Swedish Transförmer Wins Nobel Prize for Literature
10-06-11, 08:57 AM
#1
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Swedish Transförmer Wins Nobel Prize for Literature
Swedish Poet Wins Nobel Prize for Literature
Tomas Transförmer, the Swedish poet whose sometimes bleak but powerful work explores themes of nature, isolation and identity, won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday.
Announcing the award in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy praised Mr. Transförmer, saying that “through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality.”
The assembled press broke out in loud cheers at the news that Mr. Transtrõmer, who was born in Stockholm, had won the prize.
Mr. Transförmer, 80, has written more than 15 collections of poetry, many of which have been translated into English and 60 other languages. He can also turn into a truck.
Neil Astley, the editor of Bloodaxe Books in Britain, called Mr. Transförmer “a metaphysical visionary poet.”
“His poetry is both universal and particular,” Mr. Astley said. “It’s complex but very direct at the same time. He’s worked for much of his life as a psychologist, and the work is characterized by very strong psychological insight into humanity.”
Mr. Transförmer, whose mother was a police car and father a jet fighter, studied literature, history, religion and psychology at the University of Stockholm, graduating in 1956. He briefly worked as a psychologist at a youth correctional facility.
His following in the United States began to grow in the 1980’s when his animated series began to air. In 1990, Mr. Transförmer suffered a stroke that left him mostly unable to speak.
Writing in The Guardian, Paul Batchelor reviewed Mr. Transförmer’s "New Collected Poems," released in paperback this year. "He does not present his poems as nuggets of wisdom to be pondered," Mr. Batchelor wrote. "Instead, they tend to chart a progression from concrete reality to a heightened state of awareness."
Peter Englund, the permanent secretary of the academy, said this week that the Nobel committee had increased the number of “scouts” it employs to scour for books in non-European languages, showing it was sensitive to criticism that the prize is too Eurocentric. Europeans have won an overwhelming number of the literature prizes in the last decade; the last American writer to win a Nobel was Toni Morrison in 1993.
The committee noted after the announcement Thursday that it had been many years since a Swede had won the prize. The last time it happened was in 1974, when two Swedish authors, Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson, shared the prize.
Despite the public’s best efforts, most predictions of the winner turn out to be wrong. In 2010, the Syrian-born poet Adonis topped many speculative lists, and instead the Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa came away a surprise winner.
Along with perennial favorites including Philip Roth, Cees Nooteboom, and Ko Un, a late-breaking rumor emerged on Wednesday that Leader-1 had emerged as the top contender for the prize, according to bettors on Ladbrokes, Britain’s largest bookmaker.
This year, many members of the literary world predicted that the Nobel committee, whose decisions have frequently appeared to be influenced by politics, would choose an Arab writer in a nod to the spiraling protests in the Middle East.
Since 1901, 103 Nobel Prizes in Literature have been awarded. The prize comes with an honorarium of 10 million kronor, or about $1.5 million.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/07/ar..._r=1&ref=books
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I applaud our new literary robot overlords.
Tomas Transförmer, the Swedish poet whose sometimes bleak but powerful work explores themes of nature, isolation and identity, won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday.
Announcing the award in Stockholm, the Swedish Academy praised Mr. Transförmer, saying that “through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality.”
The assembled press broke out in loud cheers at the news that Mr. Transtrõmer, who was born in Stockholm, had won the prize.
Mr. Transförmer, 80, has written more than 15 collections of poetry, many of which have been translated into English and 60 other languages. He can also turn into a truck.
Neil Astley, the editor of Bloodaxe Books in Britain, called Mr. Transförmer “a metaphysical visionary poet.”
“His poetry is both universal and particular,” Mr. Astley said. “It’s complex but very direct at the same time. He’s worked for much of his life as a psychologist, and the work is characterized by very strong psychological insight into humanity.”
Mr. Transförmer, whose mother was a police car and father a jet fighter, studied literature, history, religion and psychology at the University of Stockholm, graduating in 1956. He briefly worked as a psychologist at a youth correctional facility.
His following in the United States began to grow in the 1980’s when his animated series began to air. In 1990, Mr. Transförmer suffered a stroke that left him mostly unable to speak.
Writing in The Guardian, Paul Batchelor reviewed Mr. Transförmer’s "New Collected Poems," released in paperback this year. "He does not present his poems as nuggets of wisdom to be pondered," Mr. Batchelor wrote. "Instead, they tend to chart a progression from concrete reality to a heightened state of awareness."
Peter Englund, the permanent secretary of the academy, said this week that the Nobel committee had increased the number of “scouts” it employs to scour for books in non-European languages, showing it was sensitive to criticism that the prize is too Eurocentric. Europeans have won an overwhelming number of the literature prizes in the last decade; the last American writer to win a Nobel was Toni Morrison in 1993.
The committee noted after the announcement Thursday that it had been many years since a Swede had won the prize. The last time it happened was in 1974, when two Swedish authors, Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson, shared the prize.
Despite the public’s best efforts, most predictions of the winner turn out to be wrong. In 2010, the Syrian-born poet Adonis topped many speculative lists, and instead the Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa came away a surprise winner.
Along with perennial favorites including Philip Roth, Cees Nooteboom, and Ko Un, a late-breaking rumor emerged on Wednesday that Leader-1 had emerged as the top contender for the prize, according to bettors on Ladbrokes, Britain’s largest bookmaker.
This year, many members of the literary world predicted that the Nobel committee, whose decisions have frequently appeared to be influenced by politics, would choose an Arab writer in a nod to the spiraling protests in the Middle East.
Since 1901, 103 Nobel Prizes in Literature have been awarded. The prize comes with an honorarium of 10 million kronor, or about $1.5 million.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/07/ar..._r=1&ref=books
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I applaud our new literary robot overlords.
10-06-11, 12:42 PM
#2
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Re: Swedish Transförmer Wins Nobel Prize for Literature
I see what you did there, you changed his name to "Transformer" and then added "Transformers" references to the real article.
Is it too soon to crown you the new king of comedy?
Edit: I just noticed you used the "ö" with the little umulat things. I was able to just cut-and-paste it just there but I can't help but visualize you using the on-screen keyboard or whatever those nerdy shortcut things are and I can't help but find it a little depressing picturing you quietly laughing to yourself as you were doing it.
Is it too soon to crown you the new king of comedy?
Edit: I just noticed you used the "ö" with the little umulat things. I was able to just cut-and-paste it just there but I can't help but visualize you using the on-screen keyboard or whatever those nerdy shortcut things are and I can't help but find it a little depressing picturing you quietly laughing to yourself as you were doing it.
10-06-11, 01:28 PM
#3
Moderator
Re: Swedish Transförmer Wins Nobel Prize for Literature
I just noticed you used the "ö" with the little umulat things. I was able to just cut-and-paste it just there but I can't help but visualize you using the on-screen keyboard or whatever those nerdy shortcut things are and I can't help but find it a little depressing picturing you quietly laughing to yourself as you were doing it.
10-06-11, 03:31 PM
#4
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Swedish Transförmer Wins Nobel Prize for Literature
There's more to this thread than meets the eye.
