THE LAST WORD ON BIOGRAPHY: AUTOCRITOGRAPHY OF KUREISHI

Abstract

Hanif Kureishi is an author of multicultural origin with multi-layered cultural accumulations. He takes up various identity issues in his works through a kind of hybrid storytelling mingled with numerous autobiographical references. His fictional characters bear great similarities not only to himself but also to his family members. This characteristic of his fiction is observed in his latest work The Last Word (2013) as well. In this novel, some specific events and memories can be related to his individual experiences. However, these are in disguise either as the memories of Harry, a would-be biographer who pins his hopes on a biographical work, or Mamoon, an eminent postcolonial author who is losing his fame. Kureishi cryptically confesses his own experiences in his novel, which makes this novel autocritographic in nature. Autocritography is briefly defined as a self-reflexive discursive strategy. There is a general sense of autobiographical references in such works, and thus it has a crucial narrative potential, especially for those marginalized and cast out of the society. It allows Others to narrate their stories. They voice out their stance and identity in society. This study will analyse Kureishi’s specific tale-telling as an autocritography by which he voices out his concerns, which will also contribute to our understanding of the novel.