French poet Yves Bonnefoy wins Kafka prize

PRAGUE, March 29, 2007 (AFP) – The 2007 Franz Kafka literary prize will go to French poet, essayist and translator Yves Bonnefoy, organisers of the award said on Thursday.

Bonnefoy will receive the prize along with a cheque for 10,000 dollars (7,500 euros) at a ceremony at the Prague city hall at the end of October.

The French poet “will in his thank you speech express his deep admiration for Franz Kafka’s work, as well as his belief in the future of poetry,” the Franz Kafka Society, which organises the award, said in a statement.

Bonnefoy, 83, is the author of such books as “On the motion and immobility of Douve” from 1953, “Words in Stone” from 1965 and “The Curved Planks” from 2001, and claims to be inspired by the works of French writers Andre Breton and Gaston Bachelard.

The Kafka prize, named after the famous writer of such legendary books as “The Trial”, “Metamorphosis” and “The Castle”, was first awarded in 2001.

Previous winners of the prize include Japanese author Haruki Murakami, British playwright Harold Pinter, US novelist Philip Roth and the Czech writer Ivan Klima.

The award aims to recognise “exceptional literary creation of contemporary authors whose work addresses the readers regardless of their origin, nationality and culture,” the Franz Kafka Society said on its website.

Subject: French news