Novel and Play Mastery... Norwegian Writer Jon Fosse Awarded Nobel Prize in Literature

Debuted as a Novelist and Engaged in Various Works Including Poetry and Plays

The honor of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the world-renowned playwright and novelist, Norwegian author Jon Fosse (64). Highly acclaimed as a global novelist and playwright, he has been considered a strong candidate every Nobel season. This year as well, he ranked second in odds on the British betting site NiceOdds, which predicts Nobel Prize candidates. The first place went to Chinese female writer Chan Xue.

Fosse was born in 1959 in the coastal city of Haugesund, Norway, and grew up in Hardangerfjord. He majored in comparative literature at university and later taught creative writing while continuing his literary work. His debut was a novel. After debuting with the novel Red, Black in 1983, he began to gain attention with the 1989 novel The Boat House. Subsequently, he published works such as The Collector of Sickness, Lead and Water, Melancholy I, II, That Person is Ales, and the three-part novella series The Sleepless, Olav's Dream, and At Dusk, which left a strong impression on readers.

Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse [Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

About ten years after his debut, in 1994, he released his first play, And We Shall Never Part. Struggling with financial difficulties, receiving a commission to write a play became a turning point. In an interview, he said, "That was the first time I tried this kind of work (play), and it became the most astonishing experience in my writing career," adding, "I realized and felt that this kind of writing was meant for me."

Since then, he has gained global recognition as a playwright by releasing plays such as Name, Someone is Coming, The Night Sings, Guitarman, One Summer Day, Dream of Autumn Day, and I Am the Wind. In particular, Someone is Coming, which premiered in France in 1998, has been continuously performed in Germany since 2000, gaining worldwide fame. In 2002, the prestigious German theater magazine Theater Heute named Jon Fosse the Foreign Playwright of the Year. His plays have been performed over 900 times worldwide, the second highest record following Henrik Ibsen (1828?1906), who is regarded as the founder of modern drama.

In Korea, plays based on his works have premiered, including Dream of Autumn Day (directed by Song Seon-ho, 2006), Winter (directed by Kim Young-hwan, 2006), Name (directed by Yoon Kwang-jin, 2007), Guitarman (directed by Park Jung-hee, 2010), and One Summer Day (directed by Yoon Hye-jin, 2013).

He has received numerous awards matching his global reputation. These include the Nynorsk Literature Prize awarded for the best literary work written in Norwegian in 1998 and 2003, the Dobloug Prize awarded by the Swedish Academy for Swedish and Norwegian novels in 1999, the Honorary Award from the Norwegian Arts Council in 2003, the Honorary Brage Prize, Norway's top literary award, in 2005, the Nordic Council Literature Prize from the Swedish Academy in 2007, the International Ibsen Award in 2010, and the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2015. Additionally, he was awarded the French Order of Merit in 2003 and the St. Olav's Medal from the King of Norway in 2005.

Works by Fosse translated and published in Korea include Morning and Evening (Munhakdongne), the play collection Dream of Autumn Day and Others (Jimanji Drama), the three-part novella series The Sleepless, Olav's Dream, and At Dusk (Saeum), and The Boathouse (Saeum). The novel Melancholia I-II, which artistically depicts the tragic life of the real Norwegian painter Lars Hertervig, is scheduled for publication by Minumsa on the 20th.

Earlier, the Swedish Academy explained the reason for the selection, stating, "(Fosse's) innovative plays and prose expressed the inexpressible in words," adding, "He blended the characteristics of his Norwegian background with artistic skill and revealed human anxiety and ambivalence from their essence." In response, Fosse said, "I am overwhelmed and somewhat scared," and added, "I believe this prize is given to literature that aims to be literature without any other considerations." Fosse will receive a prize of 11 million kroner (approximately 1.35 billion KRW), along with a medal and certificate.