The Swedish Academy awarded the prize for literature to the Belarusian writer of 67 years who erected “a monument to suffering and the value of our time,” said the jury.
The Belarusian Svetlana Alexievich was honored yesterday with the Nobel Prize for Literature 2015 for his “polyphony” a “monument to suffering and courage in our time” in which first the Swedish Academy honors the journalistic profession.
The announcement did not surprise because the author of “Voices from Chernobyl”, 67, from the eve llevaga as favorite in the betting lists. “At last!” She headlined the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet in its online edition. Besides being the first journalist honored with the award, Alexievich is also one of the few women to receive it: with it, since 1901, totaling 14.
The decision of the Swedish Academy is also understood as a clear political signal, although the new permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, Sara Danius, reject it. “I see nothing political about it,” he said, but the echo of the award is unquestionable, starting with Belarus. The first Nobel Prize in Literature for the former Soviet republic comes just three days before his authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, will present his fifth reelection.
Alexievich, born in the city of Stanislav, Ukraine, May 31 1948, has always been critical of the Belarusian regime, which banned the publication of his works. In part because it left the country at the beginning of the new millennium, but returned in 2011. And although the situation has improved a little since he received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in 2013, remains muted.
” My works are not edited and I am not allowed to appear in public, “he told the writer in a first reaction after the announcement. Therefore, it is believed that the Nobel could serve as a boost to the widespread opposition from years fighting in vain against Lukashenko. “We have the Nobel”, held in Twitter critical alliance with the Charta 97.
The ruling regime of the Swedish jury is also read as a clear signal to Vladimir Putin, then the winner is highly critical of the Russian president. But it would be wrong to pigeonhole Alexievich in the drawer of political activists. Fascination with his literary work is based on its ability to create collages of experiences, creating “voices books”
The work of Nobel brand was just translated into Spanish, so far only “Voices from Chernobyl” (XXI Century) could be read in the language of Cervantes. In it, Alexievich gave voice to those who survived the nuclear disaster in 1986 after having been silenced and forgotten by their own government. In addition, in November the Debate Publishing published his first book, “War is not a woman’s face”, which in 2016 will continue “Boys Brass” and, a year later, “The last witness”.
Alexievich He confirmed that on 10 December, the day of the death of Alfred Nobel, will be in Stockholm to receive the award from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. With the prize, worth eight million kronor (about $ 950,000) last year and went to Frenchman Patrick Modiano, eternal beat other candidates as the Japanese Haruki Murakami or American Philip Roth.
From the news story. Alexievich used the skills of a journalist to create a literature that records the Second World War, the Soviet war in Afghanistan, the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl and suicides that followed the death of communism.
Sara Danius recognized as Alexievich an innovative great writer who “created a map of the soul” of the Soviet people and post-Soviet
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“It offers a new and interesting historical material and has developed a particular style of writing and a new literary genre” , Danius said. “He often said, ‘I am not big events, the history of the events, I am interested in history of emotions’, and that has kept busy over the past 40 years.”
Alexievich lies in Minsk, the Belarusian capital in an apartment block in the Soviet era. He said he was at home “ironing clothes” when the Academy phoned, and he felt “joy and anxiety at the same time: how do I do to move forward.”
President Lukashenko congratulated yesterday Alexievich for the prize. “Its success generates me great joy,” he said yesterday evening in Minsk. “I hope that their distinction will be helpful to our state and our Belarusian people.”
Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, said congratulated the writer but criticized his statements on Ukraine. “Apparently Svetlana not have all the information to positively assess what is happening in Ukraine,” he noted. Alexievich had described the handling of Russia in the east of Ukraine and occupation.
“Voices from Chernobyl”
Svetlana Alexievich was a formidable chronicler of the tragedy caused by the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. She unveiled the untold suffering of the victims. In the following selection of “Voices of Chernobyl” a woman tells the horrible death of her husband firefighter.
“His whole body waste. All he was a bloody wound. In the hospital the last two days, he raised his hand and the bone is moved, danced her bone, had separated him … Bits of flesh lung, liver stuck out through the mouth. He choked on his own entrails. I hand wrapped with gauze and entered her mouth to get everything inside. This can not be counted! This can not write! Not even stand! All this so dear. As mine. So … Do not fit any shoe size. He was placed on the coffin barefoot. Before my eyes. Gown, put him in a plastic bag and tied. And, in this bag, he was placed in the coffin. Also the coffin, wrapped in another bag. A transparent but thick cellophane, like a tablecloth. And all this put him in a zinc coffin. Just they managed to get him inside. There remained above the cap. They all came. His parents, mine. Moscow bought in black scarves. We were greeted by the extraordinary commission. Everyone told us the same thing: we can not deliver the bodies of their husbands, can not give their children, are highly radioactive and will be buried in a cemetery in Moscow in a special way. In a zinc coffins of soldiers under a concrete slabs. You must sign us these documents. And if someone indignantly wanted to take the coffin home, convinced him that it was about heroes, they said, and did not belong to his family. They are official persons. And belong to the state “
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