong pursuit is to keep his country alive by writing about it.

Farah lived in many places over the years including Italy, Germany, Britain, the United States, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Gambia. In the Statement of Nomination to the 1998 Neustadt Jury, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o stated, "Nuruddin Farah questions all the oppressive stabilities, whether rooted in the family, the clan, the nation, or in the supranational claims of religion and political systems. He is a Somali writer, an African writer, an important voice in postcolonial modernism." Farah has written over ten novels, numerous essays, and several plays. Through his work, he gives a voice to Somalian people and ensures that his country will not be forgotten.

Today, Farah teaches an intensive summer seminar at the European Graduate School (EGS).