# Nuruddin Farah: the Somali novelist who won the Neustadt Prize

> Nuruddin Farah, Somali novelist born in Baidoa in 1945: his novels and three trilogies, his years of exile, and his 1998 Neustadt Prize.

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Last checked: 2026-11-12
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## Early life

Nuruddin Farah was born on 24 November 1945 in Baidoa, in the south of Somalia, then under Italian rule. His mother was a traditional storyteller. His father was a merchant who later worked as an interpreter for the British ([World Literature Today, 1998 Neustadt laureate](https://worldliteraturetoday.org/neustadt-prize/1998-neustadt-prize-laureate-nuruddin-farah)).

He grew up speaking Somali, Amharic, English, Italian and Arabic, and chose English for his novels (World Literature Today). He studied at Panjab University in Chandigarh, India, graduating in 1970. He later studied theatre in [London](/en/diaspora/london/) and at the University of Essex ([Encyclopedia.com, Contemporary Black Biography](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/farah-nuruddin-1945)).

## First novels and exile

His first novel, ***From a Crooked Rib*** (1970), follows a young nomad woman who runs away from a marriage to a much older man. The book earned him praise as a "male feminist" (World Literature Today).

In 1974 he left for England on a UNESCO fellowship. This began 22 years away from Somalia (Encyclopedia.com). His second novel, ***[A Naked Needle](/en/books/a-naked-needle-farah/)*** (1976), angered the military government, and he received death threats. He did not go back to live in Somalia (World Literature Today).

## The three trilogies

Farah is best known for writing Somalia's story in sets of three novels.

| Trilogy | Novels |
|---|---|
| Variations on the Theme of an African Dictatorship | *Sweet and Sour Milk* (1979), *Sardines* (1981), *Close Sesame* (1983) |
| Blood in the Sun | *Maps* (1986), *Gifts* (1992), *Secrets* (1998) |
| Past Imperfect | *Links* (2004), *Knots* (2007), *Crossbones* (2011) |

The first two trilogies portray life under one-man rule and the search for identity. The third follows Somalis who return to Mogadishu after 1991 (Encyclopedia.com; Penguin Random House). Sources differ by a year on some dates: Leiden gives *Close Sesame* as 1982, *Gifts* as 1990 and *Links* as 2005.

Trilogy names and the first six dates come from Encyclopedia.com. The third trilogy comes from its publisher ([Penguin Random House, Past Imperfect trilogy](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/DX4/past-imperfect-trilogy/)). Later novels include *Hiding in Plain Sight* (2014) and *North of Dawn* (2018) ([African Studies Centre Leiden, Library Weekly](https://www.ascleiden.nl/content/library-weekly/nuruddin-farah)).

## Prizes

- **1991:** Tucholsky Prize, Stockholm, for writers in exile.
- **1993:** Best Novel award in Zimbabwe for *Gifts*.
- **1998:** Neustadt International Prize for Literature, one of the world's top literary awards.
- Other awards came in France, Italy and Britain for translations and for *[Sweet and Sour Milk](/en/books/sweet-and-sour-milk-farah/)* (Encyclopedia.com).

Leiden also lists the Lettre Ulysses Award, Berlin ([African Studies Centre Leiden](https://www.ascleiden.nl/content/library-weekly/nuruddin-farah)). He has lived and taught in many countries, including the United States, Britain, Germany, Nigeria and South Africa (African Studies Centre Leiden).

## In short

A novelist writing in English whose books cover women's lives, power and Somalis who left and returned. For the Somali-language tradition of poetry, see [Somali poetry](/en/society/somali-poetry/) and [Hadraawi](/en/people/hadraawi/).

## Sources

- World Literature Today. [1998 Neustadt Prize Laureate Nuruddin Farah](https://worldliteraturetoday.org/neustadt-prize/1998-neustadt-prize-laureate-nuruddin-farah).
- Encyclopedia.com. [Farah, Nuruddin 1945–](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/farah-nuruddin-1945).
- Penguin Random House. [Past Imperfect trilogy](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/DX4/past-imperfect-trilogy/).
- African Studies Centre Leiden. [Library Weekly: Nuruddin Farah](https://www.ascleiden.nl/content/library-weekly/nuruddin-farah).

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