The author Karl Ove Knausgård has previously been mentioned as a possible candidate to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. If he won this year, it would surprise Knut Hoem. Among other things, Karl Ove Knausgård has written the book series “Min Kamp”. He made his debut with the book “Out of the world” in 1998. Photo: Nina E. Rangøy – It would have been a big scandal, says Hoem. – Not because he doesn’t deserve the award, because I would say he does. But now four Norwegians have received the award. Then we are overrepresented, and there must be limits, he adds. It has been a year since Jon Fosse won the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was thus initiated into the exclusive, Norwegian award-winning group which includes Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Knut Hamsun and Sigrid Undset from before. Two advance favorites Two of news’s literary connoisseurs imagine that the winner will either come from Asia or Australia. Jon Fosse won last year, and it may be a while until the next Norwegian wins the Nobel Prize in Literature, says news’s literary critic. Photo: AFP – In a way, I hope that the Nobel Committee and the Swedish Academy choose an author I have not read before. It’s a bit like what the Romanian writer Mircea Cărtărescu has said, namely that writers are like precious stones deep in the earth that have to be dug up, says Hoem. – So I hope that the Nobel Committee will unearth a precious stone that I don’t know about before, he says. In this connection, the literary critic points to two authors. Chinese Can Xue and Australian Gerald Murnane. – I have started to look a bit at Murnane. He seems very exciting, and he has written a fantastic novel called “The Planes”. But there is also another Australian writer, Alexis Wright. She seems very exciting. So this year I think the Nobel Prize in literature should go to an Australian author, says Hoem. Gerald Murnane is one of the authors from Australia Knut Hoem points to who could win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Photo: The AGE / Getty Images Unknown name in Norway Siss Vik is a literary journalist at news, and writes, among other things, Bokbrevet. She agrees with Hoem that the Nobel Prize can end up on other continents than, for example, Europe. Vik points to Can Xue as the early favourite. – She is at the top of several odds lists, but is an unknown name in Norway. None of her books have been translated into Norwegian, but I am reading about her now. She is inspired by writers such as Franz Kafka, Borges and Dante, says Vik. Can Xue is inspired by writers such as Franz Kafka and Dante. She writes avant-garde literature, which may be to the liking of the Nobel committee, Siss Vik believes. Photo: Simone Padovani/Awakening/Getty Images – Can Xue is a pseudonym and can mean both “the pure white snow at the top of a mountain” and “the dirty snow that never melts”. It is a bit lovely, and probably typical of her books, to connect the beautiful and the ugly, she adds. Writing about European colonialism Literary critic Anne Cathrine Straume in news points to other writers she thinks could win the Nobel Prize in literature. First up is the 75-year-old American writer Jamaica Kincaid Antigua. – Throughout her writing, she writes harshly about European colonialism and complacency. Kincaid has also written brutally unflattering about mother-daughter relationships, says Straume. Jamaica Kincaid Antigua is highlighted by Anne Cathrine Straume as one of the candidates to win the Nobel Prize in Literature this year. Photo: MARTIN BUREAU / AFP / NTB – In addition to rewarding writers who explore literary form, the Nobel committee often gives the thumbs up to writers who manage to say something about the multiculturalism of our time. In that respect, Kincaid is a strong candidate, adds Straume. May be last chance Ngugi wa Thiong’o from Kenya is also on Straume’s list. This year could be Thiong’o’s last chance to win. – Now he is 86 years old, so there are probably not many chances left for him to win. He is considered East Africa’s most important writer and has inspired a long line of writers who have come after him. – He has also been a strong champion of freedom of expression and has been in prison because of his writing, says Straume. Fear of leaks Several predictions have characterized the odds lists recently. Can Xue and Gerald Murnane have been at the top for a long time, but last week Unibet stopped the possibility of placing money on who will win. Literary critic Knut Hoem in news hopes that the Nobel Committee and the Swedish Academy will choose an Australian author as the winner this year. Photo: Robert Rønning / Robert Rønning / news The reason was the fear of leaks, writes news agency TT. – It has turned out on a couple of occasions that the right candidate has mysteriously jumped up the odds lists in the last few days before the award, says Hoem. – So it is clear that when such names appear at the last second, it is something worth noting, he adds. Harry Potter author on the list Of the more famous authors who are predicted to win, we find people such as Margaret Atwood, Michel Houellebecq, Ian McEwan, Haruki Murakami, Marilynne Robinson, JK Rowling and Salman Rushdie. Rowling is known for having written the Harry Potter books, she has also been in rough weather in recent years. Among other things in 2020, when she joked about an organization that used the expression “people who menstruate” instead of women. British JK Rowling has been in trouble since she wrote the Harry Potter books. Photo: Joel C Ryan / AP – Then we are in what you can call the children’s and youth segment, or the fantasy segment. It is rare that this type of writer receives the award, says Hoem. – The great neglect when it comes to authors of children’s and youth books is that Astrid Lindgren never received the award. Because she was a really great writer. JK Rowling is not quite at that level, concludes the literary critic. Who wins the Nobel Prize in Literature will be announced on Thursday at 1pm in Stockholm. Published 10/10/2024, at 05.35
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These think news’s experts can win the Nobel Prize in literature – news Culture and entertainment
