Georgetown Qatar's new literary series debuts with Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah

Doha, Qatar: Georgetown University in Qatar (GU Q) has announced the launch of Qalam: Great Writers in Conversation with Kamila Shamsie, a series that...

Doha, Qatar: Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) has announced the launch of Qalam: Great Writers in Conversation with Kamila Shamsie, a series that will bring some of the world’s most acclaimed writers to engage with the community.

Led by award-winning novelist, and GU-Q’s inaugural Writer-in-Residence Kamila Shamsie, this series offers a unique exploration of how storytelling can bridge cultures and ideas.

The inaugural event, open to the public, will be held on GU-Q’s campus on September 15, 2024, from 5.30 pm to 7pm. It will feature an extraordinary conversation with Abdulrazak Gurnah, winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Gurnah’s powerful works, including Paradise and Afterlives, explore themes of colonialism, migration, and identity—subjects that resonate deeply in the modern world. Shamsie, whose own novels, such as Home Fire and Burnt Shadows, examine the intersections of history, politics, and personal experience, will join Gurnah in discussing these important topics.

“Qalam will allow audiences to hear from writers who look unsparingly at the complexities of the world and the human heart, bypassing easy answers in favor of deep exploration,” said Shamsie.