The decision to award the Critics Prize to Hans Otto Jørgensen was based, among other things on his With Room for Hundreds of Cows:
“Stylistically, we are dealing with an enigmatically clear, hypnotically intense and strangely infectious text which brings the reader in beneath the skin of the farming couple Ejnar and Ida and at the same time, with a mobile focus, their sons, Rune and Axel, of which the latter seems a sweet-natured, modest self-portrait. Hans Otto Jørgensen has long been among those who set the agenda for the newest Danish literaure, but in With Room for Hundreds of Cows he has made a serious advance and at length found his way home, artistically.”
On Everything Else Is a Lie: Essays on Modern Literature by Niels Frank, the prize committee says:
“Frank’s essays launch completely new connections between literary works, authorships and their currents, while at the same time showing Danish literature from the 20th century in an eye-opening and original manner in connection with segments of international literature. The essay collection is characterized by Frank’s infectious engagement and his congenial and creative participation in the works he takes up for discussion.” That is a part of how the the year’s prize committee formulated its decision.
The prizes, each in the amount of DKK 30,000 (nearly US $ 6,000), are awarded by the Literature Committee of the Danish Arts Council and will be presented in the Arts Board on March 6th, 2008.
