Belgian author Stefan Hertmans nominated for Nobel Prize in Literature

Belgian author Stefan Hertmans has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature, according to Ton van Kalmthout, president of the Society of Dutch Literature, in an interview with Vrij Nederland. The Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature reportedly also proposed his candidacy. Hertmans, 75, debuted in 1981 with "Ruimte" and has built an acclaimed body of work spanning novels, stories, plays, and poetry. His novel "War and Turpentine" won the AKO Literature Prize and was nominated for the 2017 Man Booker International Prize, selling hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. Nobel nominations are typically confidential and made by a select group of experts. The winner among finalists will be announced on Thursday, October 8. No Dutch-language author has ever won the prize, though critic Anjet Daanje was also suggested earlier this year.