2019-12-10 21:21 update: 2019-12-16, 12:28
Polish author Olga Tokarczuk (L) receives the 2018 Nobel Prize for Literature from King Carl XVI Gustaf (R) of Sweden . Fot. PAP/EPA/Jonas Ekstromer
Polish novelist Olga Tokarczuk, winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize for literature, received the award on Tuesday in Stockholm from Swedish monarch Carl XVI Gustaf.
Opening the awarding ceremony for 14 Nobel laureates, Nobel Foundation head Carl-Henrik Heldin recalled Alfred Nobel's words that science could achieve progress only when it was based on facts, and in this context criticised the contemporary political scene, observing that it was characterised by irrationality and narrow-mindedness, which obstructed rational thought. Heldin said the best proof of this could be seen in the contemporary disregard of clear evidence that the human lifestyle endangers Earth.
Per Waesterberg from the Swedish Academy, who delivered a laudatory address on Tokarczuk's behalf, observed during the presentation of the award to her that Polish literature "shines brightly" in Europe, and called Tokarczuk a writer of world renown and of a very broad interest palette, who combined poetry with humour.
Waesterberg praised Tokarczuk for her masterfully constructed characters, who she depicts at the moment when they are trying to escape the rut of daily life, and stressed that by focusing on the deep and sometimes unbearable mystery of the world, she was addressing themes that no one besides her took up.
Commenting on Tokarczuk's distinction, earlier on Tuesday, Poland's Culture Minister Piotr Glinski said she deserved the prize as she was an extremely talented person. He added that what he most valued in her work were "her literary skills and her language."
"She is an very talented person and deserves the Nobel Prize. She writes beautifully, and operates a very poignant, synthetic language. She knows how to name things," Glinski said.
In a Tuesday letter to Tokarczuk, President Andrzej Duda expressed his contentment with her distinction, and observed that "universal issues and Polish sensitivity combined excellently" in her work.
"Dear Laureate! Please accept my words of esteem and my congratulations at receiving the Nobel Prize for literature. On the day of your receiving the award, I wish to express my contentment over the Swedish Academy's appreciation of your work, in which universal issues and Polish sensitivity combine so excellently. I am happy that your literary talent, long appreciated by readers, critics and scholars in Poland and abroad, has now found the highest regard in the eyes of the Nobel Committee," Duda wrote.
Tokarczuk appeared at the awards ceremony in a black velvet dress. (PAP)
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