Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 Speculation

[redhead]

Englund also seemed really disgusted over Handke winning which I imagine made things awkward for the group as a whole.

Probably why he's got all those drinks

 

[namelesshere]

New video warming up to this year’s award. This time with SA (and Nobel committee) member Ellen Mattson.

I can't decide if it's meaningful or not that they know so certainly two weeks out that it will be awarded on 7th October... Probably not, but you never know. At least it suggests they're sure they'll be able to reach a consensus.

 

[Bartleby]

I can't decide if it's meaningful or not that they know so certainly two weeks out that it will be awarded on 7th October... Probably not, but you never know. At least it suggests they're sure they'll be able to reach a consensus.

I think it may just be the Nobel Foundation trying to keep things in control; but, who knows, maybe if they can’t reach a consensus on the morning of the announcement they could ask to postpone it?

 

[Martino]

My new prediction: none of the authors whose books are checked out will be the winner this year. That's the new surprise they're cookin', that's the secret ingredient in Englund's soup.

 

[Morbid Swither]

I wonder if anyone might feel inclined to do a Library checkin for Drago Jančar? I don’t recall anyone here discussing his work or chances for the Nobel, but I think maybe Morose Mary has. But I’m amazed with his work. I do not feel that he has a readership here in the US of great significance, but I wonder if elsewhere, in other languages, if he might. Jančar is a Slovene writer, aged 73, and I have read I Saw Her That Night, Northern Lights, and The Tree With No Name, and wasn’t disappointed by either of them. Powerful, emotional and unique writing deeply engaged with themes of great importance. The Tree With No Name embodies a very original approach to storytelling, and still the more traditional works such as Norther Lights have a distinctive quality. His varied and nuanced contributions to the arena of literature are also impressive and I’m certain he has been nominated. I look forward to a forthcoming translation, And Love Itself, to appear in November. Regretfully, despite English translations having appeared, they are largely out of print. I Saw Her That Night is the work I believe to be the strongest, of the three novels I have read.

Edit: I was able to find this article after writing this, just to get a stronger impression of his prominence. https://sloveniatimes.com/drago-jancar-nominated-for-nobel-prize-in-literature/
It’s quite apparent that in Slovenia, he’s clearly considered a prodigious man of letters.

 

[hayden]

I wonder if anyone might feel inclined to do a Library checkin for Drago Jančar?

Nothing checked out. 20+ books on the shelf though.

I've yet to read him. Having a hard time finding his work tbh. Hoping to get around to him soon.

 

[Morbid Swither]

Nothing checked out. 20+ books on the shelf though.

I've yet to read him. Having a hard time finding his work tbh. Hoping to get around to him soon.

Well, if Martino’s wild theory has merit maybe he stands a chance, lol. But yes, his work is scantly available.

 

[Ater Lividus Ruber & V]

I wonder if anyone might feel inclined to do a Library checkin for Drago Jančar? I don’t recall anyone here discussing his work or chances for the Nobel, but I think maybe Morose Mary has. But I’m amazed with his work. I do not feel that he has a readership here in the US of great significance, but I wonder if elsewhere, in other languages, if he might. Jančar is a Slovene writer, aged 73, and I have read I Saw Her That Night, Northern Lights, and The Tree With No Name, and wasn’t disappointed by either of them. Powerful, emotional and unique writing deeply engaged with themes of great importance. The Tree With No Name embodies a very original approach to storytelling, and still the more traditional works such as Norther Lights have a distinctive quality. His varied and nuanced contributions to the arena of literature are also impressive and I’m certain he has been nominated. I look forward to a forthcoming translation, And Love Itself, to appear in November. Regretfully, despite English translations having appeared, they are largely out of print. I Saw Her That Night is the work I believe to be the strongest, of the three novels I have read.

Edit: I was able to find this article after writing this, just to get a stronger impression of his prominence. https://sloveniatimes.com/drago-jancar-nominated-for-nobel-prize-in-literature/
It’s quite apparent that in Slovenia, he’s clearly considered a prodigious man of letters.

It's pretty easy to do a search, if you want to. Here's the link. https://lib.nobelbiblioteket.se/*eng But yes, as Hayden said, nothing is checked out.

Jančar has been on my radar, but also quoting Hayden again, he's not readily available where I live. The Tree With No Name sounds somewhat similar to what Ogawa Yoko does in 沈黙博物館 (The Museum of Silence/Silent Museum) mixed with Daša Drndić's literary project, as well as Jens Bjørneboe's Bestialitetens historie trilogy. Or maybe I'm making him sound more interesting than he is? Hmm, a shame I can't really read Jančar's books right now and figure it out for myself.

