2024 Nobel Prize in Literature

Award

Award

2024 Nobel Prize in Literature

Han Kang

"for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life."

Date|

* 10 October 2024
(announcement)
* 10 December 2024
(ceremony)

Location| Stockholm, Sweden
Presented by| Swedish Academy
First award| 1901
Website| 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature
| <- 2023 · | Nobel Prize in Literature | · 2025 ->

|
|

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the South Korean author Han Kang (born 1970) "for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life". It was announced by the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Sweden, on 10 October 2024 and was awarded on 10 December 2024.[1]

She is the first South Korean and first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature, making her the 18th woman to win the Nobel Prize in that category.[2]

## Laureate

[edit]

Main article: Han Kang

Han Kang grew up with a literary background in Seoul, her father, Han Seung-won, being a reputed novelist. Alongside her passion for writing, she spends time exploring arts and music, which is reflected throughout her literary production. She started her career in 1993 with the publication of her poems in the literary magazine Literature and Society, and had her debut prose publication in 1995 with the short story collection Love of Yeosu [여수의 사랑]. Her major breakthrough came with the 2007 novel The Vegetarian [채식주의자], a book that portrays the violent consequences that ensue when its protagonist suddenly begins to refuse to eat meat. Her experimental and often disturbing stories are characterized by a double exposure of pain and a correspondence between mental and physical torment, confronting historical traumas and invisible sets of rules and the fragility of human life. Her other well-known works include Human Acts [소년이 온다], The White Book [흰], Greek Lessons [희랍어 시간] and We Do Not Part [작별하지 않는다].[3][4]

## Prize announcement

[edit]

In 2016, Han Kang's novel The Vegetarian [채식주의자] that was translated into English by Deborah Smith won the International Booker Prize.

After the announcement, Anders Olsson, chairman of the Academy's Nobel Committee, said in a statement:

> "She has a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and in her poetic and experimental style has become an innovator in contemporary prose."[5]

Anna-Karin Palm was interviewed by Carin Klaesson, a correspondent of the Nobel Prize Museum, and described Han Kang's writing with the following statement:

> "I would say this is a very rich and complex oeuvre that spans many genres, and [she] writes really intense lyrical prose that is both tender and brutal and, sometimes, slightly surrealistic as well... There's a continuity as to themes that is quite remarkable but at the same time a huge stylistic variation that makes every book a new aspect or a new expression of these central themes."[6]

## Reactions

[edit]

### Personal reactions

[edit]

Han Kang had just finished dinner with her son at her home in Seoul when she received the information. Both she and her son were so surprised that they did not even have the time to properly discuss it. She stated that she was "honored" to receive the prize. Being the first Nobel laureate in literature in South Korea, she said:

> "Yes. I grew up with books, you know, so since when I was a child, I grew up with books in Korean and translated as well. So I can say I grew up with Korean literature, which I feel very close to. So I hope this news is nice for Korean literature readers and my friends, writers... For me, since when I was a child, all writers have been collective. They are searching meanings in life. Sometimes they are lost and sometimes they are determined and all their efforts and all their strengths have been my inspiration. So it's very difficult for me to pick some names of the inspiration. It's very difficult for me."[7]

Asked by Nobel correspondent, Jenny Rydén, where someone just discovering her work should start, she suggested:

> "I think every writer likes his or her most recent book. So my most recent book is We Do Not Part or it is called I Do Not Bid Farewell or Impossible Goodbyes. I hope this book could be a start. And Human Acts is connected directly with this book We Do Not Part. And then The White Book, which is very personal book for me. Because it's quite autobiographical. And there is The Vegetarian. But I feel the start could be We Do Not Part.[7]

Later on, Han Kang said her celebrations would be low-key: "After this phone call I'd like to have tea with - I don't drink so - I'm going to have tea with my son and I'll celebrate it quietly tonight."[5][7]

### International reactions

[edit]

Discussing the choice of Han Kang as the Nobel laureate on Sveriges Television minutes after the announcement, a panel of the Swedish literature critics Ingrid Elam, Jonas Thente and author Lyra Ekström Lindbäck disagreed on the Swedish Academy's choice. Elam said it was a very good choice, calling Han Kang "a fantastic author", while the others had not been impressed by her writing. "Nobody is going to remember her in fifty years' time", Thente said.[8]

A negative reaction also appeared in Expressen by literature critic Victor Malm who called it "a rather weak choice".[9] Svenska Dagbladet's literature editor Josefin de Gregorio was pleased with the choice, praising Han Kang for her "dynamic, transgressive writing that portrays deep evil and great trauma with lyrical beauty and vulnerability" and the Academy's choice of a young and popular writer.[10] Irish novelist Eimear McBride was also pleased, calling Han Kang "one of the greatest living writers"; “She is a voice for women, for truth and, above all, for the power of what literature can be. This is a very richly deserved win.”[11]

