Theft : By the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

Emily says about Theft:
"Set partly on the island of Zanzibar and partly in the city of Dar es Salaam, Theft is a richly written novel by Nobel prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah. Following three teenagers as they come of age, Gurnah manages to give the reader such a vivid and thorough picture of their lives despite the book being less than 300 pages. A wonderful, absorbing and transportive read!"

Badar’s story truly begins on the day when, aged fifteen, he is brought to Mistress’s great house in Dar es Salaam – where he proves a quick learner, and gains the friendship of Karim, the young man of the house.

But then a false accusation sees Badar banished from the place he has come to call home. Exiled, to a run-down hotel on the coast of Zanzibar, Badar must build a new life for himself. And when Karim comes to see his old friend in his new life, he is captivated by temptations that will test the two young men’s friendship to a breaking point.

Author: Gurnah, Abdulrazak

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

Published on 12 March 2026 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC in the United Kingdom.

Paperback / softback | 256 pages
195 x 128 x 21 | 184g