Novel ‘The Last White Man’ launched at LLF

LAHORE : "The Last White Man", a novel by Mohsin Hamid, a British Pakistani novelist and writer, that explores issues of identity, race, and privilege in a rapidly changing world was launched on the second day of Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) here on Saturday.

In conversation with writer and documentary filmmaker Saba Karim at Alhamra Arts Centre, novelist Mohsin Hamid talked about the impact of change on the characters of his novel particularly Anders and Oona besides reflecting the impact of the pandemic on them. Answering a question, Mohsin said everybody was being radicalised by the Internet. He added anyone who uses the Internet, particularly social media, experienced a potential sort of radicalization. He said not just young Muslim men, but even white pensioners in America and Britain were being radicalized by the Internet.

In "The Last White Man", Mohsin Hamid imagines a future where white people have become a minority. The novel is a reflection on the changing nature of identity and power in the modern world, and a meditation on what it means to be a minority in a rapidly changing society. A question-answer session was also held at the end of the event.