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{{Short description|Norwegian author and dramatist (born 1959)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox writer
| name             = Jon Fosse
| image            = Writer Jon Fosse (cropped).jpg
| alt              = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption          = 
| birth_name       = Jon Olav Fosse
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|df=y|1959|09|29}}
| birth_place      = {{nowrap|[[Haugesund]], Rogaland, Norway}}
| death_date       = 
| death_place      = 
| occupation       = {{cslist|Playwright|novelist|poet}}
| education        = [[University of Bergen]] (BA)
| movement         = [[Minimalism#Literature|Minimalism]]
| awards           = [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] (2023)
| spouse           = {{ubl|{{Marriage|Bjørg Sissel|1980|1992|end=divorced}}|{{Marriage|[[Grethe Fatima Syéd]]|1993|2009|end=divorced}}|{{Marriage|Anna Fosse|2011}}}}
| children         = 6
}}
'''Jon Olav Fosse''' ({{IPA|no|ˈjʊ̀nː ˈfɔ̂sːə|lang}}; born 29 September 1959) is a Norwegian author, translator, and playwright. In 2023, he was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] "for his innovative plays and prose<!--do not add a comma after prose; https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2023/fosse/facts/ confirms there is none--> which give voice to the unsayable."

Fosse's work spans over seventy novels, poems, children's books, essays, and theatre plays, which have been translated into over fifty languages.<ref>Frank Johnsen/Bergens Tidende: ''-Eg skriv aldri sjølvbiografisk'' – Intervju med Jon Fosse – Aftenposten 4. november 2020</ref>
The most performed Norwegian playwright after [[Henrik Ibsen]],<ref name="nrk" /> Fosse is currently—with productions presented on over a thousand stages worldwide—one of the most performed contemporary playwrights globally.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://granta.com/contributor/jon-fosse/|title=Jon Fosse}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=NRK |date=19 August 2005 |title=Jon Fosse – «take it or leave it» |url=https://www.nrk.no/kultur/jon-fosse---_take-it-or-leave-it_-1.540311 |access-date=5 October 2023 |website=NRK |language=nb-NO}}</ref> His minimalist and deeply introspective plays, with language often bordering on lyrical prose and poetry,<ref name="snl">{{Citation |last1=Drangsholt |first1=Janne Stigen |title=Jon Fosse |date=5 October 2023 |url=https://snl.no/Jon_Fosse |work=Store norske leksikon |access-date=5 October 2023 |language=no |last2=Rottem |first2=Øystein |last3=Surén |first3=Odd Wilhelm |last4=Allkunne}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=10 September 2019 |title=«Nokon kjem til å kome»: Mørk meditasjon over ensomheten |url=https://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/2019/09/10/nokon-kjem-til-a-kome-mork-meditasjon-over-ensomheten/ |access-date=5 October 2023 |work=Dagsavisen |language=no}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> have been noted to represent a modern continuation of the dramatic tradition established by Henrik Ibsen in the 19th century.<ref name="snl" /><ref name="Andersson">H.H. Andersson, ''Jon Fosse i teaterhistorien, kunstinstitusjonen og markedet'', University of Oslo, 2003</ref> Fosse's work has often been placed within the tradition of [[Postdramatic theatre|post-dramatic theatre]], while several of his notable novels have been described as belonging to the style of post-modernist and avant-garde literature, due to their minimalism, lyricism and unorthodox use of syntax.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Bordemann |first=Suzanne |date=26 March 2012 |title=«Man må føre menneskeheten ut av fryktens og den tålmodige sløvhetens primitive stadier» – Om den tyskspråklige resepsjonen av Jon Fosses tidlige dramatikk |url=http://www.idunn.no/doi/10.18261/ISSN1504-288X-2012-01-04 |series=1 |language=no |volume=15 |pages=46–59 |doi=10.18261/ISSN1504-288X-2012-01-04 |issn=0809-2044 |access-date=5 October 2023 |quote=Både Fosses teater og postdramatiske teateruttrykk utfordrer representasjonsteaterets normer og konvensjoner ved å rette søkelyset mot selve persepsjonsprosessen. Når dramatiske konstituenter dekonstrueres, oppstår gjerne kollisjoner med rådende estetiske normer i teaterkritikken. Jeg skal gi noen eksempler på dette. |periodical=Norsk Litteraturvitenskapelig Tidsskrift|url-access=subscription }}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref>{{cite web |date=8 May 2005 |title=Hva er det med Jon Fosse? |url=https://www.bt.no/i/b825e |access-date=5 October 2023 |work=www.bt.no |language=nb}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>

