Harold Pinter

Facts

Harold Pinter

Photo: U. Montan

Harold Pinter
The Nobel Prize in Literature 2005

Born: 10 October 1930, London, United Kingdom

Died: 24 December 2008, London, United Kingdom

Residence at the time of the award: United Kingdom

Prize motivation: “who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms”

Language: English

Prize share: 1/1

Life

Harold Pinter was a British writer, born in London where he lived his whole life. He grew up in a working-class neighborhood in the Hackney district, the son of Jewish immigrants. World War II and the prevailing anti-Semitic sentiment have characterized his writing. Pinter was politically involved in left-wing causes and active in the peace movement.

Work

Harold Pinter's writing consists primarily of dramas. A recurring theme in his plays is an inability to communicate in relationships. While the dialog is often clear-cut, the expressions of relationships—balances of power, class and gender divisions—lie beneath the words. His plays sometimes include violence. Combined with their unpredictability, this makes them frightening. At the same time, they also include dark humor. Pinter's writing also has a political dimension, inciting revolt against ruling power.

To cite this section
MLA style: Harold Pinter – Facts. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Tue. 19 Mar 2024. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2005/pinter/facts/>

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