Harold Pinter

Interview

Interview, October 2005

Telephone interview with Harold Pinter, after the announcement of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature on 13 October 2005. Interviewer is freelance journalist Marika Griehsel.

Interview transcript

– Hello. Good morning.

– Good morning, good morning, Mr Pinter. Congratulations. I’m calling from the official website of the Nobel Foundation.

– Yes. Well, thank you very much.

– It’s fantastic news for us here; and I would like to hear what your thoughts were when you received the news.

– Well, I’ve … I’ve been absolutely speechless. I am … I’m overwhelmed by the news, very deeply moved by the news. But I can’t really articulate what I feel.

– You didn’t have any idea it could come your way, did you?

– No idea whatsoever! No. So I’m just bowled over.

– There’s so much to talk about. But I would like just to ask you what, in your career, you think has been the most important, what has the most …

– I cannot answer … I can’t answer these questions.

– No, I understand.

– There’s nothing more I can say, except that I am deeply moved; and, as I say, I have no words at the moment. I shall have words by the time I get to Stockholm.

– You will be coming to Stockholm?

– Oh, yes.

– Okay. Thank you, Sir.

– Okay?

– Thank you.

– Thank you very much.

– Thank you.

Harold Pinter. Photo: Martin Rosenbaum

Harold Pinter.
Photo: Martin Rosenbaum

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