Doesn't matter if they picked stone cold female bangers, is my point. The boys have had their turn. In terms of dodgy motivations, I'd say the worse of the two would be having reinforced the hegemony of the patriarchy since the inception of the prize.
My two cents on the male/female laureate (ratio of winners) debate - my logic is:
1. There is an equal number of brilliant male and female writers. Or, alternatively, there are many more brilliant female writers than the SA would ever be able to award the Nobel to (given it's only one a year)...
Lorna Goodison...how do we rate her chances? People have also been quiet on Ulitskaya this year. She often came up in conversations in previous years.
I'm doing some last minute reading of some Ersi Sotiropoulos...why not...it's all part of the fun...
??
How do we rate the chances of Peter Nadas? I feel like if there's any of the old guard in the SA left who advocated for Handke, Nadas is exactly the sort of person they'd now have their sights on. The English language translation of his memoirs is being published in two volumes later in the year.
Where would you start with Nadine Gordimer?
PS Has anyone heard of this guy below? Came across him whilst browsing...distinct vibe of unknown geezer who wins the Nobel whilst we all assume it's a dead heat between Jon Fosse and Can Xue -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norbert_Gstrein
Could the Neustadt provide some clues/ideas this year?
https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/blog/news-and-events/world-literature-today-announces-finalists-2024-neustadt-international-prize
Can I ask - is it a bad idea to read the forthcoming translation into English of Tomas Nevinson without having read Berta Isla first? Or is it standalone but part of the same universe (eg Le Carre's Smiley novels etc)? I get the sense Marias is about language over plot anyway (having read the...
Here's a quick 20 in no particular order (except Buffalo 66 which is my favourite) -
Buffalo 66
71 Fragments in a Chronology of Chance
Vortex
Water Lilies
The Mother and the Whore
The Conversation
The Great Beauty
Drive my Car
Hard to be a God
Soul
Henry Fool
Mary and Max
Stalker
No Country...
I really love the Fitzcarraldo aesthetic: -
- beautiful minimalist designs which look great on the shelf together (ruins alphabetising your collection but worth the sacrifice!). That Yves Klein blue...
- French flaps (fans and detractors; I personally think it's classy)
- Font also great...
In terms of a 'political' pick we've looked at Ukraine, abortion rights and Rushdie. I wonder if the SA will ever pick a writer whose body of work focuses on the climate emergency, and, if so, who that might be.
I do wonder what part racism plays in that lukewarm response to Gurnah post-win though.
I rate the works of his I've read so far (Paradise and currently reading By the Sea).
Florid prose is one style of writing - you could argue a white, male, Western canon style of writing. Other styles are...
Another question for the speculators in this thread - which authors have caught your eye who you intend to read for the first time before the Nobel Prize for Literature 2023 is announced?
Some that have caught my eye: -
Garielle Lutz
Jean Echenoz
Yi Mun-yol
Dubravka Ugrešić
What do we think about Virginie Despentes's chances? Spans filmmaking, essays, novels...could be an interesting and modern choice. I've only read Vernon Subutex 1 and enjoyed it, even if it was a bit all over the place. But it very much felt like a state of the nation type novel.
Authors you want to win this year?
Can Xue or Jon Fosse.
Author you think will win this year?
Annie Ernaux/Hélène Cixous
Author you think shouldn't win yet (but maybe later)?
Fernanda Melchor (I think she's only just getting started!)
Author you think shouldn't win this year or EVER...
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.