Samuel Beckett was an Irish playwright, novelist and poet. Beckett's work is stark, fundamentally minimalist, and deeply pessimistic about the human condition, although the pessimism is mitigated by a great and often wicked sense of humour. His later work explores his themes in an increasingly cryptic and attenuated style. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1969 "for his writing, which - in new forms for the novel and drama - in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation". He was elected Saoi of Aosdána in 1984. (continued...)
Recently featured: Canadian federal election of 1993 – Fanny Blankers-Koen – OpenBSD