Hello Gentle Reader
Peter Englund The Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy the same academy that awards the Nobel Prize for Literature, has posted on his blog the exciting news. Forty-six of the two hundred and ten people that have been nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature are new nominations. Peter Englund goes on to say that: “An usually high number of former Nobel Laureates have exercised their nomination right.” This is exciting news! What former Laureates have nominated? Who have they nominated? Could Doris Lessing nominate Alice Munro? Perhaps Kenzaburo Oe the Japanese Nobel Laureate in Literature has nominated his good friend and Chinese Kafka Mo Yan. Maybe Orhan Pamuk has nominated his own influence of Margaret Atwood. Maybe Herta Müller has nominated Liao Yiwu, which would be a political statement. A breed of literary giants, have passed away this year, and will continue to in the coming years. This year alone we have lost some of the most amazing authors, such as Antonio Tabucchi, Carlos Fuentes, and Wisława Szymborska a Nobel Laureate herself.
Haruki Murakami the Japanese novelist and short story writer is once again the name passed around popularly. Ladbrokes ranks him with a chance of 10/1. Following the Japanese novelist of surreal tales is the Chinese Kafka Mo Yan with the chances of 12/1 and the Danish author Cees Nooteboom with the same chance of 12/1. Syrian poet Adonis and South Korean poet Ko Un along with Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare share the same rank of 14/1. Next comes, Dacia Maraini an Italian writer who was also nominated for the Man Booker International Prize of two-thousand and eleven sits along with American authors Philip Roth and Cormac McCarthy as well as Israeli author Amos Oz. Alice Munro the Canadian Short Story writer and Grandmother of Canadian literature as well as the contemporary equivalent of Anton Chekov according to Cynthia Ozick, sits at 20/1, along with other authors like Les Murray a Australian poet, as well as two novelists from Africa (maybe Former Nobel Laureate and first Africa Nobel Laureate in Literature Wole Soyinka had a hand in these nominations) Ngugi wa Thiog'o whose fantastical and political works lead him to exile; and the Grandfather of all African contemporary literature Chinua Achebe is also nominated, at 20/1. Also interestingly enough two Spanish authors sit at the odds of 20/1 Enrique Vila-Matas whose novel “Bartleby And Company,” looks very enjoyable as well as “Never Any End To Paris,” also appears very enjoyable and his new novel “Dublinesque,” appears promising. The other Spanish novelist who is coming to my attention for the first time though, is Eduardo Mendoza Garriga. Both these authors have a unique place in this race because a Spanish author has not won since Camilo Jose Cela in nineteen-eighty nine. Both of these novelists are lovely changes and are the character flaws of Camilo Jose Cela, who had more modernist tendencies whereas these two have more postmodernist tendencies.
Moving down the list one comes across Umberto Eco the perennial on the list. His work of that juxtapose, mesh, chop, blend, and puree high literary thought with semiotic philosophy, and makes it enjoyable with the form of a popular or low brow style of work of fiction. Following him is the young Romanian novelist Mircea Cartarescu. Following them is another American postmodern author Don DeLillo whose novella “Cosmopolis,” was turned into a film by the Canadian director David Cronenberg. Following them is the Somali novelist Nurridin Farah. Peter Nadas a Hungarian author also follows in hot pursuit. Then comes the nomination and the continual name that always makes my skin burn with a sense of trespassing anger. The very mention of the person on the list as well as a contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature that almost defiles the sacrosanct nature of the prize itself – Bob Dylan also comes in at 33/1. Continuing on down there is Ian McEwan at the odds of 50/1. The popular British author who like Martin Amis and Julian Barnes is considered a good ol’boy of English letters, finds himself in the middle. But he has company with Margaret Atwood, as well as the two time Booker Prize winning author Peter Carey whose novel “The Chemistry of Tears,” did not make it on the Booker Prize Long list. Dissident poet and the forefront Poet of the Misty Poet movement in China Bei Dao also sits at 50/1. Portuguese novelist and medical doctor Antonio Lobo Antunes is also at 50/1.