==Biography==
Fosse was born in 1959 in [[Haugesund]], Norway, and grew up in [[Strandebarm]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Creamer |first1=Ella |title=Jon Fosse wins the 2023 Nobel prize in literature |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/05/jon-fosse-wins-the-2023-nobel-prize-in-literature |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=5 October 2023 |date=5 October 2023}}</ref> His family were [[Quakers]] and [[Pietism|Pietists]], which he credits with shaping his spiritual views.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Storfjell |first=Troy |url=https://archive.org/details/twentiethcentury0297unse |title=Dictionary of Literary Biography: Twentieth-Century Norwegian Writers |publisher=Gale |year=2004 |isbn=0-7876-6834-6 |editor-last=Thresher |editor-first=Tanya |volume=297 |location=Farmington Hills, MI |pages=95–101 |language=en |chapter=Jon Fosse |url-access=registration}}</ref> A serious accident at age seven brought him close to death; Fosse saw a shimmering light and experienced peace and beauty: "I think this experience fundamentally changed me," Fosse recalled, "and perhaps made me a writer.<ref>"I have to talk about it because it's so fundamental to me: at the age of seven, I was close to death because of an accident . . I could see myself sitting here . . everything was peaceful, and I looked at the houses back home, and I felt quite sure that I saw them for the last time as I was going to the doctor. Everything was shimmering and very peaceful, a very happy state, like a cloud of particles of light. This experience is the most important experience from my childhood. And it has been very formative for me as a person, both in good and in bad ways. I think it created me as a kind of artist." ('Jon Fosse's Search for Peace'. The New Yorker, 13 November 2022)</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Power |first=Chris |date=2023-10-28 |title=Nobel prize winner Jon Fosse: 'It took years before I dared to write again' |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/28/nobel-prize-winner-jon-fosse-it-took-years-before-i-dared-to-write-again |access-date=2024-01-03 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> He started writing around the age of twelve. As a teenager, Fosse was interested in becoming a rock guitarist, and he began to dedicate more time to writing once he gave up his musical ambitions.<ref name=":1" /> He also played the fiddle, and much of his teenage writing practice involved creating his own lyrics for musical pieces. Growing up, he was influenced by [[communism]] and [[anarchism]] and has described himself as a "[[hippie]]".<ref name="Merve Enre-2022" />

Fosse enrolled at the [[University of Bergen]] and studied comparative literature during which time he began writing in [[Nynorsk]].<ref name="Merve Enre-2022" /> His debut novel, ''Raudt, svart'' (''Red, Black''), was published in 1983 and was influenced by the Nynorsk writer [[Tarjei Vesaas]].<ref name="Merve Enre-2022" /><ref name=":1" /> The novel contrasted with the [[Norwegian literature|social realist fiction popular in Norway]] at the time and emphasised linguistic expression rather than plot.<ref name=":1" /> He published a second novel, ''Stengd gitar'' (''Closed Guitar'') in 1985 and a poetic cycle, ''Engel med vatn i augene'' (''Angel with Water in Its Eyes'') in 1986.<ref name=":1" /> He gained a master's degree in comparative literature in 1987, again from the University of Bergen, and published his third novel, ''Blod. Steinen er'' (''Blood. The Stone Is'').<ref name=":1" /> Following his separation from his wife in 1989, Fosse published a novel and his first collection of essays. In the early 1990s, he continued to publish novels and worked with his second wife, [[Grethe Fatima Syéd]], on several translations.<ref name=":1" />

Fosse's first play, ''Og aldri skal vi skiljast'' (''And We'll Never Be Parted''), was performed and published in 1994. Fosse has written novels, short stories, poetry, [[children's literature|children's books]], essays, and plays. His works have been translated into more than forty languages. Between working on his novels, Fosse works as a translator of other authors' works.<ref name="Merve Enre-2022" />

Fosse wrote the [[libretto]] for the opera ''[[Asle og Alida]]'' (2025), composed by [[Bent Sørensen (composer)|Bent Sørensen]].

== Literary style and influences ==
Fosse writes in [[nynorsk]].<ref name="vi">{{cite web|url=https://www.vi.se/artikel/nobelpristagaren-jon-fosse-jag-bar-ett-vestland-inom-mig-jamt |title=Nobelpristagaren Jon Fosse: "Jag bär ett Vestland inom mig jämt" |author=Duke, Yukiko |publisher=Tidningen Vi |date=5 October 2023 |language=Swedish }}</ref> His plays are seen as a modern continuation of the tradition established by [[Henrik Ibsen]] in the 19th century.<ref name="Andersson"/> His prose works are often said to be closer to [[poetry]] than the traditional novel. Fosse considers himself primarily a poet, regardless of the literary form he is using.<ref name="vi" /> Fosse's native [[Vestlandet]] is a frequently present inspiration in his writing.<ref name="vi" />

