Ƙarfin adabi ma'aurata ra'ayi ne mai jan hankali da dogon tarihi: marubuta biyu da ke raba rayuwa, duniyoyinsu na sirri da na ƙirƙira suna haɗe, kowanne yana zama shaida kuma mai suka ga aikin ɗayan. Ka yi tunanin Simone de Beauvoir da Jean-Paul Sartre, Joan Didion da John Gregory Dunne. Ko kuma, ba haka ba, Sylvia Plath da Ted Hughes.
Yanzu sabon ma'aurata sun shiga cikin wannan babbar ƙungiya: marubucin labari Marlon James da marubucin tarihin rayuwa Nicholas Boggs, waɗanda littattafansu kowanne an zaɓe su don ɗaya daga cikin manyan kyaututtukan adabi na Biritaniya—James don Kyautar Booker da Boggs don Kyautar Baillie Gifford don rubutun gaskiya. Tsakaninsu, sun samar da littattafai biyu masu girma, kowanne ƙarshen shekaru na aiki, kowanne yana magana game da rayuwar maza baƙi masu luwaɗi waɗanda labarunsu galibi an yi watsi da su.
"Ban san abin da zan yi da shi ba," in ji James lokacin da na tambaye shi yadda suke ji game da lakabin "ma'auratan adabi masu ƙarfi" da ba makawa. "Ina da duk waɗannan tunanin soyayya cewa mun kasance kamar Joan Didion da John Gregory Dunne ko wani abu—ban sani ba. Me kuke tunani?" Ya juya ga Boggs, wanda ya yi dariya. "Duk sabo ne sosai," in ji shi. "Har yanzu muna saba da shi."
Safiya ce mai dumi a watan Oktoba a Williamsburg, yankin marubuta mai ban sha'awa a Brooklyn, kuma ina zaune gaban ma'auratan a cikin ɗakinsu. Suna shakatawa a kan kujera mai tsayi, suna kama da sun ji daɗi sosai har sun kasance a can duk safiya. Tattaunawarsu tana da sauƙin rhythm na dogon dangantaka, cike da ƙananan gyare-gyare da barkwanci na sirri.
James, ɗan shekaru 55 haifaffen Jamaica marubucin labari wanda littafinsa na 2015 A Brief History of Seven Killings ya lashe Kyautar Booker, ya dawo cikin jerin zaɓaɓɓu a wannan shekara da The Disappearers, babban littafi mai duhu game da zaluncin rayuwar luwaɗi a zamanin AIDS da ƙiyayya ga luwaɗi a Jamaica. Boggs, abokin zamansa ɗan shekaru 53 na kusan shekaru tara, an zaɓe shi don Kyautar Baillie Gifford don littafinsa na farko, Baldwin: A Love Story, tarihin rayuwar James Baldwin wanda ya dogara da bincike na shekaru ashirin game da rayuwar sirri da dangantakar ƙirƙira ta marubucin.
"Baillie Gifford kyauta ce da na sani sosai," in ji James. "Don haka lokacin da Nick ya kasance cikin jerin zaɓaɓɓu, na san babban abu ne." Boggs ya tuna da martanin James lokacin da aka sanar da jerin zaɓaɓɓun rubutun gaskiya a ranar 1 ga Oktoba. "Idanunsa sun yi girma sosai. Ban tsammanin na taɓa ganin idanunsa sun yi girma haka ba."
James ya sami ɗanɗanon farko na jin daɗin lokacin da aka sanar da jerin zaɓaɓɓun Booker a watan Satumba. "An zaɓe ka da farko, don haka matsin lamba ya kasance!" Boggs ya yi barkwanci. "Ko nawa ka yi wannan, koyaushe babban abin mamaki ne," James ya ƙara.
Duba hoto a cikakken alloBoggs da James a gida a Brooklyn, New York. Hoto: Maria Spann/The Guardian
Ma'auratan suna tare tun 2018 kuma sun zauna a wannan ɗakin ƙasa da shekara ɗaya. Bangonsa sun zama wani abu kamar wurin ibada ga aikinsu da sha'awarsu, cike da fasahar masu fasaha baƙi na Amurka da masu luwaɗi, daga hotuna na sirri, galibi na sha'awa zuwa zane-zane. A wani lokaci suna bincika ƙarƙashin gado don ɗauko ainihin hoton James Baldwin na 1938 da Beauford Delaney, mai fasahar Harlem Renaissance wanda ya zama ɗaya daga cikin mashawartan Baldwin kuma ya bayyana sosai a littafin Boggs. Wani babban sassaken doki ya mamaye ɗakin—ko, kamar yadda Boggs ya nuna da dariya, "ainihin gindin dokin ne, ko ba haka ba!" James ya saya bayan nasararsa ta Booker a 2015 kuma Boggs ya sa masa suna "Booker," yana tsaye tare da wani gorilla mai girma makamancin haka.
