2005 Nobel Prize in Literature
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- 13 October 2005 (announcement)
- 10 December 2005
(ceremony)
 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature | |
|---|---|
| Harold Pinter | |
 "who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms." | |
| Date |
|
| Location | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Presented by | Swedish Academy |
| First award | 1901 |
| Website | Official website |
The 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the British playwright Harold Pinter (1930–2008) "who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms."[1] He is the 11th British writer to become a recipient of the prize after William Golding in 1983 and was followed later by Doris Lessing in 2007 and Kazuo Ishiguro in 2017.
Harold Pinter's writing consists primarily of dramas. A recurring theme in his plays is an inability to communicate in relationships, while the dialogue is often clear-cut, the expressions of relationships—balances of power, class and gender divisions—lie beneath the words. His plays sometimes include dark humor and violence that is combined with their unpredictability, making them frightening. Pinter's writing also has a political dimension, inciting revolt against ruling power. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party (1957), The Caretaker (1959), The Homecoming (1964), No Man's Land (1975), Betrayal (1978), and Family Voices (1980).[2][3]
Ladbrokes favourites
On Ladbrokes, favourites to win the 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature were Turkish author Orhan Pamuk (awarded in 2006) and Syrian poet Adonis.[4] Other strong contenders believed to be considered by the Swedish Academy included American novelists Joyce Carol Oates and Philip Roth, Canadian author Margaret Atwood, Czech author Milan Kundera, South Korean poet Ko Un, Peruvian-born novelist Mario Vargas Llosa (awarded in 2010) and Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer (awarded in 2011).[4][5]
Reactions
When Horace Engdahl, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, announced Harold Pinter as the recipient of the 2005 Nobel prize, it instigated some public controversy and criticism relating both to characteristics of Pinter's work and to his politics.[6] When interviewed that day about his reaction to the announcement, Pinter said: "I was told today that one of the Sky channels said this morning that 'Harold Pinter is dead.' Then they changed their mind and said, 'No, he's won the Nobel prize.' So I've risen from the dead."[7]