 

[Morbid Swither]

The Tree With No Name sounds somewhat similar to what Ogawa Yoko does in 沈黙博物館 (The Museum of Silence/Silent Museum) mixed with Daša Drndić's literary project, as well as Jens Bjørneboe's Bestialitetens historie trilogy.

Actually, yes, it is somewhat reminiscent of Drndić. As far as the other works, I cannot say; have read both authors but not those works.

 

[Ater Lividus Ruber & V]

My friends, just a thought: the SA has 18 members and they read – according to the Ms. Matsson – "vertically": the opera omnia of the finalists (and often more than once). Now, in the library they have perhaps one copy of each novel (poetry collection etc). Do you really think that one copy is passed from hand to hand until they all read it? What I think it 's more likely: once they selected the five finalists, the SA pays and provides copies of the works by those authors for each member or at least a handful of copies. They've got a foundation, they must provide individual copies for academics to write their own notes etc. Or they purchase their own copies individually (I mean: they LOVE literature as we do, they must want those books in their homes as we do). Don't you think so? The checked out copies seem to me: a) books that Swedish citizens/students take for their dissertations or other academic activities; b) books that are checked out by members out of curiosity (not necessarily works written by the finalists considered for the Nobel this year but by writers possibly often mentioned in the long list each year). I think the library is for the members to study, find works by other writers from the linguistic areas of the finalists, and not for actually checking finalists' books out. I mean: what kind of secret selection would this be ? There are cultural journalists all around the world trying to guess the winner each year. Do you think that SA members are so naif? Or so scarcely financed ? The case of Louise Glück last year. Ok: she got the Tranströmer prize months before getting the Nobel. Swedish readers may have looked for and checked out her works in the Nobel library after she got the Tranströmer prize. No?

Do you look at other posts before making your own? People have already addressed your points. Did you look at this thread? https://www.worldliteratureforum.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-nobel-library.65186/

Or last year's speculation thread? https://www.worldliteratureforum.co...l-prize-in-literature-2020-speculation.66249/

What you're saying has already been discussed. I made posts about your exact points pages back. Not going to repeat myself.

As for why culture journalists around the world are so uninformed, I can furnish you with no answer. This forum's members, using the library, have accurately predicted Ishiguro, Handke, Tokarczuk, and Glück. All of this talk has been for the public to see on the internet. Invoking culture journalists as some logical reasoning to counter the fact is nothing more than a logical fallacy. Speaking of these "culture journalists", where were they when Arnault was traipsing around Sweden and France boasting about his wife leaking winners to him? No one wrote a word about that man until those brave women came forward. Only -then- did so-called "culture journalists" deign to talk about him.

I apologize if I sound testy, but I don't understand this amnesia we have to deal with every year. Isn't one of the pleasures of reading learning? Why are people repeating the same thing year after year without first educating themselves with what's been said on this board...

Actually, yes, it is somewhat reminiscent of Drndić. As far as the other works, I cannot say; have read both authors but not those works.

I recommend Bjørneboe's trilogy to everyone on this forum.

 

[Martino]

Do you look at other posts before making your own? People have already addressed your points. Did you look at this thread? https://www.worldliteratureforum.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-nobel-library.65186/

Or last year's speculation thread? https://www.worldliteratureforum.co...l-prize-in-literature-2020-speculation.66249/

What you're saying has already been discussed. I made posts about your exact points pages back. Not going to repeat myself.

As for why culture journalists around the world are so uninformed, I can furnish you with no answer. This forum's members, using the library, have accurately predicted Ishiguro, Handke, Tokarczuk, and Glück. All of this talk has been for the public to see on the internet. Invoking culture journalists as some logical reasoning to counter the fact is nothing more than a logical fallacy. Speaking of these "culture journalists", where were they when Arnault was traipsing around Sweden and France boasting about his wife leaking winners to him? No one wrote a word about that man until those brave women came forward. Only -then- did so-called "culture journalists" deign to talk about him.

I apologize if I sound testy, but I don't understand this amnesia we have to deal with every year. Isn't one of the pleasures of reading learning? Why are people repeating the same thing year after year without first educating themselves with what's been said on this board...



I recommend Bjørneboe's trilogy to everyone on this forum.

Dear, I was not here last year. I am sorry if I bothered you, patient Ater Lividus Ruber & V. You surely wrote my same points more eloquently some years ago. I apologize.

 

[Ater Lividus Ruber & V]

Dear, I was not here last year. I am sorry if I bothered you, patient Ater Lividus Ruber & V.

And yet you're here this year. https://www.worldliteratureforum.co...-in-literature-2021-speculation.66406/page-70 You posted on the same page I addressed those points you made today...

