Jon Fosse, a Norwegian master of spare Nordic writing, wins the Nobel Prize in literature
STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Jon Fosse, a master of spare Nordic writing who has written everything from plays to novels and children’s books, was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday for works that “give voice to the unsayable.”
The Nobel literature committee chair, Anders Olsson, stated that Fosse’s work is rooted “in the language and nature of his Norwegian background.”
“I was surprised, but not surprised, when they called.” “In the last ten years, I have cautiously prepared myself for the possibility that this could happen,” Fosse, 64, told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. “It was a great joy for me to get the phone call.”
Fosse, one of his country’s most popular playwrights, has written over 40 plays, as well as novels, short stories, children’s books, poetry, and essays. The Swedish Academy, which bestows the award, stated that it was given “for his innovative plays and prose that give voice to the unsayable.”
Mats Malm, the academy’s permanent secretary, called Fosse to inform him of the win. He stated that the writer was driving through the countryside and promised to drive carefully home.
Fosse is the fourth Norwegian writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. Bjrnstjerne Bjrnson received it in 1903, Knut Hamsun in 1920, and Sigrid Undset in 1928.
Fosse’s work “A New Name: Septology VI-VII” — described by Olsson as Fosse’s “magnum opus” — was a finalist for the International Booker Prize in 2022.
Fosse stated in a statement issued by his publishing house, Samlaget, that he saw the prize “as an award to literature that first and foremost aims to be literature, without other considerations.”
The Nobel Prizes are endowed with a cash prize of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million) left by their creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. At the award ceremonies in December, winners also receive an 18-carat gold medal and diploma.
Last year, French author Annie Ernaux was awarded the prize for “the courage and clinical acuity” of her books, which were inspired by her small-town upbringing in the Normandy region of northwest France.
Ernaux was only the 17th woman among the 119 Nobel laureates in literature. The literature prize has long been criticized for being overly focused on European and North American writers, as well as being overly male-dominated.
The award was postponed in 2018 due to sex abuse allegations that rocked the Swedish Academy, which names the Nobel literature committee, and sparked a member exodus. The academy restructured itself, but received additional criticism for awarding the 2019 prize to Austria’s Peter Handke, who has been dubbed an apologist for Serbian war crimes.