Fosse mentions [[Samuel Beckett]], as well as [[Georg Trakl]] and [[Thomas Bernhard]] as his elective relatives.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 October 2023 |title=Winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature announced |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/jon-fosse-nobel-prize-literature-2023-b2424512.html |access-date=5 October 2023 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> Other authors and books that have influenced his life and work include [[Olav H. Hauge]], [[Knut Hamsun]], [[Tarjei Vesaas]], [[Franz Kafka]], [[William Faulkner]], [[Virginia Woolf]], and the Bible.<ref name="vi" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=1 January 2023 |title=What's on my bookshelf: Jon Fosse {{!}} The Booker Prizes |url=https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/whats-on-my-bookshelf-jon-fosse |access-date=5 October 2023 |website=thebookerprizes.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Recognition ==
[[File:Jon Foss Mural Haugesund 2025.jpg|alt=A mural of Jon Fosse in Haugesund, Norway in July 2025|thumb|A mural of Fosse in Haugesund, Norway]]
Fosse is the most performed Norwegian playwright after [[Henrik Ibsen]].<ref name="nrk">{{cite news |title=Jon Fosse – "take it or leave it" |publisher=[[NRK]] |url=https://www.nrk.no/kultur/jon-fosse---_take-it-or-leave-it_-1.540311 |access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="snl"/>

In 2003, Fosse was made a chevalier of the [[Ordre national du Mérite]] of France.<ref name="Fransk heder til Fosse">[http://www.nrk.no/kultur-og-underholdning/1.535482 Fransk heder til Fosse], nrk.no.</ref> He has also been ranked number 83 on the list of the Top 100 living geniuses by ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1567544/Top-100-living-geniuses.html|title=Top 100 living geniuses|date=30 October 2007|work=Telegraph.co.uk|access-date=6 November 2015}}</ref>

Since 2011, Fosse has been granted the [[Grotten]], an honorary residence owned by the Norwegian state and located on the premises of the [[Royal Palace, Oslo|Royal Palace]] in the city centre of [[Oslo]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Winje Agency|url=https://winjeagency.com/authors/2-jon-fosse|website=Winje Agency|language=en|access-date=12 May 2020}}</ref> The use of the Grotten as a permanent residence is an honour specially bestowed by the [[King of Norway]] for contributions to [[Norwegian art]]s and culture. He was among the literary consultants for [[Bible translations in Norway|Bibel 2011]], a Norwegian translation of the Bible published in 2011.<ref name="Kjell Kvamme"/> He was also awarded the 2015 [[Nordic Council's Literature Prize]] for the trilogy ''Andvake'' ([[Wakefulness (novella)|''Wakefulness'']]), ''Olavs draumar'' (''[[Olav's Dreams]]''), and ''Kveldsvævd'' ([[Weariness (novella)|''Weariness'']]).<ref>{{cite web|author=NRK|title=Fosse vant Nordisk råds litteraturpris|url=http://www.nrk.no/kultur/fosse-vant-nordisk-rads-litteraturpris-1.12624644|access-date=6 November 2015|work=NRK|date=27 October 2015 }}</ref>

Many of Fosse's works have been translated into Persian by Mohammad Hamed, and his dramatic works have been performed on the main stages in [[Tehran]], [[Iran]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.mehrnews.com/news/20499/Iranian-actor-Kianian-to-perform-in-Fosse-play|title=Iranian actor Kianian to perform in Fosse play|date=4 November 2006|website=Mehr News Agency|language=en|access-date=19 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ibna.ir/en/doc/naghli/92221/2nd-stage-shortlisted-works-of-dramatic-arts|title=IBNA – 2nd stage shortlisted works of Dramatic Arts|last=Behnegarsoft.com|date=1 January 2011|website=Iran's Book News Agency (IBNA)|language=en|access-date=19 April 2019|archive-date=19 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419144612/http://www.ibna.ir/en/doc/naghli/92221/2nd-stage-shortlisted-works-of-dramatic-arts|url-status=dead}}</ref> Six<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sarah Cameron Sunde {{!}} Translating + Oslo Elsewhere |url=https://www.sarahcameronsunde.com/project/translation/ |access-date=6 October 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref> of Fosse's plays have been translated into American English by interdisciplinary artist [[Sarah Cameron Sunde]], who also directed their American debut productions in [[New York City]] and [[Pittsburgh, Pa.]] The translated works which have been produced include ''Night Sings its Songs''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gates |first=Anita |date=17 June 2004 |title=THEATER IN REVIEW; A Man, a Woman and a Baby, Locked in a Northern Nightmare |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/17/theater/theater-in-review-a-man-a-woman-and-a-baby-locked-in-a-northern-nightmare.html |access-date=6 October 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> (2004), ''deathvariations''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gates |first=Anita |date=21 August 2006 |title=Young Suicide in the Eyes of Norwegian Playwrights Old and New, Ibsen and Non-Ibsen |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/21/theater/reviews/young-suicide-in-the-eyes-of-norwegian-playwrights-old-and.html |access-date=6 October 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> (2006), ''SaKaLa''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Willis |first=Paul |date=12 September 2008 |title=As Few Words as Possible Sarah Cameron Sunde on Jon Fosse |url=https://brooklynrail.org/2008/09/theater/as-few-words-as-possible |access-date=6 October 2023 |website=The Brooklyn Rail |language=en-US}}</ref> (2008), ''A Summer Day''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brantley |first=Ben |date=26 October 2012 |title=Tides Come and Go, but She Won't |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/theater/reviews/a-summer-day-starring-karen-allen.html |access-date=7 October 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kozinn |first=Allan |date=21 October 2012 |title=A Lifetime of Regret, Born in a Moment |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/22/theater/karen-allen-returns-in-summer-day-at-cherry-lane-theater.html |access-date=6 October 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> (2012), and ''Dream of Autumn''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stage review: 'Dream of Autumn' a surreal journey |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/theaterreviews/2013/04/10/Stage-review-Dream-of-Autumn-a-surreal-journey/stories/201304100215 |access-date=6 October 2023 |website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |language=en}}</ref> (2013).

