Nobel literature laureate Peter Handke said Thursday he was "astonished" at being picked for the 2019 award, calling it a "courageous" move on the part of the Swedish Academy.
Handke, who lives in a suburb of Paris, told AFP that "after all the quarrels" over his work he was "astonished" at being the 2019 victor of the world's most prestigious literary award.
"It was very courageous of the Swedish Academy, this kind of decision. These are good people.