Austrian writer wins Nobel Prize

Austrian novelist and poet Elfriede Jelinek, 57, won the Nobel Prize in literature today.

The Swedish Academy cited her ability to reveal “the absurdity of society’s cliches and their subjugating power”.

The decision to award the prize to a woman – and a poet – was the first since 1996, when Polish poet Wislawa Szymborska won.

Since the prize was first handed out in 1901, only nine women have won it.

The 18 lifetime members of the 218-year-old Swedish Academy, of whom only four are women, made the annual selection in deep secrecy last week.

For any writer, there could hardly be any greater honour than winning the Nobel Prize. But for an author whose work isn’t widely translated, it opens doors to new markets, and sales.

The prize also brings a financial safety net: a cheque for €1m.

Born in Murzzuschlag in the Austrian province of Stryia in 1946, she made her literary debut with the collection Lisas Schatten in 1967.

Her writing took a critical turn after her involvement with the student movements that were prevalent throughout Europe in the 1970s, coming out with her satirical novel We Are Decoys, Baby!

That was followed by other works, including Wonderful, Wonderful Times in 1990 and The Piano Teacher in 1988.