In April 2022, Fosse's novel ''A New Name: Septology VI-VII'', translated into English by [[Damion Searls]], was shortlisted for the [[International Booker Prize]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/apr/07/international-booker-prize-shortlist|title=International Booker prize shortlist delivers 'awe and exhilaration'|first=Lucy|last=Knight|newspaper=The Guardian|date=7 April 2022}}</ref> The book was named a finalist for the 2023 [[National Book Critics Circle Award]] in Fiction.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Varno |first=David |date=1 February 2023 |title=NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE ANNOUNCES FINALISTS FOR PUBLISHING YEAR 2022 |url=https://www.bookcritics.org/2023/01/31/national-book-critics-circle-announces-finalists-for-publishing-year-2022/ |access-date=3 February 2023 |website=National Book Critics Circle |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Nobel Prize in Literature===
{{Main|2023 Nobel Prize in Literature}}
[[File:Jon Fosse Nobelpriset i litteratur 2023.png|thumb|Fosse giving his [[Nobel lecture]] in December 2023.]]
In October 2023, Fosse was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] for "his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable".<ref name=npl>[https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2023/summary/ The Nobel Prize in Literature 2023] nobelprize.org</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Marshall |first=Alex |date=5 October 2023 |title=Nobel Prize in Literature: Jon Fosse Is the 2023 Laureate |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/05/books/nobel-prize-literature |access-date=5 October 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> This made him the first Nynorsk writer to receive the prize<ref>{{Cite news |last=Oltermann |first=Philip |date=5 October 2023 |title=Jon Fosse's Nobel prize announces his overdue arrival on the global stage |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/05/jon-fosses-nobel-prize-announces-his-overdue-arrival-on-the-global-stage |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> and the fourth Norwegian to win it, following [[Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson]] in 1903, [[Knut Hamsun]] in 1920, and [[Sigrid Undset]], who won it in 1928.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Keyton |first1=David |title=Norwegian author Jon Fosse wins the Nobel Prize in literature |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/nobel-prize-literature-announced-stockholm-103744937 |access-date=5 October 2023 |website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]}}</ref>

Fosse was one of the favourites to win the prize in 2023, and had been tipped to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for the last ten years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/05/jon-fosses-nobel-prize-announces-his-overdue-arrival-on-the-global-stage |title=Jon Fosse's Nobel prize announces his overdue arrival on the global stage |author=Oltermann, Philip |date=5 October 2023 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> The choice was generally well received. "Jon Fosse is a highly deserving Nobel laureate", Gregory Wolfe of ''Slant Books'' said. "Readers willing to accept the brief 'learning curve' of adjusting to his narrative style will be well rewarded by a writer of an almost mystical sensibility."<ref name=alet>{{cite web|url=https://aleteia.org/2023/10/06/jon-fosse-catholic-convert-wins-nobel-prize-for-literature/|title=Jon Fosse, Catholic convert, wins Nobel Prize for Literature|date=8 October 2023|website=Aleteia|access-date=25 October 2023|author=John Touhey}}</ref> "He is an exceptional writer, who has managed to find a totally unique way of writing fiction", publisher Jacques Testard stated.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/05/jon-fosse-wins-the-2023-nobel-prize-in-literature |title=Jon Fosse wins the 2023 Nobel prize in literature |author=Creamer, Ella |date=5 October 2023 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

