Norwegian author Jon Fosse wins the Nobel Prize in literature

One of his country’s most-performed dramatists, Fosse has written some 40 plays as well as novels, short stories, children’s books, poetry and essays.

Norwegian author Jon Fosse (Hakon Mosvold Larsen /NTB Scanpix via AP/PA)

Jon Fosse, a master of spare Nordic writing in a sprawling body of work ranging from plays to novels and children’s books, won the Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday for works that “give voice to the unsayable”.

Anders Olsson, chair of the Nobel literature committee, said Fosse’s work is rooted “in the language and nature of his Norwegian background”.