STOCKHOLM: The 2011 Nobel Prize in literature was awarded on Thursday to Tomas Transtromer, a Swedish poet whose surrealistic works about the mysteries of the human mind won him acclaim as one of the most important Scandinavian writers since World War II.
The Swedish Academy said it recognized the 80-year-old poet "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality."
In 1990, Transtromer suffered a stroke, which left him half-paralyzed and unable to speak, but he continued to write and published a collection of poems - 'The Great Enigma' - in 2004. Transtromer has been a perennial favorite for the $1.5 million award. Transtromer's most famous works include the 1966 'Windows and Stones' , in which he depicts themes from his many travels and 'Baltics' from 1974.
His works have been translated into more than 50 languages and influenced poets around the globe, particularly in North America. Since the 1950's , Transtromer has had a close friendship with American poet Robert Bly, who translated many of his works into English. In 2001, Transtromer's Swedish publishing house Bonniers published the correspondence between the two writers in the book 'Air Mail' .
