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Thursday, October 13, 2005








The Permanent Secretary
Press Release13 October 2005


The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2005 is awarded to the English writer Harold Pinter "who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms".

The Swedish Academy
Wow, these folks write a very poetic press release!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You want something even better? nobelprize.org posted a transcript of the phone conversation they had with Pinter early this morning. Here it is, in total (you can add the pauses and silences yourself):

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

– 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.