DHAHRAN: Nobel Prize-winning Norwegian author and playwright Jon Fosse drew a full house to Ithra on Friday, as he discussed art, writing, and the human experience during a session entitled “Nobel Minds” at the 10th edition of the institution’s iRead program.

Fosse, who won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature, appeared on stage with moderator Tariq Khawaji, Ithra’s cultural consultant.

Outside, the landmark Ithra building, designed by Norwegian firm Snohetta, was lit in purple to mark the celebration. 

Fosse, whose work includes more than 70 novels, plays, poems, essays, and children’s books, and has been translated into more than 50 languages, including Arabic, is known for his minimalist, introspective style. His unconventional syntax and pared-down prose have significantly influenced postdramatic theater and contemporary experimental fiction. 

Khawaji told Arab News that bringing Fosse to Saudi Arabia was especially meaningful as Arabic translations of his work remain relatively new to many readers. 

At a book signing following the session, he noted that Fosse’s pared-back lyrical language is a boon to both translators and new audiences. 

“I think one of Fosse’s strengths is his extremely simple language, he always uses the simplest phrasing and avoids inflated vocabulary or difficult expressions. This is why translators often find his writing both lyrical and clear,” Khawaji said. 

If I’m writing well, I have to bring something new to the book for me, and hopefully also for other people; something that didn’t exist before.

Jon Fosse, Norwegian Nobel laureate

“I think he speaks to the world through the problem of the individual — this tendency toward the quiet, the stripped-down. And I believe the Norwegian landscape, especially the western region, plays a very strong role in shaping him. His characters often feel like they come from a place with vast silence and depth. Even outside the session, you could sense many layers in how he spoke — something almost carved by that landscape,” he continued.

After noting Fosse’s 18 major awards, Khawaji added: “I think his Arabic readership is still small — though his plays have been translated and performed. I believe introducing him to the Arab world will increase his readership significantly, and I think the reception will change. Readers will discover a unique, unfamiliar voice. It was important to have him here.”

During his hour-long English-language conversation with Khawaji before the book signing, Fosse discussed his writing process, sources of inspiration, and how writers might develop their own signature styles.

“I think you can say all literature, in a certain sense, comes from literature. So the more you read — and the better literature you read — the cleverer you most likely will be,” he said.

“If I’m writing well, I have to bring something new to the book for me, and hopefully also for other people; something that didn’t exist before. And to get to that, you have to leave yourself (somehow). If you don’t leave yourself, you know exactly what you knew before,” he added.

On the topic of artificial intelligence, Fosse said that while it can mimic a writer’s voice, it cannot replicate the essence behind it.

“I’ve done it myself. I asked the computer to write something (in my style) and it was like a kind of parody, but still there were some very interesting sides to it. And there were some great metaphors that happened that I couldn’t have figured out myself,” he said. 

“Perhaps it is a childish idea but I think that art has so much to do with this universal individuality of the artist. It cannot possibly be replaced by a machine,” Fosse concluded.