Annie Ernaux wins the 2022 Nobel prize in literature

The 2022 Nobel prize in literature has been awarded to Annie Ernaux “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory”.

Ernaux, who writes novels about daily life in France as well as non-fiction and is one of her country’s most acclaimed authors, had been among the favourites to win the prize.

Ernaux is the first French writer to win the Nobel since Patrick Modiano in 2014. She becomes the 16th French writer to have won the Nobel to date.

Anders Olsson, chair of the Nobel committee, said that in her work, “Ernaux consistently and from different angles, examines a life marked by strong disparities regarding gender, language and class”.

Ernaux was born in 1940 and grew up in the small town of Yvetot in Normandy. She studied at Rouen University, and later taught at secondary school.

From 1977 to 2000, she was a professor at the Centre National d’Enseignement par Correspondance. Olsson said her “path to authorship was long and arduous”.

Works
Les Armoires vides, Paris, Gallimard, 1974; Gallimard, 1984.
Ce qu’ils disent ou rien, Paris, Gallimard, 1977; French & European Publications, Incorporated.
La Femme gelée, Paris, Gallimard, 1981; French & European Publications, Incorporated, 1987.
La Place, Paris, Gallimard, 1983; Distribooks Inc, 1992.
Une Femme, Paris, Gallimard, 1987.
Passion simple, Paris, Gallimard, 1991; Gallimard, 1993.
Journal du dehors, Paris, Gallimard, 1993.
La Honte, Paris, Gallimard, 1997.
Je ne suis pas sortie de ma nuit, Paris, Gallimard, 1997.
La Vie extérieure : 1993-1999, Paris, Gallimard, 2000.
L’Événement, Paris, Gallimard, 2000.
Se perdre, Paris, Gallimard, 2001.
L’Occupation, Paris, Gallimard, 2002.
L’Usage de la photo, with Marc Marie, Paris, Gallimard, 2005.
Les Années, Paris, Gallimard, 2008.
L’Autre fille, Paris, Nil 2011.
L’Atelier noir, Paris, éditions des Busclats, 2011.
Écrire la vie, Paris, Gallimard, 2011.
Retour à Yvetot, éditions du Mauconduit, 2013.
Regarde les lumières mon amour, Seuil, 2014.
Mémoire de fille, Gallimard, 2016.
Hôtel Casanova, Gallimard Folio, 2020.
Le jeune homme, Gallimard, 2022.

• fleursdumal.nl magazine

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