Nobel Prize 2022 in Literature awarded to French author Annie Ernaux

This year's Nobel Prize in literature has been awarded to French author Annie Ernaux. Ernaux, 82, was cited for "the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory," the Nobel committee said.

Mats Malm, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, announced the winner Thursday in Stockholm, Sweden. A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Monday with the award in medicine honouring a scientist who unlocked the secrets of Neanderthal DNA.

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“In her writing, Ernaux consistently and from different angles, examines a life marked by strong disparities regarding gender, language and class. Her path to authorship was long and arduous," chair of the Nobel committee Anders Olsson stated.

One of her country's most renowned authors, Ernaux writes non-fiction as well as novels about everyday life in France. She was one of the choices to win the award. Since Patrick Modiano won the award in 2014, Annie Ernaux is the first French author to receive it. She is now the 16th French author to earn the Nobel Prize.

Ernaux was born in 1940 and raised in the Normandy town of Yvetot. She attended the University of Rouen and afterwards taught in a secondary institution. She served as a professor at the Centre National d'Enseignement par Correspondance from 1977 to 2000. Les armoires vides, her first book, was released in France in 1974 and in English as Cleaned Out in 1990. Her literary debut happened with her fourth book, La place or A Man's Place.

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Earlier, three scientists collectively received the award in physics Tuesday for showing that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when isolated. Three scientists who created methods of joining molecules that have the potential to create more precise medication designs received the chemistry prize on Wednesday.

The Nobel Prizes 2022 for Peace and Economics will be revealed on Friday and October, respectively.

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(With inputs from PTI)