The Road to Nobel Prize and the Diaspora Classification of African Writers

When the Tanzanian writer Abdulrazak Gurnah won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2021, many people thought it was another “surprise” of the Nobel Prize, but that is not the case. The Prize has a history of 120 years and has so far been awarded to 118 writers, seven of whom are African writers. The proportion is not high indeed, but it is undoubtedly higher than that in Asia, South America, Australia and some other regions. A careful study of the works of African writers will enable us to perceive the open and broad cultural vision and the inclusive and tolerant humanistic spirit, and to capture the unique aesthetic representation, cultural implication and regional elements in their works. And in comparison with the literature of other regions diaspora syndrome is particularly prominent. Local diaspora, foreign diaspora, and colonial diaspora, so to speak, constitute both the main features of African literature and the three types of Nobel Prize writers. Gurnah’s reception of the award once again proves that the richness, inclusiveness and foresight of African literature play a positive role in promoting the diversity of world literature and the real emergence of new forms of human civilization.