The choice of Han Kang was well received by several German commentators, who found it a good choice and positive that the Swedish Academy after heavy focus on European literature in recent years had chosen a writer from another part of the world. "One can call it strange for an award that aims to do comparative justice to all national literatures that so far so few Asian or African authors have been given consideration”, Andreas Platthaus in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote.[12]

#### South Korean reactions

[edit]

While visiting Laos for a meeting of Asian leaders, South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol posted on his Facebook account his warmest greetings, saying:

> "It is a monumental achievement in the history of Korean literature and a national celebration that brings joy to all the people. You have transformed the painful wounds of our modern history into a great literary work. I extend my deepest respect to you for elevating the value of Korean literature."[13][14]

BTS member V shared in the news on Instagram, writing: "I read your book 'Human Act: A Novel' in the army. Congratulations" alongside a bowing emoji.[14] The literary critic Kim Seong-shin expressed that the Academy's choice of Han was beyond reproach, affirming: "I'd say she is the most deserving Korean novelist to be awarded the Nobel Prize."[14]

A number of South Korean writers celebrated the news, among them Min Jin Lee, author of Pachinko, who commented: "Han Kang is a brilliant novelist who reflects our modern condition with courage, imagination, and intelligence. She is most worthy of this global recognition."[15] Science fiction author Kim Bo-young said, "We cheer and rejoice. I am even prouder and happier that this winning of the prize directly refutes the foolishness of trying to hide and distort Korea's past history."[15]

## Nobel lecture

[edit]

Han Kang delivered her Nobel lecture on 7 December 2024 at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm.[16] Entitled Light and thread, she talked about the thread of language that connects people.[17]

## Nobel Committee

[edit]

The 2024 Nobel Committee is composed of the following members:[18]

Committee Members

Seat No.  | Picture  | Name  | Elected  | Position  | Profession
4  |  | Anders Olsson
(b. 1949)  | 2008  | committee chair  | literary critic, literary historian
11  |  | Mats Malm
(b. 1964)  | 2018  | associate member
permanent secretary  | translator, literary historian, editor
9  |  | Ellen Mattson
(b. 1963)  | 2019  | member  | novelist, essayist
14  |  | Steve Sem-Sandberg
(b. 1958)  | 2021  | member  | journalist, author, translator
13  |  | Anne Swärd
(b. 1969)  | 2019  | member  | novelist
16  |  | Anna-Karin Palm
(b. 1961)  | 2023  | associate member  | novelist, culture writer

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Prize announcement dates". nobelprize.org.
2. ^ Msh, Adib (10 October 2024). "Full Details of Nobel Prize Winners 2024". Retrieved 10 November 2024 - via The Prime Headline.
3. ^ Annabel Rackham (10 October 2024). "South Korea's Han Kang wins Nobel Literature Prize". BBC. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
4. ^ "Han Kang wins the Nobel prize in literature for 2024". The Economist. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
5. ^ a b Justyna Pawlak and Simon Johnson (10 October 2024). "Han Kang of South Korea wins Nobel literature prize 2024". Reuters. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
6. ^ "Nobel Prize in Literature 2024 – Prize announcement". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
7. ^ a b c "Han Kang – Interview". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
8. ^ "SVT:s Nobelpanel oense om litteraturpristagaren: "Ingen kommer minnas"" (in Swedish). SVT Nyheter. 10 October 2024.
9. ^ Victor Malm (10 October 2024). "Ett ganska svagt val av Svenska Akademien" (in Swedish). Expressen.
10. ^ Josefin de Gregorio (10 October 2024). "Roligt att Akademien prisar en så ung författare" (in Swedish). Svenska Dagbladet.
11. ^ Creamer, Ella (10 October 2024). "South Korean author Han Kang wins the 2024 Nobel prize in literature". The Guardian.
12. ^ "Literaturnobelpreisträgerin Han Kang: "Kein Grund für große Feier"" (in German). NDR. 16 October 2024.
13. ^ Kim Eun-jung (10 October 2024). "Yoon celebrates Han Kang's winning of Nobel literature prize as 'monumental achievement'". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
14. ^ a b c "After K-pop, K-novels? South Korean Nobel win sparks joy, hope at home". France24. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
15. ^ a b Ella Creamer (11 October 2024). "Han Kang's books sell out as South Korea celebrates her Nobel prize in literature". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
16. ^ "Han Kang Nobel lecture". nobelprize.org.
17. ^ "Nobel Literature Prize winner Han Kang talks about how writing connects her to readers". AP. 7 December 2024.
18. ^ The Nobel Committee 2024 – Nobel Prize in Literature svenskaakademien.se

## External links

[edit]

* The Nobel Prize in Literature nobelprize.org
* Swedish Academy svenskaakademien.se/en

