New Delhi: Iranian Dutch writer Kader Abdolah has said that Indian writers and India have been inspiration for his writing. Kader, a celebrated author in Netherlands, is known for his contributions to Dutch literature.
Speaking to WION, he said, “It’s wonderful. The Persian classic is full of stories of our relationship with India. Many Indian parrots in golden cages want to go back home. It’s a kind of immigration.”
His book, ‘The House of the Mosque’, based on his family’s experiences, was particularly successful, being voted the second-best Dutch novel in an online poll in the Netherlands. He is known for introducing to Dutch readers the nuances of Iranian culture and the complexities of living between two worlds.
Asked about India and Iran’s cultural connect, he said, “Your culture and language has produced wonderful literature. Rabindranath Tagore was my inspiration. I have read all his poems. Gandhi was my guide as a young man. Both left an unforgettable mark in my life.”
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His works often explore themes of migration, cultural identity, and the clash between Eastern and Western cultures. He pointed out, “When I published my first Dutch book, everyone said it’s wonderful. It wasn’t a masterpiece. It was a new language, my own language. I had put the soul of old Persian in Dutch words and sentences. Suddenly, I became a new voice in Dutch literature.”
Abdolah has received numerous awards and honours, including the Dutch Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2000 and the French Order of Arts and Letters in 2008. He was also appointed writer in residence at Leiden University in 2006.
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Asked about navigating between two languages, his own Persian and one of his adopted country, the Netherlands, he said, “Changing language made me a new man…when you leave your language, culture, you get the possibility to meet whole of yourself…you are a maker of your identity in different language. It is the biggest and most beautiful experience of my life.”
He was in India for the Jaipur Literature Festival.
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