Soyayyarsu ta fara ba a cikin salon adabi mai daraja ba amma ta hanyar kasuwancin yau da kullum na manhajar saduwa. "Ina kan manhajojin kuma na kasance kamar, to, ina saduwa ne kawai a unguwata," Boggs ya ce. "Yana da nisan tubali uku, don haka ya kasance cikakke."
"Marlon yana da ƙwazon aiki mai ban mamaki—ba ma yin ihu daga ɗakin da ke gefe ko yin gunaguni"Da abincin dare, dukansu suna cikin shekarunsu na 40. Boggs, wanda bai taɓa saduwa da marubuci ba a baya—"galibi masu shan giya ne," in ji shi da barkwanci—ya san aikin James amma bai karanta wani littafinsa ba. James, a nasa ɓangaren, bai san Boggs marubuci ne ba kafin haduwarsu ta farko. "Lokaci ne mai tsarki sosai na farko," James ya ce, da kyalkyali a idonsa. "Mu mutane ne masu ladabi." Dangantakar ta bunƙasa "cikin lafiya a hankali" a cikin bazara da suka rabu yayin da Boggs ke koyarwa a London, har sai sun sake haɗuwa lokacin da James ya gayyaci Boggs zuwa bikin tunawa da Booker a babban birnin. Yana da sha'awar saita ma'auni mai girma. "Kwananmu na uku a Fadar Buckingham ne," James ya ce, da wani irin ɗaga kafaɗa na karya. "Ina ƙoƙarin kiyaye shi cikin ladabi, ka sani, dole ne in burge shi. A zahiri mun sumbaci juna a bandakin sarauniya."
Dangantakarsu ƙila ta kawo su cikin wannan yanayi ɗaya, amma duniyoyin da kowannensu ya fito—da abubuwan da suka shafi rubutunsu—sun bambanta sosai.
Girman kai a Washington DC, inda mahaifinsa lauya ne na haƙƙin ɗan adam, Boggs ya karanta Baldwin tun yana ƙarami. Yayin da yake nazarin marubucin a jami'a, ya sami wata magana a cikin tarihin rayuwa na 1966 game da wani littafin yara na Baldwin da ba a buga ba, wanda wani mai fasaha ɗan Faransa, Yoran Cazac, ya zana. Boggs ya yi zargin akwai soyayya a bayan haɗin gwiwar, ya yi ƙoƙarin gano Cazac, amma an gaya masa cewa ya mutu. Bayan 'yan makonni, wayar ta yi ƙara. "Yoran ne yana cewa, 'Ina raye, ina Paris, zo, ina da labarai da yawa da zan ba ka game da Jimmy,'" Boggs ya tuna. "Wannan shekaru 23 da suka wuce ne, kuma ya fara fahimtar cewa akwai waɗannan labaran da ba a faɗa ba a rayuwar Baldwin waɗanda ke buƙatar tonowa."
Ga James, ƙiyayya ga luwaɗi da ta yi yawa ta tsara tarbiyyarsa da ba da labarinsa. Girma a matsayin luwaɗi kuma a ɓoye a Kingston na 1980s, a cikin aji ya kasance "ɗan luwaɗi na makaranta"; a coci, ya yi ƙoƙarin zama madaidaici. Ya fara gina ainihin luwaɗi mai daɗi ne kawai bayan ya ƙaura zuwa Minneapolis don koyarwa a 2007, nesa da kulawar dangi da abokai a Jamaica. Ba kamar Boggs ba, iliminsa na adabin luwaɗi ya zo a makare. Ya ɗauki Giovanni's Room na Baldwin a karon farko lokacin yana 50. "Abu na farko da na yi tunani shi ne ba zan taɓa iya karanta wannan a shekara 20 ba," in ji shi. "Na kasance cikin ɓoye sosai."