Fosse told [[NRK]] that he was "surprised but also not" to have won the prize "I’ve been part of the discussion for 10 years and have more and less tentatively prepared myself that this could happen".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/oct/05/jon-fosse-wins-the-2023-nobel-prize-in-literature |title=Jon Fosse wins the 2023 Nobel prize in literature |author=Creamer, Ella |date=5 October 2023 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

Fosse delivered his [[Nobel lecture]] on 7 December 2023 at the [[Swedish Academy]]. Entitled ''The Silent Language'', he spoke about the difference between spoken language and written language and the use and effect of silence in his works.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2023/fosse/lecture/ |title=Jon Fosse - Nobel Prize lecture |publisher=nobelprize.org }}</ref>

At the award ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December, [[Anders Olsson (writer)|Anders Olsson]], chair of the Swedish Academy's [[Nobel Committee for Literature|Nobel committee]], described Fosse's narrative world as "a domain beset by the greatest anxiety and torment of indecision. [...] his writing approaches a state of uncertainty that can open a relation to the divine." Furthermore, he credited ''[[Septology]]'' with having "hypnotic power."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2023/ceremony-speech/ |title=Award ceremony speech |publisher=nobelprize.org }}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Fosse has been married three times. He was married to Bjørg Sissel (b. 1959), a nurse, from 1980 to 1992 with whom he had a son. The next year, he married [[Grethe Fatima Syéd]], an [[Indian diaspora|Indian-Norwegian]] translator and author, although they later separated. They had two daughters and a son during their marriage.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Drangsholt |first1=Janne Stigen |last2=Rottem |first2=Øystein |last3=Surén |first3=Odd Wilhelm |title=Jon Fosse |url=https://snl.no/Jon_Fosse |website=[[Store norske leksikon]] |date=5 October 2023 |language=no }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Syéd-familien |url=https://www.dagogtid.no/feature/syedfamilien-6.3.5102.1503242ab8 |website=[[Dag og Tid]] |language=nn |date=20 April 2018}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

Fosse spends part of his time with his third wife, Anna (m. 2011), who is Slovak, in [[Hainburg an der Donau]] in Austria. He also owns homes in Bergen and two more in other parts of western Norway.<ref name="Merve Enre-2022"/> Originally, he was a member of the [[Church of Norway]] (although he described himself as an [[Atheism|atheist]] before 2012). In 2012–2013, he joined the [[Catholic Church]] and voluntarily admitted himself to [[drug rehabilitation|rehabilitation]] to address his long-term issues with alcohol consumption.<ref name="Kjell Kvamme">{{cite news|last=Kvamme|first=Kjell|date=16 November 2013|title=Jon Fosse er blitt katolikk: Som å kome heim|url=http://www.vl.no/troogkirke/jon-fosse-katolikk-som-a-kome-heim/|url-status=dead|newspaper=[[Vårt Land (Norwegian newspaper)|Vårt Land]]|language=no|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131119082554/http://www.vl.no/troogkirke/jon-fosse-katolikk-som-a-kome-heim/|archive-date=19 November 2013|access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref> His conversion to Catholicism helped Fosse in his effort to stop drinking. Fosse practices solitude by keeping away from noises, never watching television or listening to radio, and rarely listening to music. In his pursuit of solitude, Fosse sees writing as a confession and a prayer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nobel Prize author says faith in God inspires his writing |url=https://cne.news/article/3732-nobel-prize-author-says-faith-in-god-inspires-his-writing |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=CNE.news |language=en}}</ref>

