In News:

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2024 was awarded to South Korean author Han Kang “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.”

Key Details:

About South Korean author Han Kang

• Literary Style: Known for her physical empathy and metaphorical style; addresses extreme life stories.
• Career Beginnings:
  • Started in 1993 with poetry in Literature and Society.
  • Prose debut in 1995 with Love of Yeosu.
• Major Work:
  • The Vegetarian (2007; English translation 2015).
  • Explores violent consequences of protagonist Yeong-hye's refusal to conform to societal norms regarding food.
• Background:
  • Born in 1970 in Gwangju, South Korea; later moved to Seoul.
  • Comes from a literary family; father is a noted novelist.
  • Engaged in art and music, influencing her writing.
• Significance: First South Korean writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Previous Nobel Laureate

• 2023 Awardee: Jon Olav Fosse, Norwegian author.
• Contribution: Recognized for "innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable."

Overview of the Nobel Prize

• Definition: Prestigious awards in six fields for those who have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.
• Fields: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences.
• Peace Prize: Awarded for advancing international fellowship and promoting peace.
• Establishment: Founded by Alfred Nobel in his will dated 27 November 1895.
• Nobel's Background:
  • Born on 21 October 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden.
  • Noted for inventing dynamite; had interests in peace, poetry, and drama.
  • Died in 1896; allocated his fortune for the prizes.
• First Award: Presented on 10 December 1901.

Prize Money

• Current award amount: $1.1 million per prize.

Note:

Rabindranath Tagore:

• Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his profound literary contributions.
• Notable works include Manasi, Gitanjali, and Chitra.