Jon Fosse

Jon Olav Fosse (; born 29 September 1959) is a Norwegian author, translator, and playwright. He was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable."

Fosse's work spans over seventy novels, poems, children's books, essays, and theatre plays, which have been translated into over fifty languages. The most performed Norwegian playwright after Henrik Ibsen, His minimalist and deeply introspective plays, with language often bordering on lyrical prose and poetry, have been noted to represent a modern continuation of the dramatic tradition established by Henrik Ibsen in the 19th century. Fosse's work has often been placed within the tradition of postdramatic theatre, while several of his notable novels have been described as belonging to the style of post-modernist and avant-garde literature, due to their minimalism, lyricism and unorthodox use of syntax.

Biography Fosse was born in 1959 in Haugesund, Norway, and grew up in Strandebarm. His family were Quakers and Pietists, which he credits with shaping his spiritual views. A serious accident at age seven brought him close to death; Fosse saw a shimmering light and experienced peace and beauty: "I think this experience fundamentally changed me," Fosse recalled, "and perhaps made me a writer." He started writing around the age of twelve. As a teenager, Fosse was interested in becoming a rock guitarist, and he began to dedicate more time to writing once he gave up his musical ambitions.

Literary style and influences Fosse writes in Nynorsk. His plays are seen as a modern continuation of the tradition established by Henrik Ibsen in the 19th century. Other authors and books that have influenced his life and work include Olav H. Hauge, Knut Hamsun, Tarjei Vesaas, Franz Kafka, William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf, and the Bible.

Recognition

Fosse is the most performed Norwegian playwright after Henrik Ibsen. He has also been ranked number 83 on the list of the Top 100 living geniuses by The Daily Telegraph.

Since 2011, Fosse has been granted the Grotten, an honorary residence owned by the Norwegian state and located on the premises of the Royal Palace in the city centre of Oslo. The use of the Grotten as a permanent residence is an honour specially bestowed by the King of Norway for contributions to Norwegian arts and culture. He was among the literary consultants for Bibel 2011, a Norwegian translation of the Bible published in 2011.

Many of Fosse's works have been translated into Persian by Mohammad Hamed, and his dramatic works have been performed on the main stages in Tehran, Iran. Six of Fosse's plays have been translated into American English by interdisciplinary artist Sarah Cameron Sunde, who also directed their American debut productions in New York City and Pittsburgh, Pa. The translated works which have been produced include Night Sings its Songs (2004), deathvariations (2006), SaKaLa (2008), A Summer Day (2012), and Dream of Autumn (2013).

In April 2022, Fosse's novel A New Name: Septology VI-VII, translated into English by Damion Searls, was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. The book was named a finalist for the 2023 National Book Critics Circle Award in Fiction.

In 2026, Fosse's play Suzannah is scheduled for the Canadian premiere at Here For Now Theatre in Stratford, Ontario, directed by Peter Hinton-Davis, one of Canada's leading theatre directors and an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Nobel Prize in Literature

In October 2023, Fosse was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for "his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable". This made him the first Nynorsk writer to receive the prize and the fourth Norwegian to win it, following Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson in 1903, Knut Hamsun in 1920, and Sigrid Undset, who won it in 1928.

Fosse was one of the favourites to win the prize in 2023, and had been tipped to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for the last ten years. The choice was generally well received. "Jon Fosse is a highly deserving Nobel laureate", Gregory Wolfe of Slant Books said. "Readers willing to accept the brief 'learning curve' of adjusting to his narrative style will be well rewarded by a writer of an almost mystical sensibility." "He is an exceptional writer, who has managed to find a totally unique way of writing fiction", publisher Jacques Testard stated.

Fosse told NRK that he was "surprised but also not" to have won the prize "I’ve been part of the discussion for 10 years and have more and less tentatively prepared myself that this could happen".

Fosse delivered his Nobel lecture on 7 December 2023 at the Swedish Academy. Entitled The Silent Language, he spoke about the difference between spoken language and written language and the use and effect of silence in his works.

At the award ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December, Anders Olsson, chair of the Swedish Academy's Nobel committee, described Fosse's narrative world as "a domain beset by the greatest anxiety and torment of indecision. [...] his writing approaches a state of uncertainty that can open a relation to the divine." Furthermore, he credited Septology with having "hypnotic power."

Personal life Fosse has been married three times. He was married to Bjørg Sissel (b. 1959), a nurse, from 1980 to 1992 with whom he had a son. The next year, he married Grethe Fatima Syéd, an Indian-Norwegian translator and author, although they later separated. They had two daughters and a son during their marriage. His conversion to Catholicism helped Fosse in his effort to stop drinking. Fosse practices solitude by keeping away from noises, never watching television or listening to radio, and rarely listening to music. In his pursuit of solitude, Fosse sees writing as a confession and a prayer.