Also how does you not being here last year preclude you from viewing threads made before you became a member? Anyhow, I don't want to get into an argument. If you're curious as to why this forum uses the library, I'd just encourage you to read the links I posted. Maybe not the speculation thread because that's long, but the library one is short.

 

[Ater Lividus Ruber & V]

Dear, I was not here last year. I am sorry if I bothered you, patient Ater Lividus Ruber & V. You surely wrote my same points more eloquently some years ago. I apologize.

No, I apologize, too. I came across as rather irritated and exasperated. I'm sorry. Hope you have a nice weekend consisting of good books and less hostile people lol.

 

[Abhi]

Just a random question: What are your top 10 laureates since the prize's inception? Let's see how un/uniform our preferences are!

 

[Leemo]

My friends, just a thought: the SA has 18 members and they read – according to the Ms. Matsson – "vertically": the opera omnia of the finalists (and often more than once...Joyce Carol Oates will never win if this is to be taken literally...I mean: who's gonna read all her works? Also, I am more and more convinced that authors with limited but excellent bibliography are more likely to win than the Balzac's of our time...the same is true for Adonis...too much of his body of work in Arabic is unavailable in European languages). Now, in the library they have perhaps one copy of each novel (poetry collection etc). Do you really think that one copy is passed from hand to hand until they all read it? What I think it 's more likely: once they selected the five finalists, the SA pays and provides copies of the works by those authors for each member or at least a handful of copies. They've got a foundation, they must provide individual copies for academics to write their own notes etc. Or they purchase their own copies individually (I mean: they LOVE literature as we do, they must want those books in their homes as we do). Don't you think so? The checked out copies seem to me: a) books that Swedish citizens/students take for their dissertations or other academic activities; b) books that are checked out by members out of curiosity (not necessarily works written by the finalists considered for the Nobel this year but by writers possibly often mentioned in the long list each year). I think the library is for the members to study, find works by other writers from the linguistic areas of the finalists, and not for actually checking finalists' books out. I mean: what kind of secret selection would this be ? There are cultural journalists all around the world trying to guess the winner each year. Do you think that SA members are so naif? Or so scarcely financed ? The case of Louise Glück last year. Ok: she got the Tranströmer prize months before getting the Nobel. Swedish readers may have looked for and checked out her works in the Nobel library after she got the Tranströmer prize. No?

The primitive does not need to know why the sun comes up each morning to be able to predict that it will, just like we do not need to know why the Nobel Library is predictive of the Nobel Prize winner to know that it is predictive.

 

[childeroland]

Just a random question: What are your top 10 laureates since the prize's inception? Let's see how un/uniform our preferences are!

In no particular order:
Saramago
Faulkner
Eliot
Simon
Heaney
White
Marquez
Yeats
Bunin
Beckett

 

[Abhi]

In no particular order:
Saramago
Faulkner
Eliot
Simon
Heaney
White
Marquez
Yeats
Bunin
Beckett

Mine:
Tagore
Pirandello
Tokarczuk
Beckett
Pinter
Pamuk
O'Neill
Neruda
Hesse
Soyinka

Wait mine has so many playwrights ?

 

[Nirvrithi]

New video warming up to this year’s award. This time with SA (and Nobel committee) member Ellen Mattson.

Does Ellen Mattson's straight answer to the question "Is the writer's personality considered when deciding on Nobel Prize for a laureate?" portend something? Does it allude to Ko Un??? If so, nobody would me more pleased than I. She states categorically that a writer's personal life or private life has no influence on the decision. It is pure literary merit. This sounds more like an anticipatory bail plea for deciding on someone with outstanding literary merit but embroiled in personal scandal.

 

[namelesshere]

Just a random question: What are your top 10 laureates since the prize's inception? Let's see how un/uniform our preferences are!

Luigi Pirandello
Halldor Laxness
Patrick White
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
William Golding
Naguib Mahfouz
Toni Morrison
Jose Saramago
J.M. Coetzee
Orhan Pamuk
Kazuo Ishiguro

p.s. I know this is 11 I just couldn't excise one

 

[namelesshere]

Does Ellen Mattson's straight answer to the question "Is the writer's personality considered when deciding on Nobel Prize for a laureate?" portend something? Does it allude to Ko Un??? If so, nobody would me more pleased than I. She states categorically that a writer's personal life or private life has no influence on the decision. It is pure literary merit. This sounds more like an anticipatory bail plea for deciding on someone with outstanding literary merit but embroiled in personal scandal.

Yes i thought this was striking too, but personally I think it harked back more to Handke than forward to this year. Or maybe Houellebecq is our winner...