STOCKHOLM — Norwegian author Jon Fosse, whose sparse Nordic prose addresses birth, mortality, faith, and other “elementary stuff” of life, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday for “giving voice to the unsayable” writing.
The novelist and playwright stated that the award recognized “literature that first and foremost aims to be literature, without other considerations” — a philosophy expressed in dozens of cryptic plays, short stories, and novels, including a seven-volume epic composed of a single sentence.
Fosse’s work, rooted in his Norwegian heritage, “focuses on human insecurity and anxiety,” said Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel Literature Committee, in an interview with The Associated Press. The fundamental decisions you make in life are extremely fundamental.
Fosse, one of the most-performed dramatists in his country, stated that he had “cautiously prepared” himself for years to hear the news of his victory.
“I was both surprised and not surprised when they called,” the 64-year-old told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. It was a wonderful pleasure to receive the phone call.
WHY DID JON FOSSE RECEIVE THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE?
Author of 40 plays in addition to novels, short stories, children’s books, poetry, and essays, Fosse was recognized “for his innovative plays and prose, which give voice to the unsayable,” according to the Swedish Academy, which awards the prize.
Fosse has cited Samuel Beckett, the 1969 Nobel laureate in literature, as influencing his minimalist approach. Beckett is an Irish writer whose work is dark and enigmatic.
Fosse has also taught writing — Karl Ove Knausgaard, the best-selling Norwegian novelist, was one of his students — and consulted on a Norwegian Bible translation.
Guy Puzey, senior lecturer in Scandinavian Studies at the University of Edinburgh, remarked, “He tends to write in a fairly sparse style.” There is a great deal of repetition of relatively basic expressions, which then take on a much deeper meaning and cause the reader to ponder what lies between the lines.
What is the language of Nynorsk?
Although Fosse is the fourth Norwegian author to receive the Nobel Prize, he is the first to do so in nearly a century and the first to write in Nynorsk, one of the two official written forms of the Norwegian language. According to the Language Council of Norway, it is used by only 10% of the country’s 5,4 million inhabitants but is completely understandable to Bokmaal users.
Still, according to Puzey, Bokmaal is “the language of power, the language of urban centers, and the language of the press.” In contrast, most of those who speak Nynorsk live in rural western Norway.
“This is a monumental day for a minority language,” he stated.
Lubna Jaffery, the culture minister of Norway, told the news agency NTB that it was “a historic day for the Nynorsk language and Nynorsk literature” and that it had been 95 years since a Norwegian author had won the Nobel Prize for literature.
The prize was awarded to Bjrnstjerne Bjrnsson in 1903, Knut Hamsun in 1920, and Sigrid Undset in 1928.
Fosse was granted an honorary residence on the premises of the Royal Palace in 2011 in recognition of his cultural contributions to Norway.
WHAT WROTE JON FOSSE?
His first novel, “Red, Black,” was released in 1983, and his first play, “Someone Is Going to Come,” was produced in 1992.
Olsson characterized “A New Name: Septology VI-VII” as Fosse’s magnum opus, and it was a 2022 International Booker Prize finalist. The seven-volume exploration of life, mortality, and spirituality contains no sentence breaks.
His other significant works of prose include “Melancholy;” and “Morning and Evening,” whose two segments depict a birth and a death, accompanied by “Wakefulness” and “Olav’s Dreams.”
His plays include “The Name,” “Dream of Autumn,” and “I Am the Wind,” which have been performed in Europe and the United States.
Mats Malm, the academy’s permanent secretary, called Fosse to inform him of his victory. He reported that the author, who resides in the western Norwegian city of Bergen, was driving in the countryside and promising to return home safely.
Fosse told TV2: “As I stand here, I feel a little numb but am, of course, overjoyed by this great honour.”
SHOULD I BE FAMILIAR WITH JON FOSSE?
Even though his books have been translated into dozens of languages and his plays have been performed worldwide, some critics may view Fosse as a secure, classic Nobel choice: A gentleman from Europe with little name recognition outside of tiny literary circles.
The prize has been criticized for a long time for focusing too heavily on European and North American authors of style-heavy, plot-light prose. Among its 119 laureates, only 17 women, including last year’s victor, the French author Annie Ernaux.
Others note that in recent years, the prize has been awarded to a diverse group of critically acclaimed and commercially successful authors, such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Alice Munro. The most popular selection by the committee, 2016 laureate Bob Dylan, provoked much controversy and debate over whether his lyrics were literary.
The Nobel Prize contains a monetary award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million) due to a legacy made by the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. At the December award ceremonies, the winners receive an 18-karat gold medal and a diploma.
___SOURCE – (AP)
