Hanif Kureishi's New Collection ¿Qué ha pasado? Explores Life After Paralysis

Hanif Kureishi's latest book, ¿Qué ha pasado?, published by Anagrama, is a collection of articles and short stories written before the 2022 Christmas accident in Rome that left him tetraplegic. The anthology, released in early summer, covers diverse topics such as music, publishing, religion, and sexuality. Kureishi's convalescence diary, A pedazos, detailed his extreme dependency with two caregivers, including a live-in one, and his gratitude to his wife Isabella and their three children. He collaborated with his son Carlo to compile notes dictated during hospital stays in Rome and London. Kureishi has cited trauma as a catalyst for his writing, referencing a Hungarian psychoanalyst and his own adolescence, and has drawn parallels to his friend Salman Rushdie's experience during the fatwa. The book includes portraits of figures like Peter Sellers, Matthew Evans, Georges Simenon, David Bowie, and Rushdie, and incorporates autobiographical elements. Kureishi maintains his humor despite his condition, joking about renaming his anus 'Route 66' and attempting to open a bag of cashews with his teeth. The collection reflects his ongoing commitment to writing, which he describes as a way to cope with trauma. Translated by Cecilia Ceriani and Mauricio Bach, the book is published by Anagrama.