S.Y. Agnon's speech at the Nobel Banquet

S.Y.Agnon received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1966. His acceptance speech is a laudatio of his roots and a blessing for his gift of words. Unfortunately, I feel some translation clumsiness, but the main message is still clear.

The winner: Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to Mario Vargas Llosa

Mario Vargas Llosa has been awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature, it was announced Thursday morning in the Grand Hall at the Swedish Academy. The 74 year old Peruvian novelist, essayist and playwright has been active in the political life of his home country. In announcing the award, the Nobel committee cited "his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat."

-- Carolyn Kellogg

Photo: Mario Vargas Llosa speaking in Mexico in September 2010. Credit: Mario Guzman / EPA

The next Nobel?

I was thinking during the week-end, following a discussion about a former laureate, who will be the next Nobel prize winner in literature? It is one of the categories I am always interested in. For the rest, I am not highly qualify to judge and utter too many opinions. Another one, the "Peace", I am convinced it is mostly politicized and don't have too many expectations. But literature...

And basically, I was thinking, what if...it will be Amos Oz? Because it is about politics here too, even the quality of the works are going far beyond the temporary divisions.

I love Oz's writings, from the children stories to the love novels. And the poetry. The contact was mostly mediated by translations, with the exception of some poetries accompanied with the English version, but still was able to fully feel the force of his words. As in the case of David Grossman, another favorite of mine, I was often disaponted by the incongruence of the political statements. Too late, too contextual, too stereotypical and biased for not being disappointed enough. Because I was expecting more intellectual strength and coherence, and the force to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. A force that I was always rely on in their writings.

Wait and see.

Not only the Americans are dreaming

The short story of Ada Yonath, the winner of a Nobel prize in chemistry, together with another two American scientists. The first Israeli woman to win a Nobel prize, she was born 70 years ago, in a very poor family in Jerusalem.