Nobel Prize winner J.M. Coetzee to receive honorary doctorate from VUB
Nobel Prize winner and world-renowned author John Maxwell Coetzee will receive an honorary doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) on 13 October. The ceremony will take place at La Monnaie/De Munt in Brussels, according to a press release from the Dutch-speaking university.
The South African–Australian writer J.M. Coetzee has published fifteen novels as well as autobiographical narratives, essays and critical studies. His work deals with themes such as apartheid, censorship, the position of the outsider, the relationship between humans and non-humans, and the ethical responsibility of literature.
His novels “Life and Times of Michael K” and “Disgrace” were both awarded the Booker Prize, a unique achievement in the literary world. Coetzee was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003.
"The VUB honours a thinker who has inspired generations to examine power structures, denounce injustice and explore the essence of humanity"
The recognition of his work by the VUB will be Coetzee's very first honorary doctorate from a Dutch-speaking university. In this way, the VUB recognises “a writer who deliberately draws attention to marginalised voices and literature, and to the value of linguistic diversity and translation,” according to the university.
According to rector Jan Danckaert, J.M. Coetzee embodies the values of free thinking, intellectual freedom and active social engagement that the university holds dear. “With this honorary doctorate, the VUB honours a luminary in world literature, a thinker who, with a sharp pen and moral courage, has inspired generations to examine power structures, denounce injustice and explore the essence of humanity,” he stated.
#FlandersNewsService | J. M. Coetzee © PHOTO GUILLERMO LEGARIA / AFP
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