Tomorrow Thursday, 07 October, at 13:00 CET the Swedish Academy will announce the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021. As every year since 2009[1] “Paysages” tries to forecast the winner of the Nobel Price in Literature. In Michael Orthofer Literary Saloon we can find three names – Mahmoud Dowlatabadi, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Dag Solstad. The Guardian gives Annie Ernaux as favorite for this years nobel price in Literature. Perhaps why not Annie Ernaux ? Much more names can be found in Alex Sephards “Who Will Win the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature? – Not Haruki Murakami, that’s for sure”.
I am currently reading the travel narration “Les eaux glacées du Belomarkanal[2]” written by Anne Brunswic about her voyage along the shores of the “Belomarkanal”. Reading that book, I thought that Russian literature historically blossomed under authoritarian rule – so as we can “witness” more or less in real-time Russia’s way into another authoritarian age – perhaps we will also witness a rebirth of Russian literature and poetry. Perhaps Lyudmila Ulitskaya will be awarded this year’s Nobel Price in Literature. One never knows!
So my list of 2021 favorites begins with, Lyudmila Ulitskaya, followed by António Lobo Antunes, and Maryse Condé. This list could be completed by Annie Ernaux, Boualem Sansal , Claudio Magris, Adonis, Ismail Kadare, Milan Kundera, Margaret Atwood, Jamaica Kincaid, Anne Carson, Art Spiegelman, Marjane Satrapi, Don DeLillo or Cormac McCarthy. More or less the same name as in my forecast lists of the last years!
In fact I don’t have any ideas to whom will be awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in literature – but it would be certainly a positive sign for the rebirth of Russian literature if Lyudmila Ulitskaya (or another Russian /Russophone writer/novelist/poet) would be awarded the prize! Tomorrow Thursday 07.10.2021 at 13.00 we will know more!
Bookreference:
Brunswic, Anne (2009): Les eaux glacées du Belomorkanal. Arles, Actes Sud. ISBN 978-2-7427-8214-7
Christophe Neff, Grünstadt 06.10.2021
P.S.:. (07.10.2021 13:05): Finally Abdulrazak Gurnah was awarded with the Nobel Prize in Literature 2021.
[1] See also, Le Nobel à Herta Müller ? Der Literaturnobelpreis für Herta Müller ? ,Wer wird den Literaturnobelpreis 2010 verliehen bekommen?, Blognotice 5.10.2011 – neiges automnales & prochain lauréat du Prix Nobel de littérature , Paysages forecast for Nobel Prize in Literature 2012, Paysages forecast for Nobel Prize in Literature 2013, Paysages forecast for Nobel Prize in Literature 2014, Paysages forecast for Nobel Prize in Literature 2015, Paysages forecast for Nobel Prize in Literature 2016, Paysages forecast for Nobel Prize in Literature 2017, Paysages forecast for Nobel Prize in Literature 2018/2019, Paysages forecast for Nobel Prize in Literature 2020.
[2] As I know the book was never translated into another language. So indeed “les eaux glacées du Belomorkanal (the frozen waters of the Belomorkanal)” would merit a translation into English to get a wider audience.
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