Nobody writes about the world we call postcolonial like Abdulrazak Gurnah. His novels are uncompromising, but also stubbornly humane. They come at their subjects with open eyes, and we need what they see

Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Beautifully crafted, its three protagonists occupy a seemingly small stage between Zanzibar and Tanzania. Yet their actions respond to larger forces. The theft of the title is pivotal, but the real crimes happen elsewhere

Financial Times, Best Books of 2025

Abdulrazak Gurnah's Theft is complex in its themes of class and entitlement, but it's also, fundamentally, a piece of great, satisfying storytelling to lose yourself in.

Samantha Harvey, GUARDIAN, Perfect holiday reading

The Nobel laureate transports us to 1990s Zanzibar and Tanzania to trace the intersected lives of Badar, Karim and Fauzia, traversing years, perspectives and the mysteries of family history with the deceptive ease of a masterly storyteller ... The rewards are rich and lasting

Financial Times, Best summer books of 2025: Fiction

Another glittering tapestry of a novel from a master storyteller of our times

Irish Times

His character-building is astonishing in its restraint; he brings the reader to the brink of a crest and lets the depth speak for itself

Granta, Books of the year 2025