“His writing challenges stereotypes and compels readers to confront the realities of the changing world which have often gone unnoticed to gain a better understanding of the conditions humans are living in and subjected to.”
Known for his thought-provoking and genre-bending narratives, Mohsin Hamid has emerged as a rather celebrated writer known for his exploration of identity, migration, and social change set in the backdrop of a rapidly changing world and the construction of narratives that are influenced by his Pakistani roots.
Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Hamid spent parts of his childhood in the States – the condition of living and working across the continents engaging his attention to the complexities of a globalised world and exploration of identity. Hamid’s notable works include The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Moth Smoke, Exit West and many more, however, it is the literary wit and concept of borders in Exit West which bring forth the novel as Hamid’s most critically acclaimed work.
Since the narrative delves into the construct of borders and the identity it curates restricting movements of globalised identity that has gained momentum over the years. The story follows Nadia and Saeed, a young couple inhabiting an unnamed city, navigating displacement, migration and love through magical doors, the concept of which defies borders and boundaries for as Nadia deems in the novel, “We may not know where we’re going but we know we’re going together,” adding to both uncertainty and hope that permeates not only in the narrative but in the globalised world as well.
By weaving the personal with wider social and political issues, Hamid challenges stereotypes and compels readers to confront the realities of the changing world which have often gone unnoticed to gain a better understanding of the conditions humans are living in and subjected to.
