Nobel literature prize 2012 who’s going to win ?
Well its that time of year again when people start asking who is going to win the Nobel prize for literature .In the last two days there has been posts on Complete review where Michael discusses the betting . I must admit in recent years the winner has jumped in the betting last day .The Guardian also picked up on the betting and the fact that Haurki Murkami is favourite at the moment .So who do I think they’ll pick well it is like shooting fish in a barrel there are maybe 50 plus writers that could be in a position to win the prize .I always feel the prize is like a golden gong to say well done on being a great writer ,so the writers in the mix tend to be middle to end of their writing life writers .Well I ll throw a few names in the mix as I have done previous years I ll go round the continents and say a few names and briefly why my feeling is it may be a Asian or African writer this year but I think I said that last year –
Asia –
Haruki Murkami – ok 1q84 wasn’t quite the masterpiece we had all hoped it would be but has any writer such a good collection of novel,short stories and non fiction ?
Salman Rushdie – counting that his best books are set in India and he grew up there I putting him down as Indian for this lots of good books and one great book midnight’s children is wonderful insight into India after british rule .(you could also include Rohinton Mistry and Vikram Seth both great writers .
Mo Yan – I don’t know a lot about but is called the chinese Franz Kafka ,but is only 57 .I think Chinese writers will win the Nobel but the problem is they have only in the last 15 -20 years grown in popularity in the west .But their time is coming .
Middle east –
Adonis – the Syrian poet is a Nobel speculation favourite he has been mention for years and years .I had him as one of my favourites last year with the Arab spring and with recent events in his homeland maybe this year is his .
Amos Oz – the voice of Israeli in many ways Oz has chronicle his homeland for more than 50 years ,he has won every major prize round the world bar this one .
Aharon Appelfeld – another Israeli writer Appelfeld has kept the horrors of the second world war alive in his fiction and made people think of what happened ?
Europe
Peter Nadas /Lazslo Krasznahorkai – I ve read books by both these Hungarian modernist in the last year they are shoulder to shoulder in my mind and the last Hungarian Nobel winner was ten years ago but for a country with such a rich heritage I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of these two win .
Juan Goytisolo – the Spaniard has long experimented with his fiction recent talk of english fiction being experimental makes me laugh Goytisolo has been doing it for decades .(Enrique Vila-Matas may also be a contender from spain )
Ulrich Holbein another writer that is always in the betting and one I ve mention a lot of times here on winstonsdad as one that needs to be translated into english .If he won how long would it take not long I ‘d say !!
Cees Nooteboom – I had an interview with Cees on the blog last year ,he is such a talent writer poet ,novelist and travel writer .He is too many the voice of holland .Another writer I d like to win
Africa –
Ngugi wa thong – the Kenyan is another name that has been mention in recent years .He also recently published his first novel for twenty years the wizard which I ve on my tbr pile .
Chinua Achebe – Nigeria’s most famous writer best known for things fall apart one of the first modern african novels .
Assia Dejbar – rose high on last year betting ,the Algerian is a member of the French academy and she is one of the most respected writers from north Africa
Americas –
Philip Roth – I ll say same as I did last year neither Mailer or Updike won the nobel so maybe Roth should ,only concern for me is the recent books not been his best.
Alice Munro /Lorrie Moore – two great short story writers ,both have chronicle contemporary america life in their own ways .
Isabel Allende – She has long been the best female writer in latin america and not enough women from latin america have won .
Cesar Aira – The major writer I ve missed covering and reading from Argentina ,but he has written over thirty novels .
So who do you think ?
Aug 24, 2012 @ 11:33:13
I think Murakami’s window has closed, for now at least. If ‘1Q84’ had been an unqualified success, that might have tipped the committee over the edge. I think he needs another widely-accepted masterpiece to get the nod.
