Stroke-afflicted poet wins Nobel Prize for literature

SWEDEN’S most famous living poet, Tomas Tranströmer, won the Nobel Prize for literature yesterday, more than 20 years after a stroke severely limited his speech and movement, but not the power of his writing.

The Swedish Academy gave the award to a Swede for the first time in more than 30 years, saying it chose Tranströmer “because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality”.

“I would like to say that he is one of the most foremost poets in the world today,” said Peter Englund, permanent secretary at the Swedish Academy after the announcement of the prize.