Mohsin Hamid's Man Booker shortlisted novel asks why can’t two people, despite conflicting beliefs, find the love
Mohsin Hamid
"I wanted to write a very big story — of how the world changes, how people are confused and terrified of migration — as a small novel. I hope the reader is able to grasp the many worlds in it," says Mohsin Hamid over the phone from Lahore. His Man Booker Prize shortlisted novel, Exit West (Penguin Random House), looks at the global migrant crisis and transforms it into an apocalyptic scenario with seismic socio-economic implications. Yet, at the heart of this chaos lies the first love between Nadia and Saeed who are changing and growing apart despite their bond. Edited excerpts from the interview:
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The story is set in reality but has surreal elements like the 'doors'. Why straddle both worlds?
I wanted to write about current ecological truths and realities. Technology enables us to feel like neighbours despite sitting in Lahore and Bombay. The magical 'doors' allowed me to compress the next few centuries of migration into one of two years. It offered me layers of imagination; I was thinking on the lines of how it would be if we could enter each other's worlds via Skype windows.
The sky plays a silent spectator — drones and helicopters contrast with stargazing. Why?
Interesting question. Human beings look up to the sky. We live in cities where we are unable to see the stars. When we stare at the sky, we are starting across time. I've compared relationships with stars and the galaxies. When we place barriers — helicopters, drones, and pollution — we impact that balance. Anyone who's been to the Himalayas has spotted the brilliant Milky Way. When that goes away, it's a sign of change. The sky enables us to contemplate our origin.
Social media is present through the apocalypse...
Imagine seeing your city being bombed and then read about it. I wanted to show this strange possibility — of being a part of the news and reading about it too. Today, we are moving away from experience to curation, which is a dangerous thing.
Were you tempted to alter the ending?
The ending was important to me. We hear of groups fighting for causes that end in violence. I wanted to explore a possibility where even if people choose to follow different paths, they are able to love each other. Why can't India and Pakistan go their separate ways and wish each other well?
Is there a message in the contrasting roads that Nadia and Saeed chose?
I was keen to explore ancient wisdom and texts to offer direction, not in the religious sense but from the context of a story. Some religions speak of afterlife. While in certain texts, it's said that if you love someone, you will not fear your death. The truth is that most people (despite hatred) don't massacre others. They hold back. Decency saves us. I wanted to invent a new vision of hope that can survive despite everything.
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