Hanif Kureishi, the British novelist and screenwriter, suffered a life‑changing accident in late 2022 that left him largely paralysed, and since then he has been living and working with severe disability while continuing to write through dictation and online newsletters.

The accident

  • In December 2022, while in Rome, Kureishi suddenly felt faint, fell, and struck his head, which resulted in a serious neck injury.
  • The fall caused paralysis from the neck down, leaving him unable to use his arms and legs and dependent on others for most daily tasks.

His current condition

  • Reports over 2023–2025 describe him as still largely unable to move his limbs, though he can speak and breathe independently and retains some toe movement.
  • Interviews and talks close to the two‑year mark after the fall say he remains in a wheelchair and continues intensive rehabilitation, with only limited physical improvement so far.

How he kept writing

  • Soon after the accident, he began dictating regular updates from hospital to his family, which were posted on Twitter/X and collected in a Substack newsletter, reaching a large audience.
  • These dispatches, mixing dark humour and reflection on illness, eventually formed the basis of his memoir Shattered , in which he explores how the accident transformed his life and identity.

Life and work now

  • Kureishi has said that although his body is “broken”, he is “not going to give up” and in some ways is writing more than before, using dictation as his main creative tool.
  • Recent pieces and newsletters show him focusing on his condition, family, politics and world events, while also asking readers to support his ongoing care by subscribing to his work.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.