Annie Ernaux wins Nobel Prize in Literature for deeply personal accounts of gender and class
The Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded Thursday to French author Annie Ernaux for her deeply personal books that speak candidly on incidents from her own life highlighting class and gender. She's only the 17th woman to win the prize since its creation in 1901.
The 82-year-old author has a number of notable books, many of which are autobiographical; however, the novel that brought her to prominence was her fourth work, La place, or A Man's Place, CNN reports. The short, 100-page novel is about her father and the society that created him.
Ernaux wrote her first book, Cleaned Out, in secret. It's an account of her youth that includes her experience with abortion when it was illegal in France, The New York Times reports. The common thread in her work is that it is heavily inspired by her experience, and reflects on essential themes like family, class, gender, and politics.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ernaux work's has been otherwise acclaimed for decades. Her novel The Years, which ties events from over 70 years of her life with French history, was in 2019 shortlisted for the Booker International Prize, a prestigious award for a work translated into English, the Times adds.
The Nobel committee awarded Ernaux "for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements, and collective restraints of personal memory."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
The Week contest: Swift stimulus
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'It's hard to resist a sweet deal on a good car'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
10 concert tours to see this winter
The Week Recommends Keep warm traveling the United States — and the world — to see these concerts
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Saint Paul de Vence: a paradise for art lovers
The Week Recommends The hilltop gem in the French Riviera where 20th century modernism flourished
By Alexandra Zagalsky Published
-
Bordeaux destination guide: a world capital of wine
The Week Recommends This charming French city is full of history, architecture and stunning dining experiences
By Jaymi McCann Last updated