Names I’ve heard mentioned a lot include Adonis, Mo Yan, Amos Oz and Ngugi wa Thiong’o…
…so it won’t be any of them 😉
Aug 24, 2012 @ 11:35:51
I know it is always a shock Holbein would be a huge one ,all the best stu
Aug 24, 2012 @ 11:46:25
I couldn’t begin to guess – so many wonderful authors it is almost impossible to decide, but I agree with Tony in thinking it isn’t Murakami’s year. If I had to bet then I think I’d put my money in the Middle East – either Adonis or Oz. But having read neither I’m not at all qualified to say that. I look forward to seeing who takes the prize this year.
Aug 24, 2012 @ 11:59:01
I had thought oz and adnois last year so possibly asia and africa both been missed recent years ,all the best stu
Aug 24, 2012 @ 11:48:42
I have no clue about who’s going to win the Nobel Prize for Literature – it’s always someone I’ve never heard of who isn’t mainstream. I keep hoping it’s Murakami but we’ll see!
Aug 24, 2012 @ 11:58:04
It has recent years or more writers yet to be translated widely in english ,all the best stu
Aug 24, 2012 @ 14:11:10
In some sense the quality or existence of recent books shouldn’t matter, since the Nobel is a lifetime achievement award. Pinter, Lessing, Tranströmer – they were given awards for work they did in the 1970s (or 1960s, or 1950s).
But who knows. Nobel Committee member psychology is a mystery. They really like novelists who were influenced by Faulkner, I know that much.
Aug 24, 2012 @ 14:19:27
Yes there workings are strange I agree with Faulkner influence last ten years been more challenging writers that’s earlier years
Aug 24, 2012 @ 18:32:58
A great list of writers some I’ve read, others not but are probably/definitely on one of my lists. Agree with Murakami for a body of work not for the Iq84, but too many as good if not better writers for ne to rise above the parapet
Aug 24, 2012 @ 18:35:54
Yes think murakami will one day but not just yet just hope his next book is better less ambitious think he lost something in scope of 1q84
Aug 25, 2012 @ 05:45:36
I was hoping against hope it would NOT be Murakami. His handling of language isn’t just at par with some of his contemporaries. Sebald and Bolano (who are now forever ineligible), now they would have made fine laureates. I hope it will be someone under-translated and untranslated, if not relatively unknown, so we will not have long to wait for reprints and translations to come. It’s just not exciting for me to see popular writers being handed the Nobel Prize. Aira is a good choice because it would pave the way for 99% of his books to be translated. If it would be from Asia, I’d like to see Kono Taeko or Yuko Tsushima get the prize.
Aug 25, 2012 @ 08:16:55
Me too someone unknown in uk be great Holbein be perfect wonder how quick they’d get one in pipeline as his publisher only ever had one enquiry re translation into English
Aug 25, 2012 @ 07:54:49
While I’d be happier to see Murakami win than you would be, I agree that winning the prize is a good way for untranslated fiction to lose that unwelcome adjective 🙂
Aug 25, 2012 @ 08:17:53
It is someone unknown to me or on edge of writers I m aware be perfect choice
Aug 25, 2012 @ 08:24:41
I have no clue who might win, but I think it may be Oz’s turn. Murakami might be in with a chance. He has a fairly impressive oeuvre, prior to IQ84 that is. 🙂
Aug 25, 2012 @ 08:30:15
Yes suppose Carey maybe in with shout some time
Aug 25, 2012 @ 11:07:20
I have no idea how the Nobel Prize is decided but of all the writers you mentioned above I would venture a guess that Philip Roth is the most deserving (with all due respect to the others, of course).
Aug 25, 2012 @ 11:23:14
Oh yeah, and I wanted to add a personal thought. I think Rushdie has written two great books: Midnight’s Children and Shalimar the Clown.
Aug 26, 2012 @ 10:56:21
True he has
Aug 26, 2012 @ 10:55:49
It’s a panel of so many Swedish academics that have advisors helping them
Aug 25, 2012 @ 20:38:39
It will be so fun to see who wins – I would like to see Philip Roth take it, but it seems most newspapers are picking Murakami.
Aug 26, 2012 @ 10:58:02
It will recent winners been less well known in English in the English speaking world
Aug 26, 2012 @ 10:50:44
I’m clueless to who will win but many that you have mentioned are worthy winners!