A cikin almara, James ya sha tono tarihin Jamaica na tashin hankali da rikice-rikicen siyasa, daga littafinsa na farko na 2005 John Crow's Devil (wanda aka yi watsi da shi sau 78 da sananne), zuwa yaƙin ƙungiyoyi da cin hanci da rashawa na gwamnati a A Brief History of Seven Killings, wanda ya sa ya zama ɗan Jamaica na farko da ya lashe kyautar Booker. The Disappearers, littafinsa na shida, ya girma daga wani jita-jita na harin ƙiyayya ga luwaɗi a wani yanki na tsakiyar aji na Kingston a ƙarshen 1980s. "Na fara jin labarinsa lokacin da nake 21," in ji shi. "Na san ya faru, kawai ba zan iya tabbatar da shi ba. Ya dame ni: tunanin cewa hakan na iya faruwa—kuma a unguwa mai kyau—yana ɗaya daga cikin abubuwan da suka tura ni cikin ɓoye."
Ya kasa tabbatar da ainihin abin da ya faru har sai da ya fara binciken littafin, yana yin hira da kusan mutane 20 a Jamaica waɗanda suka taimaka masa ya haɗa abin da ya faru cikin shekaru da yawa. "Ina so in cika guraben," in ji shi. "Ina so in ba wa waɗannan mutanen wani irin iko da ƙarfi."
Ta hanyoyi daban-daban, dukansu biyu suna ƙoƙarin dawo da tarihin luwaɗi na baƙi waɗanda aka ware ko aka ɓata. "Dukanmu muna amsa ga guraben," Boggs ya ce.
Ga James, ɗaya daga cikin irin wannan gurbi ya zama farkon The Disappearers. Yana so ya gina littafinsa a kan shirya wasan kwaikwayo, amma ya kasa samun wanda zai dace. Maganin ya zo, cikin sa'a, daga Boggs: yayin da yake binciken tarihin rayuwarsa, ya gano Baldwin ya ba da umarnin shirya wasan John Herbert na Fortune and Men's Eyes a 1969 a Turkiyya. Ya ba da shawarar James ya yi la'akari da shi don littafinsa. "Da farko ka kasance kamar, 'a'a,'" Boggs ya tuna. "Kuma na kasance kamar, 'kawai karanta waɗannan shafuka 60.' Kuma na yi gaskiya." Ba ƙari ba ne a ce wasan yana aiki a matsayin ginshiƙin tsari da na motsin rai na littafin, kuma yana da mahimmanci ga babi na Boggs game da rayuwar Baldwin a Turkiyya, ma. "Ina son in ce na wawushe littafinsa da izininsa," James ya ce, yana murmushi. "Wata hanya ce da littattafanmu ba za su yiwu ba ko kuma ba za su ƙare yadda suka kasance ba idan ba mu tare ba."
A kan tebur a cikin ɗakin zama na ma'auratan akwai bugun New York Times na 25 ga Satumba. Yana ɗauke da bita wanda yanzu ya shahara a duniyar adabi, inda mai suka da aka sani da tsanani Dwight Garner ya ba da kusan tsawon littafi na ƙima ga The Disappearers, yana mai yabonsa a matsayin "babban aiki, littafin shekaru goma kuma wataƙila na ƙarni," yana mai sanya shi tare da aikin Salman Rushdie, Toni Morrison da William Faulkner.
"Har yanzu ban yarda ba," James ya ce. Safiyar da labarin ya fito, wani abokin marubuci ya aika masa da imel don faɗakar da shi game da abin da ya bayyana a matsayin "bita mai ban mamaki" daga Garner. "Ban san ma'anar stonking ba, na yi tsammanin wani abu ne mara kyau!" ya yi dariya. "Don haka ina kamar, 'Allah, a'a. Ba zan karanta wannan ba.'" Amma ya danna hanyar haɗin duk da haka, kuma ya ga kalmar "babban aiki."
"Na je wurin sayar da jaridu don in same shi, domin har yanzu ban yarda ba," in ji shi. "Na kasance kamar, 'idan na bar wannan gado, zan farka.'"
Yana da hankali game da ra'ayin cewa yabo ya kamata ya zama abin tsammani, ko nasara ta zama abin da aka riga aka tabbatar. "Akwai wani ɓangare na ni da har yanzu yana tunanin ni ɓoyayyen marubuci ne mai fafutuka wanda ya yi sa'a," in ji shi. "A gare ni, har yanzu abin mamaki ne na gaske. Har yanzu yana ba ni mamaki. Ban san ko ina son in isa matakin da zan fara tsammanin kyawawan bita ba. Ban san ko ina son wannan matakin na cancanta ba." Ya yi dariya. "Na san wasu marubuta da suke haka—ba zan faɗi sunaye ba," ya ƙara, da kallon ɓarna.