==Awards and honours==
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* 1992 [[Nynorsk Literature Prize]]<ref name="nynorsk">{{Cite web |url=http://www.nm.no/tekst.cfm?path=10235,10237 |title=Nynorsk litteraturpris |access-date=21 December 2014 |archive-date=20 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420123807/http://www.nm.no/tekst.cfm?path=10235,10237 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1996 [[Ibsen Prize]]<ref name ="snl"/><ref name="auto"/>
* 1997 [[Aschehoug Prize]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jon Fosse (NORWAY)|url=http://www.aoiagency.com/jon-fosse|access-date=12 May 2020|website=AO International|language=en-US|archive-date=2 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802203517/http://www.aoiagency.com/jon-fosse|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 1999 [[Søren Gyldendal Prize]]<ref name ="snl"/>
* 1999 [[Dobloug Prize]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Doblougprisen|url=http://www.snl.no/Doblougprisen|access-date=6 November 2015|language=Norwegian|work=Store Norske Leksikon (2005–2007)}}</ref> 
* 2000 [[Nestroy Theatre Prize]]<ref name ="snl"/>
* 2000 Nordic Playwright Prize<ref name ="snl"/>
* 2003 [[Norsk kulturråds ærespris]]<ref name ="snl"/> 
* 2003 [[Nynorsk Literature Prize]]<ref name="nynorsk" /> 
* 2003 Chevalier of the [[Ordre national du Mérite]] of France (2003)<ref name="Fransk heder til Fosse" />
* 2004 Diktartavla Prize<ref name ="snl"/>
* 2005 [[Brage Prize]]<ref name ="snl"/> 
* 2005 Commander of the [[Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tildelinger av ordener og medaljer |publisher=Det norske kongehus |access-date=5 October 2023 |url= https://www.kongehuset.no/tildelinger.html?tid=28028&sek=27995&q=Fosse%2C+Jon+Olav+&type=&aarstall= |language=no |at=Fosse, Jon Olav }}</ref>
* 2006 Anders Jahres Culture Prize<ref name ="snl"/>
* 2007 The [[Swedish Academy Nordic Prize]]<ref>{{cite web|date=13 March 2007|title=Jon Fosse prisas av Svenska Akademien|url=http://nummer.se/jon-fosse-prisas-av-svenska-akademien/|access-date=27 October 2012|work=nummer.se|language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=13 March 2007|title=Fosse får Akademiens nordiska pris|url=https://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/fosse-far-akademiens-nordiska-pris/|access-date=27 October 2012|work=[[Dagens Nyheter]]|language=sv}}</ref> 
* 2007 The [[Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Germany)|Federal Ministry of Family Affairs']] [[Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis]]<ref name="DJ2007">{{Cite web |url=http://jugendliteratur.org/archiv/2007/ |title=2007 Archive |access-date=21 December 2014 |archive-date=26 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726211818/http://www.jugendliteratur.org/archiv/2007/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> 
* 2010 The [[Ibsen Award]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Jon Fosse|url=http://www.internationalibsenaward.com/winners/jon-fosse/|access-date=6 November 2015|work=internationalibsenaward.com}}</ref>
* 2012 Target Prize<ref name ="snl"/>
* 2014 [[European Prize for Literature]]<ref>{{cite web|date=19 November 2014|title=Laureate 2014 (Press Release)|url=http://www.dalkeyarchive.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Press-release-EUROPEAN-PRIZE-FOR-LITERATURE-2014.pdf|access-date=21 December 2014|publisher=City of Strasbourg}}</ref>
* 2015 [[Nordic Council Literature Prize]]<ref>{{cite journal|title=Prize ceremony 2015|url=http://www.norden.org/en/nordic-council/nordic-council-prizes/prize-ceremony-2015|access-date=6 November 2015|website=norden.org|date=2013 |doi=10.6027/TN2013-570 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
* 2016 [[Willy Brandt Prize]]<ref name ="snl"/>
* 2019 [[Nynorsk Literature Prize]]<ref name="snl"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Drangsholt |first1=Jamme |title=Jon Fosse |url=https://snl.no/Jon_Fosse |website=Store norske leksikon |date=5 October 2023 |access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref>
* 2021 [[Brage Prize]] for fiction<ref name ="snl"/>
* 2023 [[List of Nobel laureates in Literature|Nobel Prize in Literature]]<ref name=":0" />
* The Fosse Foundation (based in [[Strandebarm]]) is an organization dedicated to Fosse and his works. The building is located near Fosse's childhood home and a house belonging to his grandparents.<ref name="Merve Enre-2022">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/jon-fosses-search-for-peace|title=Jon Fosse's Search for Peace|author=Merve Enre|date=13 November 2022|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=14 November 2022}}</ref>
}}

