Nuruddin Farah Books In Order

Publication Order of Blood in the Sun Books

Publication Order of Past Imperfect Books

Publication Order of Variations on the Theme of An African Dictatorship Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Nuruddin Farah is a renowned novelist, essayist, and professor from Somalia. He has written several widely successful novels based on the values of colonialism, nationalism, and feminism. Nuruddin has also written a few plays for radio and stage, as well as several essays and short stories. He left Somalia during the 1970s and has resided and taught in many counties since then, including England, Sudan, Nigeria, India, the United States, Germany, South Africa, Itlay, Uganda, and Sweden. Over the years of his writing career, author Nuruddin has garnered wide acclaim as a prominent contemporary writer of the world. His works have earned him multiple accolades in various countries such as Itlay’s Premio Cavour, Sweden’s Kurt Tucholsky Prize, Berlin’s Lettre Ulysses prize.

In 1998, Nuruddin was awarded the Neustadt International Prize for his dedicated contribution to literature. Soon after, the French translation of his book called Gifts won the St. Malo Literature Festival prize. He has even perennial nomination for the prestigious Nobel Prize. Author Nuruddin was born on November 24, 1945, in Baidoa, Somalia. His family belongs to the clan of Ogaden Darod. His mother, Aleeli, was a poet, while his father used to work as a merchant. Nuruddin’s family was a very large one and he was the 4th eldest boy. During his childhood, author Nuruddin studied in many schools in his country as well as in neighboring Ethiopia. He used to attend classes on a frequent basis in Kallafo in Ogaden. Nuruddin developed a keen interest in English, Amharic, and Arabic, and studied these languages thoroughly.

When Somalia attained independence in 1960, the situation in the country became very hostile due to the serious conflicts arising from border issues. This forced Nuruddin to flee from Ogaden in 1963. Between 1966 and 1970, he stayed in India and studied literature, sociology, and philosophy at the Panjab University. It was at this university that Nuruddin came across his first wife named Chitra Muliyil Farah. The two were blessed with a son before ending their marriage in divorce in 1992. Between 1974 and 1975, Nuruddin lived in England and studied at the London University. A year later, he earned his master’s degree from the Essex University. In 1992, Nuruddin met and married his second wife named Amina Amma, a British-Nigerian academic. They have a daughter and a son together. The German Academic Exchange Service awarded a grant to author Nuruddin in 1990 that allowed him to live in Berlin for some time.

In 1996, Nuruddin returned to Somalia after a gap of over 20 years. During the 2014 bombings in Kabul, Afghanistan, Nuruddin’s sister named Basra Farah Hassan was killed, who was working as a diplomat of the United Nations there. As of today, Nuruddin has residences in Cape Town, South Africa and Minneapolis, Minnesota. He divides his time between these residences and lives with his wife Amina Mama and children Koshin, Abyan, and Kaahiye. Author Nuruddin began his literary career with a short story in the native Somali language. Then, he switched over to writing in the English language when he was studying in India. Today, the translations of his books are available in 17 different languages. Nuruddin wrote and published his first book in 1970 under the title, From a Crooked Rib. This book described the tale of a nomad girl, who runs away from her arranged marriage to a much older man. This novel received a mild response from the readers, but was effective enough to help him get international recognition.

After Nuruddin released his second book in 1976, he received a warning that he might get arrested by the Somali government because of the contents in the book. This forced him to attain a self-imposed exile from the country. The exile lasted for 22 years, during which time he was involved in teaching in multiple countries. Nuruddin says that the reason behind his style of writing is that he attempts to describe the positive things about his country by writing about it. Subsequently, he wrote many wonderful novels throughout his career. Besides his novels, Nuruddin is also popular for his plays. His screenplays for stage shows have received numerous praise in many countries. Nuruddin is also associated with the Somali Studies as an important scholar and serves as on the advisory board of a journal called Bildhaan that is published by the Macalester College and deals with Somali Studies.

A very popular book by author Nuruddin Farah’s career is the 2003 book entitled ‘Links’. It was re-released in 2005 by Penguin Books. Nuruddin has done the plot’s setting in Mogadiscio, Somalia, and has mentioned the central character in the role of Jeebleh. The story begins by depicting that Jeebleh is making a comeback to his hometown in Mogadiscio after 20 years. But, he doesn’t this trip as a nostalgic because the last time he was in Mogadiscio, he was living in a prison. Jeebleh doesn’t anything nostalgic about the city. In spite of several attempts by the United Nations to bring law and order in this decimated city, it is still ruled by warlords and their clans. Its people fear the qaat, a gang that shoots civilians just for the sake of entertainment. On his trip, Jeebleh wishes to visit the grave of his mother. But, his pilgrimage gets diverted to a different location, where Jeebleh is given the task of investigating the kidnapping a close friend’s daughter. Jeebleh seems hesitant to take up this task because he knows that is very much complicated to move around this dangerous city, let alone spy on the clan warlords and investigate an abduction.

Another mind-blowing book penned by Nuruddin is called ‘Hiding in Plain Sight’. It was published by Riverheads publication in 2014. This book features the primary characters in the form of Bella and Aar, who are half-siblings living in Mogadiscio. The setting in done in Rome, Somalia, and Nairobi. The book starts by describing that Aar gets killed in a suicide bomb attack carried out by Mogadiscio’s political extremists. Bella, who is a renowned photographer, hears this devastating news when she is on an assignment in Rome and immediately rushes to Kenya to look after her late half-brother’s children. At the time, Bella was struggling with her own problems of love affairs, projects, etc., but gave up everything else to look after the orphaned children. However, she is not able to do much for the children because their mother comes back and claims to take them with her based on her maternal rights. Bella decides that she is not going to let the chaos and the political instability have a bad effect on the kids and shows the willingness to go to any length to fulfill her sisterly responsibilities.