Annie Ernaux

Facts

Annie Ernaux

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Annie Ernaux
The Nobel Prize in Literature 2022

Born: 1 September 1940, Lillebonne, France

Residence at the time of the award: France

Prize motivation: “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory”

Language: French

Prize share: 1/1

Work

In her writing, Annie Ernaux consistently and from different angles, examines a life marked by strong disparities regarding gender, language and class. Her path to authorship was long and arduous. Among her novels are ‘A Man's Place’, ‘A Woman's Story’ and ‘Years’. Ernaux's work is uncompromising and written in plain language, scraped clean. And when she with great courage and clinical acuity reveals the agony of the experience of class, describing shame, humiliation, jealousy or inability to see who you are, she has achieved something admirable and enduring.

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Book tips

Nobel Prize in Literature 2022

Curious about 2022 literature laureate Annie Ernaux but can’t decide which of her books to start with? Here three members of the Swedish Academy give their recommendations.

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