The Oscar-nominated screenwriter Hanif Kureishi has told the BBC he “saw death” after being paralysed following a fall in December.
Award-Winning Author Suffers Accident in Rome
On Boxing Day, the author of “My Beautiful Laundrette” and “The Buddha of Suburbia” fell while on holiday in Rome, leaving him unable to move his arms and legs. In a recent international interview, he spoke about how the accident has impacted his life and how he is learning to cope with his new circumstances.
Close Brush with Death
The author recalls how he felt he was going to die and wanted to video-call his children to say goodbye. However, his girlfriend, Isabella D’Amico, convinced him otherwise. Although he has eluded death, he is now learning to live with the changes in his body and is making progress with the help of a physiotherapist.
Growing Audience for His Work
The author is dictating his thoughts on his blog and has been surprised by the response. Millions of people are now reading his work, which he has never written in this way before. He was previously used to writing with a fountain pen and a computer, but now dictates his thoughts.
Finding Comfort in the Human Condition
The author has often felt alone and sleeps little, listening to the World Service, BBC Radio 3, and 4. However, he finds comfort in knowing that people like his writing and are rooting for him, even in the midst of what he describes as despair. Through this experience, he is learning about himself and the human condition, and is grateful for the support he has received from his readers.
Transformation Through Adversity: An Interview with Award-Winning Author Hanif Kureishi
In a recent interview, Hanif Kureishi, the award-winning author of “My Beautiful Laundrette” and “The Buddha of Suburbia,” shared his thoughts on disability and his newfound perspective on life. Following a fall while on holiday in Rome, Kureishi is unable to move his arms and legs and is learning to live with his new circumstances.
Words of Life-Affirmation, Dark Humor, and Reality
The words Kureishi has been dictating on his blog have been a reflection of his life-affirming, dark, funny, and alive reality. The accident has transformed his views on disabled people and has made him want to see the world from their perspective. He has also expressed a desire to set up a charity for disabled writers called Metamorphosis, after the Kafka novel.
Support from Friend Salman Rushdie
Kureishi has received support from his friend, writer Salman Rushdie, who was attacked at a literary event last year. Despite Rushdie’s private nature, he has been in regular touch with Kureishi and sends amusing texts. Kureishi says he needs to remember his identity as a writer and has been talking about his experience to help him do so.
The End of Life Journey
Kureishi, who is nearly 70, is grateful that the accident has happened towards the end of his life. He has been asking himself the question that many sick people ask: why me? A school friend provided the simple answer: why not me? Kureishi realizes that none of us can be immune to illness and he hopes that his hands will come back so he can write and type again, though it may take six months.