Joan Didion ta taɓa kwatanta haɗin gwiwarta da John Gregory Dunne a matsayin tsarin osmosis na ƙirƙira: "Ɗayanmu yana rubuta daftarin farko, ɗayan kuma yana aiki a matsayin babban edita kuma yana rubuta daftarin na biyu. A ƙarshe, ba za ka iya gane wanda ya yi me ba."
Babu irin wannan ɓarkewar marubuci a gidan James-Boggs. Ma'auratan suna ajiye rubutunsu a sirri har sai aikin ya ƙare, ko da suna tattauna ra'ayoyi da binciken da ke bayansa.
"Mutane koyaushe suna mamakin jin haka," Boggs ya ce. "Marlon bai karanta littafina ba har sai bayan ya ƙare, na gama nasa a ranar bugawa."
Dabi'unsu na aiki kusan akasin juna ne, ma. James ya bayyana kansa a matsayin marubuci mai yawan rubutu, yayin da Boggs ke rubutu kowace rana kuma yana kiyaye lokaci na yau da kullum. James yana buƙatar kiɗa—"yawan free jazz"—yayin da Boggs ke buƙatar "cikakken kwanciyar hankali da shiru." Suna aiki a ɓangarori daban-daban na gida, kuma Boggs yana da wani ofishi daban a ƴan tubali nesa. Amma zama tare da James ya taimaka wa Boggs ya sake tunanin ra'ayinsa game da yadda rubutu ya kamata ya ji.
"Marlon yana da ƙwazon aiki mai ban mamaki, kuma ya kasance tunatarwa cewa wannan aiki ne," in ji shi. "Wannan ya taimaka sosai. Ba yin ihu daga ɗakin da ke gefe cikin takaici ba, ko gunaguni game da shi a abincin dare kowace rana."
Sun dage cewa babu gasa tsakaninsu. "Ina tsammanin na damu sosai game da hakan lokacin da muka fara saduwa," Boggs ya ce. "Amma muna rubutu da bambanci sosai, har ma a salon. Kuma saboda lokacin da muke rayuwa a ciki, faɗin waɗannan labarun yana da mahimmanci fiye da kowane mutum."
A wannan watan, sabon bincike daga PEN America ya gano cewa Amurka ta ga kusan hana littattafai 12,000 a makarantun gwamnati a lokacin shekarar makaranta ta 2025-2026—mafi yawan adadi a cikin shekara ɗaya. Ga James da Boggs, waɗanda aikinsu ya mayar da hankali kan dawo da rayuwa da tarihin da aka yi watsi da su ko aka danne su, haɗarin ba shi da sauƙin yin watsi da shi.
James ya ƙi yin kisa ga kansa don tsammanin mayar da martani, amma bai manta da haɗarin ba. "Wani lokaci ina jin tsoron cewa azzalumai suna zuwa, domin koyaushe suna ƙone littattafai da farko," in ji shi. "Ƙarfin da aka tara mini suna da yawa. Amma to, yaushe ƙarfin da ke kanmu bai kasance da yawa ba?"
Na tambaye shi ko sun yi tunanin barin Amurka gaba ɗaya. "Ee, 100%," James ya ce, ba tare da ɓata lokaci ba. Ba shi da sassauci a cikin ganewar sa game da koma bayan ƙasar. "A gare ni, abin mamaki ne ganin Amurka ta zama irin ƙasar da Amurka ta shafe shekaru 60 da suka gabata tana ƙirƙira a ko'ina. Ina tsammanin muna zama jamhuriya ta ayaba, wanda, kasancewar na fito daga Caribbean, na san abubuwa da yawa game da ita."
Ba shi da rashin bege, duk da haka. "Dole ne in kasance da kyakkyawan fata mai girma don tunanin cewa manyan littattafaina za su sayar," in ji shi. "A cikin duk wannan, ban taɓa rasa bangaskiya ga mai karatu ba. Rubutu koyaushe fasaha ce da ta yi gwagwarmaya da zalunci, da ke faɗin gaskiya ga masu iko. Idan ka yanke shawarar zama marubuci, wani ɓangare na shi shine cewa za ka ɗauki wannan."
Duk da 'yancinsu a shafi, Boggs da James yanzu suna fara haɗin gwiwar ƙirƙira. An zaɓi Baldwin: A Love Story don yin fim, wanda kamfanin samar da Barack da Michelle Obama, Higher Ground, zai shirya. Boggs ya san nan take wanda yake so ya rubuta wasan kwaikwayo: James, wanda ke da gogewa wajen rubuta don allo, ciki har da jerin talabijin Get Millie Black.
