Nobel Prize Winner in Literature Jon Fosse and His 'Unknown Literary Works'

 

This year (2023) the Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to Norwegian writer, playwright, poet, and translator Jon Fosse. His full name is Jon Olav Fosse. His Prize motivation is “for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable.”

The Royal Swedish Academy has named him as the 120th writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Royal Swedish Academy said of Jon Fosse's writing, which is generally 'unspeakable', he also gave language in drama and prose through his innovative writing.

Jon Fosse will receive 1 crore 10 lakh Swedish Kroner (SEK) as prize money. Last year, the award was given to the French writer Annie Ernaux.
Reacting immediately to the news of the winning Nobel Prize, Jon Fosse said he was 'overwhelmed' and also 'scared'. But he also said that one day such a day might come in his life. So, he also prepared his mind.

The Nobel committee chose Jon Fosse for his entire body of work, not for a single piece of writing. According to the Swedish Academy, it is difficult to even list the literary works of Jon Fosse. The Nobel committee said Jon Fosse's experience of growing up in Norway is artistically sketched in his writings. The Nobel Committee also praised the way he portrayed the anxiety and wavering of the human mind in literature.

Jon Fosse's writings have been translated into many languages around the world. He received many awards even before receiving the Nobel Prize. Such as: Nynorsk Literature Prize (1992), Ibsen Prize (1996), Aschehoug Prize (1997), Søren Gyldendal Prize (1999), Dobloug Prize (1999), Nestroy Theatre Prize (2000), Nordic Playwright Prize (2000) etc.

Jon Fosse is one of the most staged plays in the world today. The Nobel committee compared him with 'greats' like Samuel Beckett, Franz Kafka, Thomas Bernhard, and Georg Trakl. In the words of Nobel committee chairman Anders Olsson, Jon Fosse is an excellent writer 'in many ways'. When someone reads his writing, it touches him/her in such a way that he/she needs to read more of his books.

What is special about his writing is the sense of intimacy. Anxiety, insecurity, various questions about life and death, all such deep feelings that people have to face, all of them are touched by his writing.He is recognized as one of the 100 most talented people in today's world. The third volume of his Septology trilogy was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022. Fosse wrote 40 excellent plays.

 Jon Fosse was born on September 29, 1959, in Haugesund, on the west coast of Norway, and grew up in Strandebarm. An accident happened in his life at the age of seven. He was about to die. That event is the biggest lesson of his life, the biggest experience. According to Fosse, that accident created his artistry. In his youth, however, he wanted to be a rock guitarist. But soon his pen began to write greatly. His literary journey began with poem.

His first novel 'Raudt, svart' (Red, Black) was published in 1983. The novel sought to embrace suicide. There was the breakdown of a young man obsessed with a mysterious woman. The novel is largely based on Fosse's own memories. And his next literary work is shadow and expansion of the novel 'Red, Black'. Although the first novel did not acquire commercial success.

'A New Name' is one of Fosse's signature works. Its real name is 'Eit nytt namn', published in 2021. The novel gives mystical language to the concepts of identity, memory, and the passage of time. In this book, Fosse looks at his characters' own thoughts and emotions, which fueled his introspective and meditative nature. In spite of this mystique, the protagonist of 'A New Name' is preoccupied with himself and his past, and the significance of his own identity. He jumped to the bottom of life with this question.

'Septology' is a 7 volume series of novels by Jon Fosse. Each volume unfolds a different branch of the same story. Through which various aspects of human character have been explored from multiple perspectives.Jon Fosse's literary works have been translated into over fifty languages. His writings and thoughts are recognized worldwide for their unique style, introspection, and exploration of basic human experience. His writing style is short, fragmented sentences moving through poetic turns, which mesmerizes the reader.


Emran Emon is a researcher, litterateur, journalist
and columnist.