Geetanjali Shree wins Booker Award: – Regardless of Jon Fosse winning – VG

Indian Geetanjali Shree won the prestigious International Booker Award, but Jon Fosse’s “Septology” continues its triumphant run around the world.

Although he did not make it to the top, the Norwegian is still proud of being one of the finalists.

– When you compete with authors from all over the world, you have to say that you are happy to be among the six chosen. And this is a sympathetic award in the sense that all the candidates themselves receive a prize – 5,000 pounds and a certificate. I’m happy and relieved, Fosse says in a short comment to VG.

In the end, it was Gitanjali Shri who won the ‘Sand Tomb’ book award.

In an interview with the organizer behind the Booker Prize before the awards ceremony, the Norwegian expressed satisfaction anyway:

I am grateful that I was able to write this novel, and to be honest, I don’t think I could have written it now.

As one of six international authors in Shortlistthat is, the last heat, John Foss was Thursday night in London for the award ceremony and official celebration.

Among those he fought against, besides the winner, was among others the Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk – who has also won a Booker Prize in the past.

its just Roy Jacobsen Previously nominated for an award by Norwegian authors.

– This is great. We know absolutely nothing beforehand and we are very excited. Samlaget’s publisher Håkon Kolmannskog told VG before the concert that this shows that Jon Voss is among the world’s elite as a writer.

It’s also great to be a publisher at a time when John Foss is writing his best work. We’re all proud of what’s going on, says Kollmanskoog, who was with Foss on his trip to London.

Kolmannskog believes that the prize is the largest literary prize in the world – after the Nobel Prize.

– This award only increased its prestige, and is of great importance to the authors who have been nominated. The whole book world follows when the prize is awarded. Colemanskoog says it’s a win for Jon Foss to be on the shortlist.

Jon Foss was nominated for the English translation of “New Name”Volume 3 of the “Septuagint” masterpiecewhich was released last fall and triumphed around the world.

The New York Times Describing the work as “extraordinary” and alluding to a Nobel Prize, the Guardian wrote that it was a “mercilessly adventurous work”, while the Financial Times believes Septology is “permeated with the very mystery of life”.

And Danish Weekendavisen writes no less than:

“The Seven Books rise like an invisible arc above the world and show it in a new light.”

Read VG’s gender report here: Jon Foss concludes his dark novel in a luminous way.

Publisher Jon Fosses emphasizes the amount of hard work behind.

This is a unique and well written international achievement. It is about universal, recognizable themes – about being human in the world. It took a lot of work, Colemanskoog says.

Jon Voss himself was not available for an interview prior to the award.

But in an interview in connection with the nomination for the Booker Prize, he himself said that he wrote about working all night – for five years.

– I started writing around 4 or 5 p.m. and wrote until 9 a.m., says Voss in the interview posted on the website of Booker Prizes.

Having achieved major international success as a playwright, he decided to write novels again – ending up with the longest text he had ever written: “Septology” – seven books in one long sentence.

Perhaps the reason I wrote this was because I felt I had something important and decisive to say, and it was my duty in some way to say it.

– I can not say what or what That is, it can only be the novel, but it has to do with the mystery that surrounds ordinary life. So it’s not wrong to describe the novel as a kind of “mysterious realism,” says Voss.

Voss was nominated with his English translator Damon Searles. Fosse was also nominated for the first volume of his masterpiece, and in that time made it to the longlist, but not the shortlist – or the finalist.

The price is 60 thousand pounds – about 725 thousand crowns.

The other five candidates are: sky by Mieko Kawakami, Elena knows by Claudia Pinheiro, “Sand Tomb” by Geetanjali Shree, “Jacob’s Books” by Olga Tokarcho and Cursed rabbit by Bora Chung.