Schmidt-Henkel receives the Fosse prize for translators for the important work he has done in translating Norwegian literature and drama into German. The jury has placed emphasis on the entire work of the translator and the great effort he has put into the dissemination of literature and culture.
Altogether, he has translated almost 80 works from Norwegian into German.
“Discovered” Fosse
In the jury’s statement, it is stated that the prize winner has been an outstanding communicator and ambassador for Norwegian literature in Germany. Schmidt-Henkel has translated Fosse and is credited with having “discovered” and translated Fosse in the mid-90s, long before he was known outside Norway’s borders.
In addition to having translated almost all of Fosse’s works, Schmidt-Henkel has translated works by, among others, Henrik Ibsen, Tarjei Vesaas and Kjell Askildsen.
– His translations are distinguished by the fact that they always maintain a high literary quality, and he has an impressive and versatile bibliography within prose, drama, poetry and children’s books, says the explanation.
The prize winner receives half a million Norwegian kroner.
April next year
The waterfall lecture and award ceremony will take place at the Castle on 24 April next year. Crown Princess Mette-Marit is the royal patron of the two awards.
On Monday, it was also announced that the French philosopher and theologian Jean-Luc Marion (78) will give the Fosse Lecture in April next year. He is considered one of the greatest living thinkers in Europe. The lecture has been specially written for the occasion and will be about literature seen from Marion’s perspective.
– With this event, we want to highlight the power and role of literature in society. We now have an excellent starting point for creating a new cultural meeting place that inspires conversation about literature both in Norway and internationally, says Culture and Equality Minister Lubna Jaffery (Ap).
In December 2023, it was announced that the government would arrange for an annual lecture and a separate prize for translators to honor Jon Fosse. Fosse won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2023.
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