Norwegian author Jon Fosse wins the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature

Norwegian author Jon Fosse, 64, won the Nobel Prize in Literature 2023 for “his modern plays and prose that give voice to the unspeakable.”

At the ceremony held at 1 PM on October 6 (Stockholm time, 6 PM – Hanoi time), Anders Olsson, Chairman of the Nobel Committee, honored Jon Fosse. The author will receive a prize of 11 million Swedish Krona (approximately 991,000 USD).

The committee spoke about Fosse, stating: “His vast body of work, written in Norwegian and spanning multiple genres, includes countless plays, novels, poetry collections, essays, children’s books, and translations. Today, he is one of the most widely performed playwrights in the world and is increasingly recognized in the field of prose.”

A representative from the publishing house Jacques Testard, which publishes Fosse’s novels, commented upon hearing the news: “He is an outstanding writer who has found a remarkably unique way of writing novels. As his Norwegian editor Cecilie Seiness said in a recent interview, if you open any of Jon’s books and read a few lines, you will see it could not have been written by anyone else.” Jacques Testard noted that Fosse’s novels possess a magical and mystical quality, rooted in the landscapes of the western fjords where he grew up.

Author Jon Fosse. (Photo: Boris Roessler).

Jon Fosse was born in Haugesund, Norway, in 1959. His debut novel Raudt, svart (Red, Black) was published in 1983. In 1989, he received acclaim for the novel Naustet (The Boathouse). He then went on to write his first play in 1992 – Nokon kjem til å kome (Someone Will Come). In 1994, the play Og aldri skal vi skiljast was performed at the National Theatre in Bergen.

On the Nobel Committee’s Twitter, they introduced Jon Fosse’s writing style as “Fosse minimalism.” This is evident in the book Stengd gitar (1985), where the author explores the nuances of everyday situations in life when individuals face indecision. Fosse is noted for “combining the roots of language and the natural Norwegian foundation within him.”

He composes in Nynorsk (New Norwegian). This is one of the two standard languages in Norwegian, used by about 27% of the population. The language was created by Ivar Aasen in the mid-19th century to provide an alternative as Danish was prevalent in Norway at that time.

While still unfamiliar to Asian readers, Jon Fosse is quite famous in Europe. He is the most performed living playwright in Europe, with works translated into 40 different languages. A hotel in Oslo, Norway, has a series of rooms named after him. According to The Guardian, since 2013, many fans of the author have hoped for him to win the Nobel Prize. However, the award that year went to Alice Munro. In addition to writing plays and novels, Fosse is also a translator.

Before the results were announced, he was second in the betting odds from NicerOdds, with a ratio of 5/1 (five to one). Many bookmakers predicted that Chinese author Tan Xue would win the award. Critics noted that Tan Xue’s literature reflects a strong sense of feminism.

Annie Ernaux – the French author who won the Nobel last year – was previously at the top of the prediction list a year prior. She was honored by the Academy: “With courage and a sharp intellect, she has exposed the roots, indifference, and limitations of the collective through personal memories.”

The Nobel Prize in Literature is one of six categories of the Nobel Prize, awarded to authors from any country, according to the will of chemist Alfred Nobel. The Swedish Academy will select the winner. They never reveal any hints about the potential candidates until the results are announced. The shortlist of candidates will be disclosed 50 years later. The award was first given to French poet Sully Prudhomme in 1901. The Swedish Academy was established by King Gustav III in 1786 and is responsible for making decisions about the Nobel Prize in Literature, carried out according to the benefactor’s will, Alfred Nobel.