INTERVIEW: ‘The act of writing provided a sense of control when my body offered none’

Hanif Kureishi You have been back in your London home for several months now, after a year in different hospitals, following your collapse, broken neck and paralysis. How much movement do you have now? And how do you manage with daily life? Hanif Kureishi: My movement remains limited, but I’m gradually regaining some control. Daily life is a series of adaptations and negotiations with my new reality. I rely heavily on assistance for basic tasks, which is both humbling and frustrating. Despite the physical challenges, my mind remains active. I’m always working on something new. I’m currently writing a second volume of Shattered, called Still Shattered, which I am doing in collaboration with Carlo, my son. Shattered began as online diary/dispatches, The Kureishi Chronicles, dictated from your hospital bed, though you couldn’t sit up or hold a pen. What impelled you? HK: Writing, or rather dictating, became my lifeline in those early days of paralysis. It was an instinctive response to an impossible situation. I couldn’t move, but I could still think and speak. My family — Isabella, Carlo, Sachin and Kier — became my hands, transcribing my thoughts. This act of creation kept me tethered to the world when everything else had been stripped away. What was the online response to The Kureishi Chronicles? HK: The online response to The Kureishi Chronicles was overwhelming and varied. Many readers connected deeply with the honesty. Some found inspiration, while others shared their own stories of struggle in the comments section. The internet’s reach brought messages from unexpected corners. It was a reminder of the power of words to bridge distances and experiences. When you decided to turn The Kureishi Chronicles into Shattered, a book, once you were home, how did they seem to you, viewed with hindsight? HK: Revisiting the chronicles for Shattered was an intense experience. With some distance, I saw not just my physical journey, but an emotional and psychological one. New memories surfaced, filling gaps in the narrative. The immediacy of the original writings was striking, but it needed to be stitched together into a proper narrative. […]

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