STOCKHOLM (AP) 鈥� Norwegian writer Jon Fosse, whose work tackles birth, death, faith and the other 鈥渆lemental stuff鈥� of life in spare Nordic prose, won the for Literature on Thursday for writing that prize organizers said gives 鈥渧oice to the unsayable.鈥�
The novelist and playwright said the prize was recognition of 鈥渓iterature that first and foremost aims to be literature, without other considerations鈥� 鈥� an ethos expressed in dozens of enigmatic plays, stories and novels, including a seven-book epic made up of a single sentence.
Fosse鈥檚 work, rooted in his Norwegian background, 鈥渇ocuses on human insecurity and anxiety," Anders Olsson, chair of the Nobel literature committee, told The Associated Press. "The basic choices you make in life, very elemental stuff.鈥�
One of his country鈥檚 most-performed dramatists, Fosse said he had 鈥渃autiously prepared鈥� himself for a decade to receive .
鈥淚 was surprised when they called, yet at the same time not," the 64-year-old told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. "It was a great joy for me to get the phone call.鈥�
WHY DID THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE GO TO JON FOSSE?
The author of 40 plays as well as novels, short stories, children鈥檚 books, poetry and essays, Fosse was honored 鈥渇or his innovative plays and prose, which give voice to the unsayable,鈥� according to the Swedish Academy, which awards the prize.
Fosse has cited the bleak, enigmatic work of Irish writer Samuel Beckett 鈥� the 1969 Nobel literature laureate 鈥� as an influence on his sparse, minimalist style.
Edmund Austigard, executive officer of Fosse鈥檚 publisher, Samlaget, said the author described his work as 鈥渟low writing and reading literature.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a type of literature that you bring to the beach and read in an hour or two," he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a type of literature ... that invites you into a unique world and invites you to stay there for a while.鈥�
WHAT IS THE NYNORSK LANGUAGE?
While Fosse is the fourth Norwegian writer to get the literature prize, he is the first in nearly a century and the first who writes in Nynorsk, one of the two official written versions of the Norwegian language. It is used by just 10% of the country's 5.4 million people, according to the Language Council of Norway, but completely understandable to users of the other written form, Bokmaal.
Guy Puzey, senior lecturer in Scandinavian Studies at the University of Edinburgh, said Bokmaal is 鈥渢he language of power, it鈥檚 the language of urban centers, of the press.鈥� Nynorsk, by contrast, is used mainly by people in rural western Norway.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 a really big day for a minority language,鈥� Puzey said.
Norway鈥� culture minister, Lubna Jaffery, told news agency NTB that it was 鈥渁 historic day for the Nynorsk language and Nynorsk literature.鈥�
Norway's Bj酶rnstjerne Bj酶rnson received the prize in 1903, Knut Hamsun was awarded it in 1920 and Sigrid Undset in 1928.
In recognition of his contribution to Norwegian culture, in 2011 Fosse was granted use of an honorary residence in the grounds of the Royal Palace.
WHAT DID JON FOSSE WRITE?
His first novel, 鈥淩ed, Black,鈥� was published in 1983, and his debut play, 鈥淪omeone is Going to Come,鈥� in 1992.
His work 鈥淎 New Name: Septology VI-VII鈥� 鈥� described by Olsson as Fosse鈥檚 magnum opus 鈥� was a finalist for the International Booker Prize in 2022. The final volume in a seven-novel exploration of life, death and spirituality contains no sentence breaks.
His other major prose works include 鈥淢elancholy;鈥� 鈥淢orning and Evening,鈥� whose two parts depict a birth and a death; 鈥淲akefulness;鈥� and 鈥淥lav鈥檚 Dreams.鈥�
His plays, which have been staged across Europe and in the United States, include 鈥淭he Name,鈥� 鈥淒ream of Autumn鈥� and 鈥淚 am the Wind.鈥�
Fosse has also taught writing 鈥� one of his students was best-selling Norwegian novelist Karl Ove Knausgaard 鈥� and consulted on a Norwegian translation of the Bible.
HOW DID JON FOSSE REACT TO THE NEWS?
Mats Malm, permanent secretary of the academy, reached Fosse by telephone to inform him of the win. He said the writer, who lives in the western city of Bergen, was driving in the countryside and promised to drive home carefully.
鈥淚 stand here and feel a little numb, but of course very happy for the great honor,鈥� Fosse told Norway's TV2.
The Nobel Prizes carry of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million) from a bequest left by their creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. Winners also receive an 18-carat gold medal and diploma at the award ceremonies in December.
SHOULD I HAVE HEARD OF JON FOSSE?
Though his books have been translated into dozens of languages and his plays produced around the world, Fosse is what some critics might see as a classic, safe Nobel choice: A highbrow European man with little name recognition beyond small literary circles.
The prize has long faced criticism that it is too focused on European and North American writers of style-heavy, story-light prose. It's also male-dominated, with just 17 women among its 119 laureates, including last year鈥檚 winner .
Others point out that the prize has gone in recent years to a strong mix of authors with both critical acclaim and robust sales, such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Mario Vargas Llosa and Alice Munro. And the most populist choice by the committee 鈥� 2016 laureate Bob Dylan 鈥� also sparked plenty of controversy and debate about whether his lyrics rose to the level of literature.
Publisher Austigard said Fosse's slow prose could be 鈥� just what we need and just what people are looking for鈥� in a frenetic world.
鈥淚t鈥檚 birth, it鈥檚 love, it鈥檚 death. It鈥檚 about what it means to be a human being."
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Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands, and Lawless from London. Associated Press writer Jan M. Olsen contributed from Copenhagen.
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David Keyton, Mike Corder And Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