Awards and honours

Publications

Novels & novellas Raudt, svart (Samlaget, 1983) Stengd gitar (Samlaget, 1985) Blod. Steinen er (Samlaget, 1987) Naustet (Samlaget, 1989) - Boathouse, trans. May-Brit Akerholt (Dalkey Archive, 2017) Flaskesamlaren (Samlaget, 1991) Bly og vatn (Samlaget, 1992) Melancholia I (Samlaget, 1995) - Melancholy, trans. Grethe Kvernes and Damion Searls (Dalkey Archive, 2006) Melancholia II (Samlaget, 1996) - Melancholy II, trans. Eric Dickens (Dalkey Archive, 2014) Morgon og kveld (Samlaget, 2000) - Morning and Evening, trans. Damion Searls (Dalkey Archive, 2015) Det er Ales (Samlaget, 2004) - Aliss at the Fire, trans. Damion Searls (Dalkey Archive, 2010) Andvake (Samlaget, 2007) Olavs draumar (Samlaget, 2012) Kveldsvævd (Samlaget, 2014) Trilogien (Samlaget, 2014) - Trilogy, trans. May-Brit Akerholt (Dalkey Archive, 2016) Det andre namnet – Septologien I-II (Samlaget, 2019) - The Other Name: Septology I-II, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2019, Transit Books (US), 2020) Eg er ein annan – Septologien III-V (Samlaget, 2020) - I Is Another: Septology III-V, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2020, Transit Books (US), 2021) Eit nytt namn – Septologien VI-VII (Samlaget, 2021) - A New Name: Septology VI-VII, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2021, Transit Books (US), 2022) Septologien (Samlaget, 2022) - Septology, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2022, Transit Books (US), 2022) Kvitleik (Samlaget, 2023) - A Shining, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2023, Transit Books (US), 2023) Vaim (Samlaget, 2025) - Vaim, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK), 2025, Transit Books (US), 2025) Vaim Hotel (Transit Books / Fitzcarraldo, forthcoming October 2026

Short fiction & essays Frå telling via showing til writing (1989) To forteljingar (Samlaget, 1993) Prosa frå ein oppvekst (Samlaget, 1994) - Scenes from a Childhood, trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2018) Hundemanuskripta (Samlaget, 1995-1997) Eldre kortare prosa med 7 bilete av Camilla Wærenskjold (Samlaget, 1998) Gnostiske essay (1999) Kortare prosa (Samlaget, 2011) Essay (Samlaget, 2011) Når ein engel går gjennom scenen og andre essay (2014). An Angel Walks Through the Stage: and Other Essays, trans. May-Brit Akerholt (Dalkey Archive, 2015). Levande stein (Samlaget, 2015)

Children's Uendelig Seint, illustrated by Alf-Kåre Berg (Samlaget, 1989) Kant, illustrated by Akin Düzakin (Samlaget, 1990) Dyrehagen Hardanger (Samlaget, 1993) Vått og svart, illustrated by Akin Düzakin (Samlaget, 1994) Søster, illustrated by Vá Leong (Samlaget, 2000) Spelejenta, illustrated by Øyvind Torseter (Samlaget, 2009) Fridtjov & Ingebjørg, illustrated by Oddvar Torsheim (Skald, 2014)

Plays

Nokon kjem til å komme (written in 1992–93; first produced in 1996). Someone is Going to Come Og aldri skal vi skiljast (1994). And We'll Never Be Parted Namnet (1995). The Name Barnet (1996). The Child. Originally published with Mor og barn and Sonen. Mor og barn (1997). Mother and Child. Originally published with Barnet and Sonen. Sonen (1997). The Son. Originally published with Barnet and Mor og barn Gitarmannen (1997). The Guitar Man. Originally sent as a Christmas Greeting from Samlaget. Renamed to Saxofonmannen Natta syng sine songar (1997). Nightsongs, trans. Gregory Motton (2002). Ein sommars dag (1999). A Summer's Day Draum om hausten (1999). Dream of Autumn Sov du vesle barnet mitt (2000). Sleep My Baby Sleep Besøk (2000). Visits Vinter (2000). Winter Ettermiddag (2000). Afternoon Vakkert (2001). Beautiful Dødsvariasjonar (2001). Death Variations Jenta i sofaen (2002). The Girl on the Sofa, trans. David Harrower (2002). Lilla (2003). Lilac Suzannah (2004) Dei døde hundane (2004). The Dead Dogs, trans. May-Brit Akerholt (2014). Sa ka la (2004) Svevn (2005). Sleep Varmt (2005). Warm Rambuku (2006) Skuggar (2006). Shadows Eg er vinden (2007). I Am the Wind, trans. Simon Stephens (2012). Desse auga (2009). These Eyes Jente i gul regnjakke (2010). Kortar stykke (2011). Hav (2014). Tre librettoar (2015). Slik var det (2020). Sterk vind (2021). I svarte skogen inne (2023).

Compilations in English

Plays One (2002). Someone Is Going to Come Home; The Name; The Guitar Man; The Child Plays Two (2004). A Summer's Day; Dream of Autumn; Winter Plays Three (2004). Mother and Child; Sleep My Baby Sleep; Afternoon; Beautiful; Death Variations Plays Four (2005). And We'll Never Be Parted; The Son; Visits; Meanwhile the lights go down and everything becomes black Plays Five (2011). Suzannah; Living Secretly; The Dead Dogs; A Red Butterfly's Wings; Warm; Telemakos; Sleep Plays Six (2014). Rambuku; Freedom; Over There; These Eyes; Girl in Yellow Raincoat; Christmas Tree Song; Sea

Poetry

Engel med vatn i augene (1986) Hundens bevegelsar (1990) Hund og engel (1992) Dikt 1986–1992 (1995). Revidert samleutgåve Nye dikt 1991–1994 (1997) Dikt 1986–2001 (2001). Samla dikt. Lyrikklubben Auge i vind (2003) Dikt i samling (2009) Songar (2009) Stein til stein (2013) Poesiar (2016) Ro mitt Hav (2019) Dikt i samling (2011)

Compilations in English

Poems (Shift Fox Press, 2014). Selection of poems, translated by May-Brit Akerholt.