Aug 26, 2012 @ 10:56:59
There is a lot worth while writers out there more than I could cover in a post really
Aug 26, 2012 @ 16:55:20
Interesting names you’ve compiled. I’ve always been getting my bettings wrong although an african win would be great.
Aug 28, 2012 @ 19:11:05
It would geosi be long overdue
Aug 27, 2012 @ 01:21:46
Good list, Stu. I don’t think Allende will win. Mostly because her literary reputation isn’t that strong with critics. She is considered as someone who abused Magical Realism. However, you are completely right that there aren’t enough women winners from Latin America. I think only Gabriela Mistral is the only one and that was a long time ago (45).
Given that there was a winner in Spanish last year I doubt Goytisolo will get it
I’d like to Djabar win. I read her So Vast the Prison years ago and liked it.
Of course, I’m just guessing.
-p
Aug 28, 2012 @ 19:12:18
I would think djebar be in with good shout yea shame goytisolo not getting any younger as the years pass by
Aug 28, 2012 @ 18:16:38
Interesting list, though I haven’t read them all. I note there are no UK writers, nor has anyone above suggested any. You know I’m a big fan of translated fiction, but are things really that bad at home? I would place James Kelman (twice short-listed for the Man Booker International) and Alasdair Gray in almost any writer’s company. I would love Gray to get it. He’s written three world class novels as well as short stories, drama, poetry – he designs his own books and he can paint. He’s also mad as a box of frogs! It would be worth it for the speech alone!
Aug 28, 2012 @ 19:14:45
Gray would be great choice left uk writers blank because want see if anyone suggested any I suppose Rushdie is counted as British these days maybe even some one like Alan Bennett may even be in with a shout but he is maybe to popular
Aug 28, 2012 @ 19:24:04
Brits have won twice in the last seven years. That’s why no one is mentioning them.
Aug 28, 2012 @ 19:29:02
Three in eleven if you include Naipaul can see American winner but who knows
Aug 29, 2012 @ 13:16:04
I would LOVE to see Djebar or Achebe win! They are two of my absolute favorites 🙂
Oct 16, 2012 @ 18:26:36
next time I hope with Yans win got be african writer soon I would think ,all the best stu
Aug 29, 2012 @ 21:47:48
Stu, you are a terrible man (joke) your link whisked me me away to my account bookies ! Once there i broke a golden rule of betting on anything other than horses, ( okay occasionally snooker and golf too for a long run) to place the princely sum of £1 on Cees Nooteboom at a big 12 – 1. Loved his ‘In the Dutch Mountains’ .Some seem to think Murikami not profound enough enough or only popular to youth. I got it right in 2010 with Mario Vargas LLosa though i am not related to William Faulkner ! Really impressed with reading your voluminous and interesting feedback . All the best , blog on Stu, not half, man.
Oct 16, 2012 @ 18:27:59
sorry kevin ,cees may win one day hopefully soon ,all the best stu
Sep 01, 2012 @ 00:01:34
Oh, I hope hope hope it’s Haruki! He even retweeted my tweet which retweeted him being a favorite for the prize. Still, how thrilled I am he even noticed my tweet! Anyway, back to reality, I think he’s long overdue. And, if Obama can win a Peace Prize? Anything is possible!
Oct 16, 2012 @ 18:29:06
I think now mo has won Murkami may have to wait another few years ,if he writes that opus we hoped 1q84 would be I d say yes ,all the best stu
Sep 06, 2012 @ 18:35:56
I’ve noticed in past years the author chosen is always somewhat political – which is why I doubt Murakami will win. Also, I strongly doubt an American will win this decade. (I do wonder about the betting – doesn’t it seem to you that people tend to just put money on their favorite authors?)
I think you’re listing Adonis’ as a possibility is smart. This might be his year.
Oct 16, 2012 @ 18:31:11
adonis maybe next year I think Mo yan shock others but had been high in betting all time of nobel ,all the best stu
Sep 29, 2012 @ 21:46:58
I think it’s about time for Alice Munro to get the nobel laurels. It’s about time to give it to the best short story writer alive of our time.