==Publications==

===Novels & novellas===
* ''Raudt, svart'' (Samlaget, 1983)<ref name="bibliography">{{cite web |title=Biobibliography |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2023/bio-bibliography/ |website=NobelPrize.org |publisher=Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2023 |access-date=5 October 2023}}</ref>
* ''Stengd gitar'' (Samlaget, 1985)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Blod. Steinen er'' (Samlaget, 1987)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Naustet'' (Samlaget, 1989) - ''Boathouse'', trans. May-Brit Akerholt (Dalkey Archive, 2017)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Flaskesamlaren'' (Samlaget, 1991)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Bly og vatn'' (Samlaget, 1992)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''[[Melancholy (novel)|Melancholia I]]'' (Samlaget, 1995) - ''Melancholy'', trans. Grethe Kvernes and Damion Searls (Dalkey Archive, 2006) <ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''[[Melancholy II|Melancholia II]]'' (Samlaget, 1996) - ''Melancholy II'', trans. Eric Dickens (Dalkey Archive, 2014)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''[[Morning and Evening|Morgon og kveld]]'' (Samlaget, 2000) - ''Morning and Evening'', trans. Damion Searls (Dalkey Archive, 2015)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Det er Ales'' (Samlaget, 2004) - ''Aliss at the Fire'', trans. Damion Searls (Dalkey Archive, 2010)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''[[Wakefulness (novella)|Andvake]]'' (Samlaget, 2007)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''[[Olav's Dreams|Olavs draumar]]'' (Samlaget, 2012)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''[[Weariness (novella)|Kveldsvævd]]'' (Samlaget, 2014)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Trilogien'' (Samlaget, 2014) - ''Trilogy'', trans. May-Brit Akerholt (Dalkey Archive, 2016)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Det andre namnet – Septologien I-II'' (Samlaget, 2019) - ''The Other Name: Septology I-II'', trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2019)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Eg er ein annan – Septologien III-V'' (Samlaget, 2020) - ''I Is Another: Septology III-V'', trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2020)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Eit nytt namn – Septologien VI-VII'' (Samlaget, 2021) - ''A New Name: Septology VI-VII'', trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2021)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''[[Septology|Septologien]]'' (Samlaget, 2022) - ''Septology'', trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2022)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Kvitleik'' (Samlaget, 2023) - ''A Shining'', trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2023)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Vaim'' (Samlaget, 2025) - ''Vaim'', trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2025)<ref name="bibliography"/>

===Short fiction & essays===
* ''Frå telling via showing til writing'' (1989)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''To forteljingar'' (Samlaget, 1993)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Prosa frå ein oppvekst'' (Samlaget, 1994) - ''Scenes from a Childhood'', trans. Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions, 2018)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Hundemanuskripta'' (Samlaget, 1995-1997)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Eldre kortare prosa med 7 bilete av Camilla Wærenskjold'' (Samlaget, 1998)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Gnostiske essay'' (1999)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Kortare prosa'' (Samlaget, 2011)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Essay'' (Samlaget, 2011)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Når ein engel går gjennom scenen og andre essay'' (2014).<ref name="bibliography" /> ''An Angel Walks Through the Stage: and Other Essays'', trans. May-Brit Akerholt (Dalkey Archive, 2015).<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Levande stein'' (Samlaget, 2015)<ref name="bibliography"/>

===Children's===
* ''Uendelig Seint'', illustrated by Alf-Kåre Berg (Samlaget, 1989)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Kant'', illustrated by [[Akin Düzakin]] (Samlaget, 1990)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Dyrehagen Hardanger'' (Samlaget, 1993)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Vått og svart'', illustrated by Akin Düzakin (Samlaget, 1994)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Søster'',  illustrated by Vá Leong (Samlaget, 2000)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Spelejenta'', illustrated by [[Øyvind Torseter]] (Samlaget, 2009)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Fridtjov & Ingebjørg'', illustrated by [[Oddvar Torsheim]] (Skald, 2014)<ref name="bibliography"/>

===Plays===
{{div col}}
* ''Nokon kjem til å komme'' (written in 1992–93;{{citation needed|date=October 2023}} first produced in 1996). ''[[Someone is Going to Come]]''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Og aldri skal vi skiljast'' (1994). ''And We'll Never Be Parted''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''[[The Name (play)|Namnet]]'' (1995). ''The Name''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Barnet'' (1996). ''The Child''. Originally published with ''Mor og barn'' and ''Sonen''.<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Mor og barn'' (1997). ''Mother and Child''. Originally published with ''Barnet'' and ''Sonen''.<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Sonen'' (1997). ''The Son''. Originally published with ''Barnet'' and ''Mor og barn''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Gitarmannen'' (1997). ''The Guitar Man''. Originally sent as a Christmas Greeting from Samlaget. Renamed to ''Saxofonmannen''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''[[Nightsongs (play)|Natta syng sine songar]]'' (1997). ''Nightsongs'', trans. Gregory Motton (2002).<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Ein sommars dag'' (1999). ''A Summer's Day''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''[[Dream of Autumn|Draum om hausten]]'' (1999). ''Dream of Autumn''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Sov du vesle barnet mitt'' (2000). ''Sleep My Baby Sleep''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* '' Besøk'' (2000). ''Visits''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Vinter'' (2000). ''Winter''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Ettermiddag'' (2000). ''Afternoon''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Vakkert'' (2001). ''Beautiful''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Dødsvariasjonar'' (2001). ''Death Variations''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Jenta i sofaen'' (2002). ''The Girl on the Sofa'', trans. David Harrower (2002).<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Lilla'' (2003). ''Lilac''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Suzannah'' (2004)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Dei døde hundane'' (2004). ''The Dead Dogs'', trans. May-Brit Akerholt (2014).<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Sa ka la'' (2004)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Svevn'' (2005). ''Sleep''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Varmt'' (2005). ''Warm''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Rambuku'' (2006)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Skuggar'' (2006). ''Shadows''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''[[I Am the Wind|Eg er vinden]]'' (2007). ''I Am the Wind'', trans. Simon Stephens (2012).<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Desse auga'' (2009). ''These Eyes''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Jente i gul regnjakke'' (2010).<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Kortar stykke'' (2011).<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Hav'' (2014).<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Tre librettoar'' (2015).<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Slik var det'' (2020).<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Sterk vind'' (2021).
* ''I svarte skogen inne'' (2023).<ref name="bibliography"/>
{{end div col}}
'''Compilations in English'''
{{div col}}
* ''Plays One'' (2002). Someone Is Going to Come Home; The Name; The Guitar Man; The Child<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Plays Two'' (2004). A Summer's Day; Dream of Autumn; Winter<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Plays Three'' (2004). Mother and Child; Sleep My Baby Sleep; Afternoon; Beautiful; Death Variations<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Plays Four'' (2005). And We'll Never Be Parted; The Son; Visits; Meanwhile the lights go down and everything becomes black<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Plays Five'' (2011). Suzannah; Living Secretly; The Dead Dogs; A Red Butterfly's Wings; Warm; Telemakos; Sleep<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Plays Six'' (2014). Rambuku; Freedom; Over There; These Eyes; Girl in Yellow Raincoat; Christmas Tree Song; Sea<ref name="bibliography"/>
{{end div col}}

