Orhan Pamuk Wins Nobel Prize in Literature: A Case Of Contemporary Literature Outshining Contemporary Visual Art And Music?

"Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, whose uncommon lyrical gifts and uncompromising politics have brought him acclaim worldwide and prosecution at home, won the Nobel literature prize Thursday for his works dealing with the symbols of clashing cultures.

The selection of Pamuk, whose recent trial for ''insulting Turkishness'' raised concerns about free speech in Turkey, continues a trend among Nobel judges of picking writers in conflict with their own governments. British playwright Harold Pinter, a strong opponent of his country's involvement in the Iraq war, won last year. Elfriede Jelinek, a longtime critic of Austria's conservative politicians and social class, was the 2004 winner." ...

Associated Press "Orhan Pamuk Wins Nobel Prize in Literature" via New York Times October 12, 2006

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The new Nobel Laureate for Literature, Orhan Pamuk

Photo credit: Michel Euler/Associated Press via New York Times. With thanks.