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Edition 52 (2007) Winner
Jon Olav Fosse
ジョン・フォッセ
Jon Olav Fosse
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1959-09-29 （Haugesund, Rogaland, Norway）
- Nationality
- Norwegian
- Languages
- Norwegian (Nynorsk), English
- Religion
- Catholicism Baptized in 2013
- Residence History
- Strandebarm (childhood) → Haugesund → Bergen → Oslo → Hainburg an der Donau, Austria (part-time)
Career
- Occupations
- playwright, novelist, poet, translator
- Active Years
- 1983-
- Influenced By
- Samuel Beckett, Georg Trakl, Thomas Bernhard, Tarjei Vesaas, Franz Kafka, William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf, Olav H. Hauge
- Influenced
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Bergen | Comparative Literature | — | MA (Comparative Literature) | 1979–1987 | Norway |
University of Bergen
Comparative Literature
Degree:
MA (Comparative Literature)
Period:
1979–1987
Year of Graduation:
1987
Country:
Norway
Began writing in Nynorsk while studying
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Nobel Prize in Literature | — | — | Swedish Academy | 受賞 |
| 2015 | Nordic Council Literature Prize | Trilogy: Andvake; Olavs draumar; Kveldsvævd | — | Nordic Council | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Brage Prize | — | — | Brage Prize committee | 受賞 |
| 2021 | Brage Prize (fiction) | — | フィクション | Brage Prize committee | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Ibsen Prize | — | — | Ibsen-related organisations | 受賞 |
| 1992 | Nynorsk Literature Prize | — | — | Norwegian literary institutions | 受賞 |
| 2003 | Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite | — | — | French government | 授与（Chevalier） |
| 2005 | Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav | — | — | Royal Norwegian Court | 授与（Commander） |
| 2014 | European Prize for Literature | — | — | European Prize organisers | 受賞 |
| 1999 | Dobloug Prize | — | — | Swedish Academy (awarding) | 受賞 |
Nobel Prize in Literature
2023
Organization:
Swedish Academy
Result:
受賞
Nordic Council Literature Prize
2015
Work:
Trilogy: Andvake; Olavs draumar; Kveldsvævd
Organization:
Nordic Council
Result:
受賞
Brage Prize
2005
Organization:
Brage Prize committee
Result:
受賞
Brage Prize (fiction)
2021
Category:
フィクション
Organization:
Brage Prize committee
Result:
受賞
Ibsen Prize
1996
Organization:
Ibsen-related organisations
Result:
受賞
Nynorsk Literature Prize
1992
Organization:
Norwegian literary institutions
Result:
受賞
Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite
2003
Organization:
French government
Result:
授与（Chevalier）
Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav
2005
Organization:
Royal Norwegian Court
Result:
授与（Commander）
European Prize for Literature
2014
Organization:
European Prize organisers
Result:
受賞
Dobloug Prize
1999
Organization:
Swedish Academy (awarding)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Nordic Council Literature Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 55 (2015) Winner
Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 170 (2021) Winner
Nobel Prize in Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 116 (2023) Winner
Works
Major Works
Raudt, svart
1983 novelFosse's debut novel emphasizing linguistic expression over conventional social-realist plot.
languageintrospection
Translations
Morning and Evening
2000 novelA lyrical novel treating life and death, memory and moments; depicts a human life in poetic language.
life and deathmemory
Translations
- Morning and Evening (trans. Damion Searls)
Septology
2019 novel cycleA modern multi-volume novel dealing with religiosity, solitude, memory, guilt and redemption; widely praised in English translation.
faithsolitudeatonement
Translations
- Septology (trans. Damion Searls)
Someone Is Going to Come
1996 playA minimalist play using silence and gaps, thematizing solitude, expectation and anxiety—typical of Fosse's theatre.
silencesolitude
Adaptations
- [stage] Someone Is Going to Come (stage productions) (1996)
Translations
- Someone Is Going to Come (English translations and productions)
Bibliography
- Raudt, svart (1983)
- Stengd gitar (1985)
- Morning and Evening (2000)
- Andvake (2007)
- The Other Name: Septology I-II (2019)
- A New Name: Septology VI-VII (2021)
Adaptations
- Asle og Alida (libretto by Jon Fosse; composer Bent Sørensen; 2025)
Translations of Works
- Naustet → Boathouse (English translation)
- Morgon og kveld → Morning and Evening (English translation, Damion Searls)
- Septologien → Septology (English translation, Damion Searls)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- minimalismlyrical, introspective prosewrites in Nynorskpost-dramatic theatre tradition
- Recurring Motifs
- silence and pausessolitudelife and deathfaith and the divineWest Norwegian landscape
Health
-
Alcohol use disorder (treated)2012（自発的リハビリ入所）Rehabilitation and religious conversion helped him stop drinking and affected his creative life.
Legacy
The most performed Norwegian playwright after Henrik Ibsen and the 2023 Nobel laureate in Literature. As a Nynorsk writer he has gained global recognition and exerted significant influence on contemporary theatre and literature.
Museums
- Fosse Foundation Based in Strandebarm, near Fosse's childhood home
Archives
- Fosse-related archives (held by the Fosse Foundation)
In Popular Culture
- Public commemorations such as a mural in Haugesund (2025)
Quotes
-
I want to speak about the difference between spoken language and written language — and about the use and effect of silence.
Source: Nobel lecture 'The Silent Language' (2023)
Trivia
- First Nynorsk-writing author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature (2023)
- Has published over seventy works across novels, poetry, plays, children's books and essays
- Married three times and has six children
- Childhood near-death accident is said to have shaped his artistic life