Biography
Peter Handke, born on December 6, 1942, in Griffen, Austria, is a key figure in German-language literature from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature for his unique writing style that delves into the edges and details of human experience. Handke started studying law at the University of Graz but left to become a writer, making a name for himself in the German-language avant-garde movement.
Handke became well-known in the late 1960s as a playwright with bold works like "Offending the Audience" (1966), where actors directly interact with the audience, challenging the nature of theatre. His play "Kaspar" (1967) strengthened his reputation as an experimental playwright. He also wrote novels with a particularly stark and straightforward narration about characters in intense psychological states, such as "The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick" (1970) and "The Left-Handed Woman" (1976). After his mother's suicide in 1971, he wrote "A Sorrow Beyond Dreams" (1972), a personal novella about her life and death.
Handke has often looked at the dulling effects and hidden irrationality in everyday language, reality, and logical order. He was actively involved with the Grazer Gruppe and Grazer Autorenversammlung, key literary groups, and helped establish the Verlag der Autoren publishing house in Frankfurt. He also worked with filmmakers, notably with Wim Wenders, writing screenplays including "The Wrong Move" and "Wings of Desire."
Handke has received many awards, such as the Georg Büchner Prize (1973), the Franz Kafka Prize (2009), and the Grand Austrian State Prize for Literature (1987). Despite his achievements, his career has faced significant controversy, especially regarding his support for Serbian nationalism during and after the Yugoslav Wars. In 1999, he returned his Georg Büchner Prize money to the German Academy for Language and Literature to protest NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia. Though his political views have sparked debate, his literary work is still praised for its fresh take on language and storytelling.
Before Fame
Peter Handke was born into a working-class family in the small Austrian town of Griffen in Carinthia. His early life was affected by family problems and economic struggles, which later influenced his literary themes of alienation and how conventional language often falls short in expressing human experiences. In the early 1960s, he began studying law at the University of Graz but gradually gravitated toward literature and the avant-garde movements gaining momentum across Europe.
The cultural and political changes of the 1960s set the stage for Handke's entry into the literary world. He was inspired by the experimental theatre movements and the era's questioning of traditional narrative styles. His choice to leave his law studies and become a full-time writer came during a time of significant literary experimentation in German-speaking countries, where writers were looking for new ways to address the complexities of postwar European society.
Key Achievements
- Awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature for influential work exploring human experience through linguistic innovation
- Pioneered experimental theatre with groundbreaking plays like 'Offending the Audience' and 'Kaspar' in the 1960s
- Received the Georg Büchner Prize in 1973, the most prestigious award for German-language literature
- Co-founded Verlag der Autoren publishing house, revolutionizing author-publisher relationships
- Created influential screenplays for acclaimed films including 'Wings of Desire' in collaboration with Wim Wenders
Did You Know?
- 01.He returned his Georg Büchner Prize money in 1999 as a protest against NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, demonstrating his willingness to sacrifice prestigious recognition for political principles
- 02.His collaboration with filmmaker Wim Wenders on 'Wings of Desire' helped introduce his poetic sensibility to international cinema audiences
- 03.He has been married twice, first to Libgart Schwarz and later to Sophie Semin, with both relationships influencing his literary work
- 04.His play 'Offending the Audience' contains no traditional plot or characters but instead features actors who directly address the audience about the nature of theatrical performance
- 05.He co-founded Verlag der Autoren, a publishing house specifically created to give authors greater control over their work and royalties
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Nobel Prize in Literature | 2019 | for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience |
| Franz Kafka Prize | 2009 | — |
| Grand Austrian State Prize for Literature | 1987 | — |
| Georg Büchner Prize | 1973 | — |
| Schiller Memorial Prize | 1995 | — |
| International Ibsen Award | 2014 | — |
| Vilenica Prize | 1987 | — |
| America Award in Literature | 2002 | — |
| Literaturpreis des Landes Steiermark | 1972 | — |
| Else-Lasker-Schüler-Dramatikerpreis | 2014 | — |
| Gerhart Hauptmann prize | 1967 | — |
| Mülheimer Dramatikerpreis | 2012 | — |
| Siegfried Unseld Preis | 2004 | — |
| Schillerpreis der Stadt Mannheim | 1973 | — |
| Franz-Kafka-Preis | 1979 | — |
| Franz Nabl Prize | 1985 | — |
| honorary doctorate of Salzburg University | — | — |
| honorary citizen of Belgrade | 2015 | — |
| honorary doctorate of the University of Alcala | 2017 | — |
| Candide Preis | 2011 | — |
| Prix Georges-Sadoul | 1978 | — |
| Heinrich Heine Prize | 2006 | — |
| Literature Award of the Bavarian Academy of the Fine Arts | 2008 | — |
| honorary doctor of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt | — | — |
| Literaturpreis der Stadt Bremen | 1988 | — |
| Nestroy theater award/lifetime achievement | 2018 | — |
| Order of the Star of Karađorđe | — | — |
| Order of the Republika Srpska | — | — |