Ya zuwa yanzu, tsarin yana tafiya ba tare da matsala ba. "Ina tsammanin har ma mu mun yi mamakin yadda yake tafiya cikin sauƙi," Boggs ya ce, yana dariya. "Amma muna da sha'awar aikin juna da yadda ɗayan yake tunani."
Na tambaye shi yadda yake ji game da ƙara wa littattafan luwaɗi, a cikin ƙoƙarinsu na haɗin gwiwa da na kai. Sun kalli juna na ɗan lokaci kafin Boggs ya amsa. "Kasancewa da rai kawai abin mamaki ne," in ji shi. "Wani abu da Marlon da ni muka raba shi ne cewa lokacin da ka girma a cikin inuwar AIDS, ba lallai ba ne ka yi tunanin cewa kana da gaba."
"Mun rasa manyan masu fasaha da yawa, masu fasahar luwaɗi," Boggs ya ƙara. "Don haka akwai wani nau'i na alhakin faɗin waɗannan labarun. Akwai da yawa da har yanzu suna buƙatar faɗi."
Tambayoyin da ake yawan yi
FAQs Kwananmu na uku a Fadar Buckingham ne Marlon James da Nicholas Boggs kan Rayuwa a matsayin Ma'auratan Adabi Masu Ƙarfi
1 Su wanene Marlon James da Nicholas Boggs
Marlon James marubucin labari ne haifaffen Jamaica wanda ya lashe Kyautar Booker don A Brief History of Seven Killings Nicholas Boggs marubuci ne kuma masani ɗan Amurka Sun yi aure kuma suna zaune a Birnin New York
2 Menene labarin Kwananmu na uku a Fadar Buckingham game da shi
Hira ce ta haɗin gwiwa inda ma'auratan suka tattauna dangantakarsu ayyukansu da yadda yake kasancewa marubuta biyu da suka yi aure da juna
3 Me ya sa taken ya shafi Fadar Buckingham
Kwanansu na uku da gaske a Fadar Buckingham ne—sun halarci liyafa a can tare a farkon dangantakarsu wanda ya zama labari mai tunawa da suke son faɗa
4 Menene ma'anar ma'auratan adabi masu ƙarfi
Lakabi ne na yau da kullum ga ƙwararrun marubuta biyu waɗanda abokan tarayya ne Yana nufin kawai dukansu suna da nasarar ayyukan adabi
5 Waɗanne batutuwa hirar ta shafi
Haduwarsu ta farko saduwa yayin da dukansu marubuta ne daidaita ayyukan rubutu biyu a gida yadda suke tallafa wa aikin juna da yadda kabilanci ƙaura da asali ke tsara rayuwarsu
6 A ina aka buga labarin
An buga shi a The Guardian a matsayin wani ɓangare na jerin hirarrakin ma'aurata
7 Wace shawara mai sauri ma'auratan suka bayar ga ma'auratan ƙirƙira
Ku mutunta lokacin rubutu da sararin juna ku ba da amsa mai gaskiya amma mai kirki kuma kada ku ɗauki abokin tarayyarku a matsayin editan ku kaɗai
8 Suna rubutu tare
A'a suna rubutu daban Suna karanta kuma suna tattauna aikin juna amma kowannensu yana da nasa ayyukan da muryarsa
9 Wace matsala ta gama gari ga ma'auratan marubuta biyu kuma yaya suke magance ta
Gasa da kishi na iya shiga Suna magance ta ta hanyar murnar nasarorin juna da kiyaye asalinsu a matsayin marubuta dabam da dangantakar
10 Wane misali ne na yadda suke tallafa wa juna
Suna karanta daftari suna tattauna ra'ayoyi kuma suna ba da sarari a gida don lokacin rubutu ba tare da tsangwama ba
11 Yaya suke magance tambayar wanene ya fi nasara
Suna ɗaukar nasara a matsayin abin da aka raba maimakon allon maki—nasarar mutum ɗaya abu ne da dukansu biyu ke murna da shi
12 Waɗanne shawarwari masu amfani hirar ta bayar
Kare rubutu
Kwanan mu na uku ya kasance a Fadar Buckingham': Marlon James da Nicholas Boggs kan rayuwa a matsayin ma'auratan adabi masu ƙarfi
