hereafter

Written by the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature winner
Shortlisted for the 2021 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction
Longlisted for the 2021 Walter Scott Prize

“Exciting and moving… a compelling novel that brings together all those who should be forgotten, and refuses to erase them.” Maaza Mengiste, The Guardian

“A wonderful and important book for our time, by a wonderful writer.” Philippe Sands, New Statesman, Books of the Year
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While still a young boy, Elias was stolen from his parents by German colonial forces. After years away, fighting in his family's war, he returns to his village to find his parents gone and his sister Afia absconded. At the same time, another young man returns. Hamza wasn't kidnapped for war, he was sold into it; he was raised by an officer whose protection has defined his life. With nothing but the clothes on his back, he seeks only work and security—and the love of the beautiful Afia. As fate binds these young people together, as they live, work, and fall in love, the shadow of a new war on another continent grows long and dark, ready to snatch them away...
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"One of the world's foremost postcolonial writers... He has consistently and with great sympathy explored the effects of colonialism in East Africa and its impact on the lives of uprooted and migrant individuals." Anders Olsson, Chair of the Nobel Committee

“In book after book, he guides us through seismic historical moments and devastating societal divisions while gently identifying what keeps those families, friendships, and loving spaces intact, if not entirely whole.” Maaza Mengiste

Rarely in a lifetime can you “open a book and discover that reading it sums up the enchanting qualities of a love story... One hardly dares to breathe while reading for fear of breaking the spell.” The Times