Heading further down the list one can see a very peculiar name pop up. Ursula Le Guin’s name has appeared at the list at 66/1. Though the chances are not great, it is interesting. For the reason that most of Le Guin’s output has been what would be considered genre fiction. However what makes Le Guin so interesting in regards to genre fiction is well is that she is not what one would consider a tolkienesque author. There may not be large quests or saving the world. Instead Ursula Le Guin uses day to day transactions in order to create a common place in an otherwise fantasy or science fiction surrounding. Anthropological, sociological, psychological and gender themes are always at an, abundance. Le Guin uses day to day living as the means that connects individuals together as well as individuals to physical reality and the world around them. Her science fiction is not littered with light speed travel or works of humans at an advanced rate – at least not yet. The world is similar yet very noticeably different. However Ursula le Guin is one of those interesting authors that has appeared so far. Her influence is far reaching. From Neil Gaiman and China Melville to Salman Rushdie and David Mitchell – whose novel “Cloud Atlas,” that has been in production into a film and on October 26th will be released as a film; let’s see how that turns out.
Other Authors at 66/1 chance include the cerebral author of works of historical and interesting fiction Dame A.S. Byatt and the Italian author who traced the Danube through its cultural and literary history, and turbulent history all together, to create his bestselling piece of work “Danube.” Look for that review coming soon. The magical realist African writer and Booker Prize winning author Ben Orki is also at the same amount of chances. Another perennial favourite has dropped a lot this year at 66/1 odds is Milan Kundera.
Finally the list is wrapped with the honourable mentions of:
Booker Prize winning author Julian Barnes starts the list of the odds of 100/1. Avant-garde German author Ulrich Holbein who has still yet to be translated into English(!) but has also won the Kassel Literary Prize, for 2012. The Norwegian playwright and novelist Jon Fosse also has the odds of 100/1. American author Paul Auster is also a notable mention. French author who is still far too young to win the prize Jonathan Littell, is however the first American born author to win Frances most prestigious prize the Prix Goncourt.
Peter Handke is the one that made me raise my eyes at his odds at 100/1. Yes his politics are not in the norm with the Swedish Academy, but his work is amazing. He is the elephant in the room, and the author has stretched the limits of the novel in the contemporary literature, as well as pushed the form of the Drama like Beckett, like no other writer has. This is what makes me sad to see the author so far down on the list when she should be near the top. He is deserving of the honour.
Anne Carson’s notable mention is surprising in two ways. First she was mentioned, and I do not meant that in a negative or insulting way. Anne Carson is a poet. But not just a poet, she is a classicist. That means she is a scholar or an intellectual who holds with high regard the values and merits of classical antiquity. Even now her new book “Antigonick,” is a translation of classicist poets and other writers. This time she tackles Sophokles and has made the experience both textual and a visual experience, with drawings by Bianca Stone. The second reason why this surprises me is Anne Carson is a very experimental poet. A very experimental writer. The form of her work as a whole pushes the envelope. “Nox,” for example is an accordion physically. It pushed the boundaries of the book, and was an artistic achievement in its own right, both as a poem/poetry dedicated to her brother but also as a multimedia project. Her work is often grounded in a very small niche. Very small. Tucked away at the very small corner of a bookstore, where the treasures are found or become baffling riddles. But Anne Carson also pushes the boundaries of poetry in its traditional sense. It is certainly not your typical English poetry of pastoral sheep in Arcadia, or some dark gothic poem which is better left up in the garrets or someone’s attic, because of its hermetic nature, being something that the author and the author alone can understand, after making it so densely difficult and packed full of images that do not connect or symbols whose meanings are varied and far in between. The works of Carson can be approachable to a degree, as well as difficult to a degree again. They become intimate with the reader, in their discussions, of heart break in an, otherwise commonplace world. There is no attempt at transcending but a sense of understanding. But in the end because she is a poet and because she can often push aside the traditional sense of the word form, and her interest in the classicist age of antiquity it is odd that she is mentioned. However I had thought if she were to be mentioned she would have better odds then this.
Other notable appearances are:
Olga Tokarczuk
Victor Pelevin
Shyam Selvadurai
Louise Gluck
Peter Peterson
Well it has started Gentle Reader. Let the games begin. Let the betting begin. The speculation, and the interesting thought, let new authors be discovered. It is a bit early in my opinion to start the betting but I think it’s going to be an interesting Literary season.
Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
*And Remember: Downloading Books Illegally is Thievery and Wrong.*
M. Mary
