South African-born writer John M. Coetzee won the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2003. Now a resident of Australia, Mr. Coetzee's novels are able to capture the "divine spark in man," according to the committee statement.
"Coetzee’s interest is directed mainly at situations where the distinction between right and wrong, while crystal clear, can be seen to serve no end. Like the man in the famous Magritte painting who is studying his neck in a mirror, at the decisive moment Coetzee’s characters stand behind themselves, motionless, incapable of taking part in their own actions."
