From 1980 to 1983, Gurnah lectured at Bayero University Kano in Nigeria. He then became a professor of English and postcolonial literature at the University of Kent, where he taught until his retirement[3][12] in 2017. As of 2021 he is professor emeritus of English and postcolonial literatures at the university.[13] Alongside his work in academia, Gurnah is a creative writer and novelist. He is th