* v
* t
* e

Laureates of the Nobel Prize in Literature

1901–1920|

* 1901: Sully Prudhomme
* 1902: Theodor Mommsen
* 1903: Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
* 1904: Frédéric Mistral / José Echegaray
* 1905: Henryk Sienkiewicz
* 1906: Giosuè Carducci
* 1907: Rudyard Kipling
* 1908: Rudolf Eucken
* 1909: Selma Lagerlöf
* 1910: Paul Heyse
* 1911: Maurice Maeterlinck
* 1912: Gerhart Hauptmann
* 1913: Rabindranath Tagore
* 1914
* 1915: Romain Rolland
* 1916: Verner von Heidenstam
* 1917: Karl Gjellerup / Henrik Pontoppidan
* 1918
* 1919: Carl Spitteler
* 1920: Knut Hamsun

1921–1940|

* 1921: Anatole France
* 1922: Jacinto Benavente
* 1923: W. B. Yeats
* 1924: Władysław Reymont
* 1925: George Bernard Shaw
* 1926: Grazia Deledda
* 1927: Henri Bergson
* 1928: Sigrid Undset
* 1929: Thomas Mann
* 1930: Sinclair Lewis
* 1931: Erik Axel Karlfeldt (posthumously)
* 1932: John Galsworthy
* 1933: Ivan Bunin
* 1934: Luigi Pirandello
* 1935
* 1936: Eugene O'Neill
* 1937: Roger Martin du Gard
* 1938: Pearl S. Buck
* 1939: Frans Eemil Sillanpää
* 1940

1941–1960|

* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944: Johannes V. Jensen
* 1945: Gabriela Mistral
* 1946: Hermann Hesse
* 1947: André Gide
* 1948: T. S. Eliot
* 1949: William Faulkner
* 1950: Bertrand Russell
* 1951: Pär Lagerkvist
* 1952: François Mauriac
* 1953: Winston Churchill
* 1954: Ernest Hemingway
* 1955: Halldór Laxness
* 1956: Juan Ramón Jiménez
* 1957: Albert Camus
* 1958: Boris Pasternak
* 1959: Salvatore Quasimodo
* 1960: Saint-John Perse

1961–1980|

* 1961: Ivo Andrić
* 1962: John Steinbeck
* 1963: Giorgos Seferis
* 1964: Jean-Paul Sartre (declined award)
* 1965: Mikhail Sholokhov
* 1966: Shmuel Yosef Agnon / Nelly Sachs
* 1967: Miguel Ángel Asturias
* 1968: Yasunari Kawabata
* 1969: Samuel Beckett
* 1970: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
* 1971: Pablo Neruda
* 1972: Heinrich Böll
* 1973: Patrick White
* 1974: Eyvind Johnson / Harry Martinson
* 1975: Eugenio Montale
* 1976: Saul Bellow
* 1977: Vicente Aleixandre
* 1978: Isaac Bashevis Singer
* 1979: Odysseas Elytis
* 1980: Czesław Miłosz

1981–2000|

* 1981: Elias Canetti
* 1982: Gabriel García Márquez
* 1983: William Golding
* 1984: Jaroslav Seifert
* 1985: Claude Simon
* 1986: Wole Soyinka
* 1987: Joseph Brodsky
* 1988: Naguib Mahfouz
* 1989: Camilo José Cela
* 1990: Octavio Paz
* 1991: Nadine Gordimer
* 1992: Derek Walcott
* 1993: Toni Morrison
* 1994: Kenzaburō Ōe
* 1995: Seamus Heaney
* 1996: Wisława Szymborska
* 1997: Dario Fo
* 1998: José Saramago
* 1999: Günter Grass
* 2000: Gao Xingjian

2001–2020|

* 2001: V. S. Naipaul
* 2002: Imre Kertész
* 2003: J. M. Coetzee
* 2004: Elfriede Jelinek
* 2005: Harold Pinter
* 2006: Orhan Pamuk
* 2007: Doris Lessing
* 2008: J. M. G. Le Clézio
* 2009: Herta Müller
* 2010: Mario Vargas Llosa
* 2011: Tomas Tranströmer
* 2012: Mo Yan
* 2013: Alice Munro
* 2014: Patrick Modiano
* 2015: Svetlana Alexievich
* 2016: Bob Dylan
* 2017: Kazuo Ishiguro
* 2018: Olga Tokarczuk
* 2019: Peter Handke
* 2020: Louise Glück

2021–present|

* 2021: Abdulrazak Gurnah
* 2022: Annie Ernaux
* 2023: Jon Fosse
* 2024: Han Kang
* 2025: to be determined

* v
* t
* e

2024 Nobel Prize laureates

Chemistry|

* David Baker (United States)
* Demis Hassabis (United Kingdom)
* John M. Jumper (United States)

Literature (2024)|

* Han Kang (South Korea)

Peace (2024)|

Nihon Hidankyo (Japan)

Physics|

* Geoffrey Hinton (Canada/United Kingdom)
* John Hopfield (United States)

Physiology or Medicine|

* Victor Ambros (United States)
* Gary Ruvkun (United States)

Economic Sciences|

* Daron Acemoglu (Turkey/United States)
* Simon Johnson (United Kingdom/United States)
* James A. Robinson (United Kingdom/United States)

Nobel Prize recipients
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template