Abdulrazak Gurnah, author of 'Afterlives' - 2021 Nobel Prize winner discusses distractions, why reading is as important as writing, and needing blank walls
Writer's Routine
Dan Simpson
4.9 • 599 Ratings
🗓️ 24 March 2023
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Abdulrazak Gurnah was forced to flee Zanzibar when he was 18. He draws on that experience to write stories that address colonialism from different angles. His book 'Paradise' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. His book 'By The Sea' was longlisted for the Booker Prize. He's Professor Emeritus of English and Postcolonial Literatures at the University of Kent, and was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize for Literature. He only had 9 minutes warning about that, by the way!
The new book tells the story of Ilyas, stolen from his parents by German colonial soldiers, who must now find his way home.
We talk about why he needs a blank wall to write, why he's never bothered with a word count, and how teaching full-time affected his ability to write stories.
You can hear how much he thinks about plot points, how he gets to know his characters, and all about the Nobel Prize.
Get 10% off Plottr, at go.plottr.com/routine.
Support the show at patreon.com/writersroutine
@writerspod
writersroutine.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome along to this week's writers' routine, where we are chatting to a Nobel Prize winner. |
| 0:14.5 | Abdul Razak Gerner's new novel is After Lives. |
| 0:18.6 | We talk about how important it is to keep telling stories of colonialism |
| 0:22.7 | from different entry points, also how he knows when he's ready to start writing again, |
| 0:28.3 | and why he's never really got on with a word count. I kind of admire in a way of people who |
| 0:32.9 | accept themselves targets like that. I believe Somerset Momb used to say |
| 0:39.3 | he would write 5,000 words |
| 0:42.3 | from whatever, from 8 o'clock to about 12 o'clock |
| 0:45.3 | and then go in a good, oozy light |
| 0:48.3 | and sleep it off in the afternoon. |
| 0:51.3 | So to be able to work with that kind of precision, must be very comforting. |
| 0:57.8 | There is more with Nobel Prize winning, Abdul Razak Gerner, in this week's writer's routine. |
| 1:08.5 | Yes, welcome along to the show. |
| 1:10.5 | It's writers routine where we take a look through an author's working day. |
| 1:13.4 | My name's Dan. |
| 1:14.2 | The job is to uncover some secrets of the most successful writers |
| 1:19.7 | to see how they get stuff done, |
| 1:22.0 | to see if there are any tricks or tips that we can use along the way. |
| 1:25.2 | Now, this week our episode is brought to you by Plotter. |
| 1:27.8 | Very excited that for a little while Plotter are helping to power this show, just like they can |
| 1:32.6 | power your writing. Now Plotter is a writing tool, and it's one that does what the title says. |
| 1:39.3 | It helps you plot. It helps you plan your books the way that you think. It gives you the tools to |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Dan Simpson, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Dan Simpson and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.