Sweden

Swedish Poet wins Nobel Prize for Literature

The Royal Swedish Academy named him the recipient “because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality.” Tomas Tranströmer is the first Swedish writer since Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson, who shared the prize in 1974, to claim the Nobel. The 80-year-old is the 108th recipient of the prestigious prize, given last year to Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa. Presented by the Nobel Foundation, the award is only given to living writers and is worth 10 million kronor. The 80-year-old Swede from Stockholm began his serious writing career in 1954 when he published “17 dikter” (17 poems). A significant amount of his work has been translated into English and other languages including “The Sorrow Gondola” and “New Collected Poems,” published in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Tranströmer suffered a stroke in 1990 which impaired his speech, but he continues to write. He has been mentioned several times in the past as a candidate for the Nobel prize and was also tipped as one of the favorites this year. Aside from his work as a writer, Tranströmer was also respected for his work as a psychologist prior to suffering his stroke, working in juvenile prisons and with drug addicts and convicts.

Although the prize money does not go to the Swedish government this is a significant sign of Sweden’s prosperity as a people to have another supremely accomplished poet added to their list.

Liberal

http://www.thelocal.se/36582/20111006/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15200547

October 6, 2011 at 6:31 pm