STOCKHOLM (AP) — Nobel Prize celebrations commenced across Scandinavian capitals this week, marking the prestigious annual tradition where laureates deliver lectures and participate in ceremonies before formally receiving their awards.
Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, this year’s literature laureate renowned for his surreal novels blending bleak worldviews with dark humor, prepared for a rare public appearance Sunday in Stockholm. The reclusive 71-year-old writer, described by Nobel judges as “a great epic writer” whose work embodies “absurdism and grotesque excess,” represents what the Nobel organization characterizes as a Central European tradition marked by “pessimism and apocalypse, but also humor and unpredictability.”
In Oslo, Norwegian Nobel Institute director Kristian Harpviken confirmed Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado would personally collect her Peace Prize despite months in hiding. The 58-year-old laureate, honored for her democratic transition efforts in Venezuela, hasn’t been seen publicly since January. Harpviken told Norwegian broadcaster NRK: “I spoke with the Peace Prize winner last night, and she will come to Oslo” for Wednesday’s ceremony.
The Nobel awards occur annually on December 10th, commemorating the death of inventor Alfred Nobel in 1896. While peace prizes are distributed in Oslo, all other categories are awarded in Stockholm. This year’s literature prize follows 2022 winner Han Kang of South Korea and 2023 laureate Jon Fosse, the Norwegian author famous for his seven-book single-sentence epic.