===Poetry===
{{div col}}
* ''Engel med vatn i augene'' (1986)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Hundens bevegelsar'' (1990)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Hund og engel'' (1992)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Dikt 1986–1992'' (1995). ''Revidert samleutgåve''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Nye dikt 1991–1994'' (1997)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Dikt 1986–2001'' (2001). ''Samla dikt. Lyrikklubben''<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Auge i vind'' (2003)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Dikt i samling'' (2009)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Songar'' (2009)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Stein til stein'' (2013)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Poesiar'' (2016)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Ro mitt Hav'' (2019)<ref name="bibliography"/>
* ''Dikt i samling'' (2011)<ref name="bibliography"/>
{{end div col}}

'''Compilations in English'''

* ''Poems'' (Shift Fox Press, 2014). Selection of poems, translated by May-Brit Akerholt.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}} 
* Fosse's excerpt from [https://wordswithoutborders.org/read/article/2006-03/from-night-sings-its-songs/ "Night Sings Its Songs"] at [https://wordswithoutborders.org/ Words Without Borders] 
* {{Nobelprize}}
* {{IMDb name|287625}}
* [http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsF/fosse-jon.html Jon Fosse] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904003129/http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsF/fosse-jon.html |date=4 September 2014 }} at Doollee.com
* Vincent Rafis, [http://www.lespressesdureel.com/ouvrage.php?id=1198&menu= ''Mémoire et voix des morts dans le théâtre de Jon Fosse''], Les presses du réel, Dijon, 2009.
* Andrew Dickson: [https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/mar/12/jon-fosse-writing-another-play-doesnt-give-me-pleasure "Jon Fosse: 'The idea of writing another play doesn't give me pleasure'"], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 12 March 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.

{{Portal bar|Norway|Biography|Society|Art|Children and Young Adult Literature}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-ach|aw}}
{{S-bef| before = [[Edith Roger]]}}
{{S-ttl| title = Recipient of the [[Norsk kulturråds ærespris]] | years = 2003 }}
{{S-aft| after = [[Jan Garbarek]]}}
{{end}}

{{Jon Fosse}}
{{Nobel Prize in Literature}}
{{2023 Nobel Prize winners}}
{{The Nordic Council's Literature Prize}}
{{Dobloug Prize winners}}
{{Swedish Academy Nordic Prize winners}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fosse, Jon}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Norwegian novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:21st-century Norwegian novelists]]
[[Category:21st-century Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Catholic poets]]
[[Category:Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite]]
[[Category:Nordic Council Literature Prize winners]]
[[Category:Dobloug Prize winners]]
[[Category:Nynorsk-language writers]]
[[Category:Norwegian Roman Catholic writers]]
[[Category:Christian novelists]]
[[Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism from atheism or agnosticism]]
[[Category:People from Haugesund]]
[[Category:20th-century Norwegian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:21st-century Norwegian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Norwegian male novelists]]
[[Category:Norwegian male dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:20th-century Norwegian male writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Norwegian male writers]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Literature]]
[[Category:University of Bergen alumni]]
[[Category:Norwegian Nobel laureates]]
[[Category:People from Kvam]]
[[Category:21st-century Norwegian poets]]
[[Category:20th-century Norwegian poets]]