What does the world think of Tomas Tranströmer?

The 2011 Nobel Literature prize winner, Tomas Tranströmer of Sweden, is unknown to even literature connoisseurs. Tomas is an 80 year old Swedish poet who has written widely translated poems such as Windows and Stones, Baltics, and Sorrow Gondola. Although Tomas had been in consideration for the prize for over two decades, the award has been a surprise to many who has termed him “famous only in Sweden”. The award has been criticized for Eurocentricity, politicisation and a preference for obscure writers. However, several journals including the New Yorker, has hailed the win, praising the simplicity of his haikus and description of Scandinavian winters. Most of the public, however, will find this a chance to pick up new editions of his poetry collections and read up on new poetry from a hitherto unknown author.