The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) welcomed Norwegian author and playwright Jon Fosse, laureate of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature, for an engaging literary session that explored the meaning of writing and the creative process behind it. The event, part of the 10th edition of the iRead program, drew a large audience eager to hear one of the world’s most influential writers reflect on his craft.
Fosse shared insights from his distinguished career, which spans more than seventy works across genres including fiction, theater, poetry, essays, and children’s literature. He explained that his minimalist and introspective style stems from a desire to reveal the emotional depth within human experiences, noting that true writing is less about ornate expression and more about capturing a moment of internal clarity.
Addressing the question of what makes writing authentic, Fosse emphasized that originality comes from offering the world something genuinely new — a thought, an emotion, or a perspective that only the writer can articulate. He described creativity as an intimate process that begins in silence, where writers connect with their inner voice before transforming it into words that resonate with readers.
Fosse also discussed the growing presence of artificial intelligence in creative fields. While acknowledging AI’s ability to mimic linguistic patterns, he underscored that it cannot embody the emotional core that defines literature. He recounted testing an AI tool that attempted to write in his style, only to find the output technically sound but devoid of the nuance and sentiment that characterize human writing.
The event concluded with a book-signing session, giving attendees the opportunity to meet Fosse and engage with him directly. Organizers highlighted the importance of such encounters in enriching the cultural landscape and inspiring emerging writers to pursue thoughtful and meaningful storytelling.
