Olga Nawoja Tokarczuk 2018

Olga Nawoja Tokarczuk 2018

Nobel Prize in Literature 2018

Born: 29 January 1962, Sulechów, Poland

Olga Nawoja Tokarczuk, a prominent figure in the world of literature and a beacon of progressive thought, has left an indelible mark on the literary landscape. Born on January 29, 1962, in Sulechow, Poland, Tokarczuk has not only achieved critical acclaim as a writer but has also played a significant role as an activist and public intellectual.

Olga Tokarczuk’s literary journey began with her collection of poems, “Miasta w lustrach” (Cities in Mirrors), published in 1989. Her debut novel, “Podroz ludzi księgi” (Journey of the Book-People), was published in 1993 and was a parable about the quest for the “secret of the Book.”

This work set the stage for a prolific career marked by novels that challenged traditional genres and pushed the boundaries of narrative storytelling. Her 1996 novel, “Prawiek i inne czasy” (Primeval and Other Times), captivated readers with its mythical narrative set in the fictitious village of Primeval in the heart of Poland. The book, guarded by four archangels, chronicled the lives of its eccentric inhabitants over eight decades, showcasing Tokarczuk’s ability to create rich, immersive worlds.

Olga Tokarczuk’s writing often explores themes of psychology, spirituality, and mysticism. Her novel “E.E.” (1995) delves into the world of a young woman with psychic abilities, drawing inspiration from Carl Jung’s work in psychology. Her unique blend of psychological realism and spiritualism challenges readers to consider the boundaries between reality and the supernatural.

Tokarczuk’s Nobel award cites her “narrative imagination that with encyclopaedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life”. It feels apt, in terms of the wanderings of her characters, her use of myth, and her evident delight in toying with form and genre. She beams when I mention the citation. “I really like it, especially ‘as a form of life’. It sounds kind of biological, as if this is our deep, innate need.”

Tokarczuk puts the shift down to uncertainty and fear. But she does not think it is permanent. “Maybe for 10 years or so [this nostalgia for nation states] will go back and forth, populists will make use of it. But it’s an anachronistic project. We simply no longer understand our identity this way. We cannot live with only one identity. We all have many identities, they are liquid.”

One of Tokarczuk’s most celebrated works is “Bieguni” (Flights), published in 2007. This novel is an exploration of modern-day nomadism, both in terms of physical travel and psychological exploration.

The main character, Janina Duszejko, embarks on an investigation into a series of deaths attributed to wild animals taking revenge on hunters. Tokarczuk’s unique storytelling style and unconventional narratives set her apart from traditional crime writers. One of Tokarczuk’s magnum opuses, “The Books of Jacob,” was published in 2014 and became a monumental literary work spanning seven borders, five languages, and three major religions. The novel revolves around the controversial 18th-century Polish-Jewish religious leader and mystic Jacob Frank and touches on various aspects of history, religion, and culture. The book’s thematic richness and dazzling narrative earned Tokarczuk international acclaim and the Jan Michalski Prize in 2016.

A Legacy of Progressive Thought

Olga Tokarczuk’s literary journey has been characterised by an unrelenting pursuit of narrative innovation and a commitment to exploring the boundaries of storytelling. Her works challenge conventional genres and transport readers to imaginative and thought-provoking worlds.

In addition to her literary contributions, Tokarczuk has been a champion of progressive causes, defending human rights, equality, and cultural diversity. Her role as an activist and public intellectual has left a lasting impact on the world beyond literature.

As her works continue to be translated into multiple languages and her influence spreads globally, Olga Tokarczuk’s legacy stands as a testament to the power of literature to shape minds, challenge boundaries, and inspire change.

Tokarczuk’s writing style evolved over the years, incorporating elements of essays and shorter prose texts alongside traditional novels. Her work “Dom dzienny, dom nocny” (House of Day, House of Night) in 1998 was a constellation novel, a patchwork of loosely connected stories and essays about life in her adopted home in Krajanow.

On 10th October 2019, Polish author Olga Tokarczuk was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature 2018 by the Swedish Academy in Stockholm. This is the second year in a row that Tokarczuk has won a major literary award – in 2018, she and her translator Jennifer Croft won the Man Booker International Prize for ‘Flights’.

Olga Tokarczuk is one of the most critically acclaimed and most translated Polish writers, with House of Day, House of Night and Primeval and Other Tales being her greatest commercial and critical successes. She lives and works in Wałbrzych in Lower Silesia. An outstanding writer, essayist and a devotee of Jung, she is considered an authority on philosophy and arcane knowledge.

Tokarczuk has won numerous awards for her work, including the prestigious Polish awards the Polityka Passport and the Nike Literary Award, as well as the Vilenica International Literary Prize. Her book Drive Your Plough Through the Bones of the Dead was the basis of Agnieszka Holland’s award-winning movie Spoor.

Tokarczuk is not the first person to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for writing in the Polish language. Famed for his historical epics, Henryk Sienkiewicz was awarded the prize in 1905, while Władysław Reymont won the prize in 1924, most often recognised for his huge four-part saga The Peasants. Czesław Miłosz won the prize in 1980, while most recently was Wisława Szymborska, who won in 1996.

The Nobel Prize for Literature will be awarded to Olga Tokarczuk in person at Stockholm Concert Hall in Sweden during the Nobel Prize award ceremony on 10th December 2019.

PRH audio producer Sarah Jaffe says, “Olga Tokarczuk’s brilliant, genre-bending works are driven by a voice that is not only a gift to readers, but a gift to any actor lucky enough to portray it. FLIGHTS, with its many thoughtful threads and forking paths, is deftly navigated by Julia Whelan’s sensitive, surefooted, and infinitely versatile narration. Narrator Beata Pozniak’s natural slight Polish accent and careful, skillful narration of DRIVE YOUR PLOW OVER THE BONES OF THE DEAD lend texture and authenticity to the audio edition, channeling the singular voice of Janina Duszejko with nuance and depth.”

“Sometimes I wonder how my life would have worked out if my books had been translated into English sooner,” mused the 57-year-old author earlier this year, “because English is the language that’s spoken worldwide, and when a book appears in English it is made universal, it becomes a global publication.” This might not be a desirable state of affairs but for writers from many parts of the world it is a fact of life. Her Booker win, as Antonia Lloyd-Jones – one of her two English language translators – remarked, was not just a triumph for her but for the whole of Polish literature.

Tokarczuk is no stranger to such run-ins with self-styled Polish patriots. A flamboyantly dreadlocked vegetarian feminist, she lives with her translator partner and their dogs in a rural area of Lower Silesia that only became part of Poland after the second world war. Her most recent novel, The Books of Jacob, tells the story of an 18th-century religious leader Jakub Frank, who led the forcible conversion of his Jewish followers to both Islam and Catholicism at various points. When it was published in 2014, she was denounced as a traitor for daring to suggest in an interview that Poland wasn’t just a brave survivor of centuries of oppression but had been a pretty appalling oppressor itself at times in its history. For a while her publisher had to hire bodyguards for her – though the pill was considerably sweetened by the success of what many consider her masterpiece. It sold 170,000 copies in hardback and won its author the country’s biggest literary prize, the Nike, for the second time.