In this episode Suchitra Vijayan speaks to Hassan Ghedi Santur about his new book The Youth of God, about the nature of representation and diversity in the literary world, shrinking space for literary criticism, and what it means to be a writer. The conversation meanders from archetypal figures in the literature to freedom of speech and returns to fundamental questions about how fiction can still shed light on the complicated questions of human existence.
Hassan Ghedi Santur was born in Somalia and emigrated to Canada just before the start of the civil war. He holds a BA in English literature and MFA in screenwriting from York University in Toronto and an MA in Politics and Global Affairs from Columbia Journalism School. For many years, he worked as a radio journalist for CBC producing long-form documentaries and current affairs shows. His debut novel Something Remains (2010) was long-listed for The ReLit Awards. The Youth of God was a finalist for the Pius Adesanmi Memorial Award for Excellence in African Writing, 2019.