The Novels of Nuruddin Farah: The Sociopolitical Evolution of a Somali Writer

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Periodical article

Title:	The Novels of Nuruddin Farah: The Sociopolitical Evolution of a Somali Writer
Author:	Schraeder, Peter J.
Year:	1988
Periodical:	Northeast African Studies
Volume:	10
Issue:	2-3
Pages:	15-26
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Somalia
Subjects:	literature novels Literature, Mass Media and the Press
About person:	Nuruddin Farah (1945-)
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/43661181
Abstract:	The writer Nuruddin Farah is unique as the first Somali author to publish novels in English. Farah's novels to date include: 'From a crooked rib' (1970), 'A naked needle' (1973), 'Sweet and sour milk' (1979), 'Sardines' (1981), 'Close sesame' (1984), and 'Maps' (1986). This article discusses Farah's evolution as a socially and politically engaged author, emphasizing the political content of his works. It proposes that Farah's evolution as a novelist is not unique but rather is indicative of a process potentially applicable to other African writers. As socially engaged writers perceive political authority as becoming increasingly authoritarian in nature and unresponsive to popular needs, their novels will become increasingly politically engaged and antigovernment in nature. Farah's novels are analysed according to three evolutionary phases: initial concern for social issues, increased political awareness, and acute political engagement with perceived political and social injustices in Somalia. Notes, ref.