Leseratte
Well-known member
...and Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral.At least there have been Undset, Lagerløf, Lessing, Nadine Gordimer etc etc.
The Nobel Prize in Literature
- Thread starter tiganeasca
- Start date
Leseratte
Well-known member
A comment of the SA to be taken in to account in regard to this years choice:
" Comment with regard to Ukraine
2 MAR 2022
The Swedish Academy condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian regime's illegal invasion of Ukraine. Although it is a long-standing practice of the Swedish Academy not to make political statements, the Academy’s history and mission are deeply rooted in the traditions of freedom of expression, freedom of belief and freedom of inquiry. The Russian regime’s recent actions go beyond politics and threaten the world order that builds on peace, freedom and democracy. We therefore join the legion of our fellow academies, literary and cultural institutions, places of higher learning, defenders of a free press, human rights organizations and nation states in expressing our abhorrence of the Russian government’s unjustified attack on Ukraine and its people."
Comment with regard to Ukraine | Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy condemns in the strongest possible terms the Russian regime's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
www.svenskaakademien.se
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Ben Jackson
Well-known member
If, after this statement, they award it to a Ukrainian, it will only solidify many people's opinion that the Prize is all about politics, ?
Agree with you totally, Liam.
Abhi
Well-known member
What if, to show their support for Ukraine, they end up awarding a Russian author who has been highly critical of the Russian government? Imagine the numerous press outlets claiming the award should've gone to a Ukrainian instead ?If, after this statement, they award it to a Ukrainian, it will only solidify many people's opinion that the Prize is all about politics, ?
Leseratte
Well-known member
I am really specially curious about the Nobel this year. It prolly will be ?.
Liam
Administrator
This reminds me: it is almost time to start this year's Nobel speculation thread,
We usually do it around June/July.
redhead
Blahblahblah
If they go that route, they’ll probably pick Lyudmila Ulitskaya. She’s anti-Putin, moved to Berlin because of the war, and it’s likely she’s already been shortlisted.
Abhi
Well-known member
Along with Ulitskaya, I saw a few people suggesting Mikhail Shishkin as a potential Russian candidate (I haven't read anything by him). He is anti-Putin as well, has been living in Switzerland and constantly writes against Russian dictatorships. He writes also in German.
Liam
Administrator
Shishkin: start with Maidenhair
Ulitskaya: start with Medea and Her Children
OR: read the short back-cover blurbs of what the books are about, and pick up the one that strikes your fancy,
[very helpful, I know, LOL]
Maidenhair is a masterpiece..
Here is his writing against the recent war.. https://www.theguardian.com/comment...krainians-putin-army-freedom-mikhail-shishkin
Bartleby
Moderator
Swedish Academy member Sture Allén died, at 93.
He was the permanent secretary from 1986-1999.
www.svt.se
He was the permanent secretary from 1986-1999.
Svenska Akademiens Sture Allén död
www.svt.se
ministerpumpkin
Well-known member
I love me some juicy Swedish Academy in-fighting, and the irascible Knut Ahnlund once had some choice words for Mr. Allen:
Ahnlund reserves his greatest bitterness for Allen, the academy's permanent secretary, and he stopped attending meetings two years ago, having grown weary of what he views as Allen's craving for absolute power. "Sture Allen is an intellectual accountant," Ahnlund told me. "He has no vision at all. No perspective. He doesn't even read. Yet he is the leader of the Swedish Academy. What more needs to be said about that institution than that such a weak man, a man who counts verbs with a computer for his living, is in charge of it? It is a disgrace to our nation."
Here's the link to the full article. It's a fascinating read and I can't recommend it enough.
Some very deserving writers were awarded during his reign.
Ahnlund reserves his greatest bitterness for Allen, the academy's permanent secretary, and he stopped attending meetings two years ago, having grown weary of what he views as Allen's craving for absolute power. "Sture Allen is an intellectual accountant," Ahnlund told me. "He has no vision at all. No perspective. He doesn't even read. Yet he is the leader of the Swedish Academy. What more needs to be said about that institution than that such a weak man, a man who counts verbs with a computer for his living, is in charge of it? It is a disgrace to our nation."
Here's the link to the full article. It's a fascinating read and I can't recommend it enough.
Some very deserving writers were awarded during his reign.
Bartleby
Moderator
That's true! the 90's was a strong period, and the 80's in general, of which Allén was permanent secretary for nearly half of the decade... it makes these comments Knut Ahnlund (whom I know nothing about other than having once also been a SA member) made seem like there was some animosity between the two... but then again, as far as we know, the secretary has one vote in deciding the winner, as much as he may exert a greater influence over his peers...
***
Oh but now that I'm checking Ahnlund's wiki page, and re-reading the sections where he appears in the article above, I see he also had conflicts with Horace Engdahl, and he was that one member who was totally against Jelinek's win, and resigned (i.e.: decided not to participate anymore in the academy's discussions) because of that... so he doesn't sit well with me, one who thinks the Austrian writer to be one of the best inclusions to the prize, ever... but then he also strongly advocated for Borges to win... so now I'm conflicted, hehe.
I guess in the end while we must want people to at least try to see eye to eye (which doesn't appear to be the case here), we can only accept that they are, well, human, fallible and multifaceted.
Liam
Administrator
Sleepwalking again, are we??? ? ? ?
Bartleby
Moderator
I'm still going to convert you to the good things on Earth, my friend, that's become almost my sole goal in life ? !
ministerpumpkin
Well-known member
I share your enthusiasm for Jelinek. I've read three of her novels and enjoyed them all. A very startling writer and one of my favorite Laureates from that decade, which in my opinion was another strong decade. I recently binged all of Thomas Bernhard's novels and of course recognized his influence on Jelinek's writing, and I'm quite eager to revisit her soon while Bernhard is still fresh in my mind.
She was also the winner the first year I started paying attention to the Nobel Prize, so she'll always have a special place in my heart!
Morbid Swither
Well-known member
Same for me, that was the first year I was aware of the prize announcement and the public library purchased The Piano Teacher and I read it my sophomore year of high school and absolutely loved it.
Morbid Swither
Well-known member
Austrian literature just blows my mind to be honest. I remember Jelinek said that Handke would have been more deserving, and then considering Thomas Bernhard, Friederike Mayröcker, and Josef Winkler, it’s kind of a possibility that I could just read Austrian literature for the rest of my life.