Nobel Prize in Literature goes to Norwegian Jon Fosse

The Nobel Prize in Literature goes to Norwegian author Jon Fosse, the Swedish Academy in Stockholm announces. Fosse receives the award for his “innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable “, says the citation from the academy. “I’m overwhelmed and a little scared,” Jon Fosse says at the announcement of his receiving the honorary award. In particular, Fosse has become famous for his gigantic novel project “Septologien”, which has been called one of the most important in Norwegian contemporary literature.
     Fosse, who was born in 1959 in Haugsund and grew up in Hardanger, has written over 70 works. His books have been translated into over 50 languages. He made his debut as a novelist in 1983 with “Raudt, Svart”. He has also published poetry collections, essays and children’s books. But it is not least for his drama that Fosse has become known. In Europe, with over 900 productions, he is one of the most played and celebrated playwrights. Fosse is known for its distinctive language, which is characterized by verbal and rhythmic phrases and repetitions. Many of Fosse’s novels are set on the west coast of Norway and often portray the closeness of the characters’ lives. /ritzau/NTB/Nobel citation