9 Books By Nobel Prize-Winning Authors That You Should Read
This year’s Nobel Prize winner in Literature has been announced! The recipient of the prestigious award is Norwegian author and playwright Jon Fosse. According to the Swedish Academy, he has been awarded for “his innovative plays and prose which gives voice to the unsayable”.
With his work translated into more than 40 languages across the world, Fosse has been known for his warm and humorous plays, novels, poetry collections and essays.
The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded annually by the Swedish Academy to authors for outstanding contributions in the field of literature. The prize money awarded to winners amounts to 10 million Swedish Krona (INR 8 crores approx).
Aside from Fosse’s incredible work, there have been many widely acclaimed works by previous Nobel Prize winners that deserve a place on your bookshelves. Here are a few of our favourites…
Books Written By Nobel Prize-Winning Authors To Add To Your Reading List
The Red-Haired Woman by Orhan Pamuk
The Red-Haired Woman by Orhan Pamuk
Turkish author Orhan Pamuk won the Nobel Prize in 2006 for his works that critique modern Turkish society and contain heavy political themes. His works have been translated into more than 60 languages around the world and he is one of the most important writers of recent times. If you’re new to his work, try The Red-Haired Woman. It’s a story about filial bonds and the clash between tradition and modernity.
Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah
Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah
The 2021 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Abdulrazak Gurnah began his career as a journalist and slowly began working on fiction. The Tanzanian-born British writer explores themes of displacement, marginalisation and exile through his works. His 1994 novel Paradise, which was shortlisted for a Booker Prize too, follows a tragic coming-of-age story of a young Tanzanian boy who is sold off to a merchant and has to work as a servant in a caravan of traders.
A Woman’s Story by Annie Ernaux
A Woman’s Story by Annie Ernaux
French writer Annie Ernaux is Jon Fosse’s predecessor as she won the prestigious award in 2022. The author digs into her own life experiences for her writing, like her 1988 novel A Woman’s Story. It follows a woman’s journey back in time to uncover the kind of life her mother lived before she passed away because of Alzheimer’s.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
While most of his early works explored the Japanese identity through the lens of historical fiction, Japanese-born British author Kazuo Ishiguro’s recent works are his astute observations of society. One of his best novels, Never Let Me Go was even shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2005. It takes place in an alternate reality of England where cloning has been authorised and performed liberally. The novel was adapted into a movie in 2010.
The Home and The World by Rabindranath Tagore
The Home and The World by Rabindranath Tagore
The iconic Indian author, painter, playwright, lyricist, philosopher, social reformer and composer Rabindranath Tagore became the first non-European to win the award in 1913. One of his most important works is his 1916 novel The Home and The World where he decided to take on the battle between the ideas of western culture and the nationalist revolt against it. This was the issue that was plaguing the Bengali society at the time. Tagore explores this theme through domestic strife between a newlywed couple.
Sula by Toni Morrison
Sula by Toni Morrison
Legendary author Toni Morrison received her Nobel Prize in 1993. While her bibliography is rich with works that are moving and powerful, her second novel Sula is a special one. It follows the trajectory of two Black sisters who make different choices in lives. The story features themes of motherhood, duality and identity. In 2022, it was announced that HBO was developing a TV show based on the novel.
A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S Naipaul
A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S Naipaul
Trinidadian-born British author V.S Naipual’s breakthrough 1961 novel A House for Mr. Biswas earned him widespread acclaim and set him on the path to earning a Nobel Prize a decade later. The book is loosely based on Naipaul’s father and follows the tale of Mohun Biswas, who continually strives for success but fails every time. His only ambition in life is to own a house.
Chronicles From The Land Of The Happiest People On Earth by Wole Soyinka
Chronicles From The Land Of The Happiest People On Earth by Wole Soyinka
This 2021 novel by Nigerian author Wole Soyinka is one of his most divisive works. While many consider it too dark and macabre, there are many who think this is one of his finest works. In the novel, a clever entrepreneur tries to make profits by selling off body parts for a fictional ritual in an alternate-reality Nigeria, only to end up triggering events that lead to disastrous conclusions. The novel, like many of his others, closely followed themes about state-sponsored corruption in Nigeria and other African nations.
Blindness by José Saramago
Blindness by José Saramago
Portuguese journalist-turned-author José Saramago won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1998. One of his most successful international works is Blindness which was published in 1995. The book is a dystopian fiction set in a city that suffers from an unexpected epidemic of white blindness. The story follows the societal breakdown that swiftly follows, something that hits close to reality after living through the pandemic post-2020. The book was adapted into a movie of the same name in 2008.
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