“I write what I see. I speak for myself. I have no confusion about what makes sense in writing for myself. I express what I see and know. So I don't live in any circle,” said Nobel laureate writer Abdulrazak Gurnah.

He said these things in a session titled ‘A World Without a Centre' at the Bangla Academy's AKSB auditorium on the third day of Dhaka Lit Fest on Saturday.

Indian novelist, editor and columnist Nilanjana S Roy moderated the session.

Indian writer and literary critic Amitav Ghosh and Indian essayist Pankaj Mishra were also present.

Gurnah said: “Reading after completing my write-up, sometimes I think maybe this is what I wanted to write, and sometimes I think - what a foul thing I wrote! My primary purpose is not to write for anyone, but to present it as I see it. When I read something, I read it as I am. I say to everyone, I never see who my audience or readers are. I write for everyone who reads me.”

Gurnah says: “My beginning as a writer was to be committed to something. It wasn't like I was migrating, it was a life decision. The promise was not to write something for the sake of writing. It wasn't that easy and I didn't give up even though I wanted to do something else. When I couldn't express it, I didn't get upset. That does not mean that I will sit down to do something else. It seemed then, ish! If someone published my book. Then I will write another one, which I did. At the same time, the commitment, the desire was towards writing.”

The Nobel laureate further said to live a normal life one has to face some complications. 

“We live through it. There are many difficult things in being human,” he said.