WLF Prize in Literature 2023

[namelesshere]

^I'm just wondering if you'd think the same thing if it was A.L.A. who came in fourth, ?

I am fine either way, actually, though I did vote to keep Carson on the shortlist.

Me too - I wouldn't want the inclusion of 4 to mean anyone couldn't participate if they wanted to, but on balance I think we should probably be trying to do what we can to include a poet as we have the opportunity, and her works probably don't entail the same time commitment as ALA.

 

[Andrew]

I was in a bookstore yesterday evening, looking for books by Scholastique Mukasonga…. I came away empty-handed on that score as their (admittedly tiny) French-language section did not include any of her works. So I’ll either order online or check when I make a trip to Montreal. However, because I didn’t want to leave empty-handed, I took a quick look in the poetry section and came across a copy of Plainwater by Anne Carson, which is now in my possession . I voted for four authors against my better judgment — time constraints and all — but did anyway because of 1) national bias ?? and 2) poetry . So, I’m content either way.

 

[hayden]

Oh well.

Three it is ?‍

Looking forward to this one. Hoping to read at least two more works by each author this year.

 

[Stevie B]

Considering how much Liam wanted a poet in the mix, I am a bit worried about the safety of our top three finalists. ?

 

[redhead]

Considering how much Liam wanted a poet in the mix, I am a bit worried about the safety of our top three finalists. ?

Jon Fosse has actually published a decent number of poetry collections. It’s too bad I haven’t seen any copies of the English translation for sale. If only one of us had a copy and could scan it for anyone interested.

 

[Stevie B]

Jon Fosse has actually published a decent number of poetry collections. It’s too bad I haven’t seen any copies of the English translation for sale. If only one of us had a copy and could scan it for anyone interested.

Found this poem online, but no collections so far.

 

[Papageno]

Jon Fosse has actually published a decent number of poetry collections. It’s too bad I haven’t seen any copies of the English translation for sale. If only one of us had a copy and could scan it for anyone interested.

I found five of his poems in translation as well as original on Poetry international.

 

[TrixRabbi]

Since I'm new to the forum I'm just reading up on this project and I'm super down to participate! So I've got the gist of it -- read the shortlisted authors in order to select a winner for the 2023 prize. The only thing I missed is what is the deadline? How long do we have before we need to vote and the winner is announced?

Also did I read correctly that the past winners so far are Laszlo Krasznahorkai and Gerald Murnane?

 

[Ben Jackson]

Since I'm new to the forum I'm just reading up on this project and I'm super down to participate! So I've got the gist of it -- read the shortlisted authors in order to select a winner for the 2023 prize. The only thing I missed is what is the deadline? How long do we have before we need to vote and the winner is announced?

Also did I read correctly that the past winners so far are Laszlo Krasznahorkai and Gerald Murnane?

The deadline is usually few weeks before the announcement of Nobel Literature Prize, so it's usually around mid/end of September. We nominate writers about a week after the Nobel announcement, and then the shortlisted writers, usually three or four, are determined based on the writers with most votes. Then the writers are read from October till mid/end of September, when we will analyse/evaluate the candidates and then vote. So my friend, you still got enough time (about ten months more), to read the candidates.

Yes, you read correctly. Krasz and Murnane are the recipients thus far. Krasz beat Kadare, Ngugi and Can Xue in 2021, and Murnane beat Fleur Jaeggy and Javier Marias for this year's prize.

Sometimes, I imagined the quality of recipients the prize could have had if the prize had started around 2010/2011. The list of winners, I guess, could have been grand.

 

[Ludus]

Ok so far I've read
-Morning and Evening (Fosse)
-Igifu (Mukasonga)
-Warning to the Crocodiles (Antunes)

And currently reading
-An explanation of birds (Antunes)

In my tbr
-Septology I-III (Fosse)
-Fado Alexandrino (Antunes)
-The barefoot woman (Mukasonga)

How are you guys doing with your prize reading?

 

[Leseratte]

I have read so far:
ALA
The Return of the Caravels
Manual of the Inquisitors

Mukasonga

The Holy Lady of the Nile

Fosse:
Trilogy

Currently I am reading:
Morning and Evening-Fosse
The barefoot Woman-Mukasonga.
There remains a book of plays by Fosse and if I can get the book, Cockroaches by Mukasonga.

 

[Ben Jackson]

Well I have read:

Antunes:

South of Nowhere
Inquisitor's Manual
Elephant's Memory
What Can I Do When Everything's On Fire

Mukasonga
Still reading Kibogo
And I still have Cockroaches and maybe Our Lady of the Nile left.

As for Fosse, I still have Trilogy and Septology to tackle around June---August.

 

[silvijec]

I have read:

Antunes:
Land at the end of the world
Inquisitors´ manual
Return of the caravels
Splendor of Portugal (currently reading)

Mukasonga:
Our lady of the Nile
Barefoot woman
Igifu
Kibogo

Fosse:
Septology: I-II
Septology III-V
Triology

 

[Leseratte]

I have read:

Antunes:
Land at the end of the world
Inquisitors´ manual
Return of the caravels
Splendor of Portugal (currently reading)

Mukasonga:
Our lady of the Nile
Barefoot woman
Igifu
Kibogo

Fosse:
Septology: I-II
Septology III-V
Triology

Would love to read your impressions on ALA @silvijec as we followed the same itinerary ( with you reading now The Splendour of Portugal which I haven´t).

 

[Ludus]

Ok so far I've read
-Morning and Evening (Fosse)
-Igifu (Mukasonga)
-Warning to the Crocodiles (Antunes)

And currently reading
-An explanation of birds (Antunes)

In my tbr
-Septology I-III (Fosse)
-Fado Alexandrino (Antunes)
-The barefoot woman (Mukasonga)

How are you guys doing with your prize reading?

Finished reading today "An explanation of birds" and started "Fado Alexandrino", that monster.

 

[hayden]

I've just realized this is right at our doorstep.
When's the deadline? I've done a terrible job at familiarizing myself with Antunes... I've still only read one work by him (and it was phenomenal, but I still need to do a bit better). Other two nominees, I'm good— but I don't know how to rank the three yet...

 

[Ben Jackson]

I've just realized this is right at our doorstep.
When's the deadline? I've done a terrible job at familiarizing myself with Antunes... I've still only read one work by him (and it was phenomenal, but I still need to do a bit better). Other two nominees, I'm good— but I don't know how to rank the three yet...

It should be between September 25--30 since the Nobel's announced on October 5.

 

[Bartleby]

It should be between September 25--30 since the Nobel's announced on October 5.

That's a good idea! To have the final voting be on the the 30th, it gives us some time to finish any readings we might yet need to do. Thanks you guys for reminding me about settling the date ?

 

[Ben Jackson]

That's a good idea! To have the final voting be on the the 30th, it gives us some time to finish any readings we might yet need to do. Thanks you guys for reminding me about settling the date ?

Remember, September 30 1999 was the day Gunter Grass was announced as the Nobel Prize Laureate for that year, so it'll be a good idea.

 

[redhead]

Wow, that came up quick. I gotta finish up my reading.

Side note: the past two years as soon as I saw the nominees, I had a strong feeling about who the eventual winner would be, and was right both times. I have a similar feeling this year--wonder if I'll be right again.