The winner of the international Booker prize is Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated from German by Michael Hofmann and published by Granta Books.
Jenny Erpenbeck’s magnificent, masterful novel tells the story of a love affair between a young girl and an older man, set in Berlin against the collapse of East Germany.
Erpenbeck described it as: “a private story of a big love and its decay, but it’s also a story of the dissolution of a whole political system. Simply put: how can something that seems right in the beginning, turn into something wrong?”
“I come from a family of writers,” Erpenbeck said in her speech.
“So, my grandparents were writers, my father used to write fiction as well, and my mum was a translator from Arabic to German. She translated a Nobel Prize Winner.”
Eleanor Wachtel, Chair of the 2024 judges, said: “It starts with love and passion, but it’s at least as much about power, art and culture. The self-absorption of the lovers, their descent into a destructive vortex, remains connected to the larger history of East Germany during this period, often meeting history at odd angles… What makes Kairos so unusual is that it is both beautiful and uncomfortable, personal and political. Erpenbeck invites you to make the connection between these generation-defining political developments and a devastating, even brutal love affair, questioning the nature of destiny and agency.”
Kairos was chosen from a shortlist of six books representing six languages (Dutch, German, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish) across six countries (Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea and Sweden).
Kairos
by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann
From an internationally acclaimed, multi award-winning author: this is a story of love and betrayal set in Berlin during the years before and after the fall of the Wall.
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