John Maxwell 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, reports 24brussels.
The South African–Australian writer J.M. Coetzee has published fifteen novels alongside autobiographical narratives, essays, and critical studies. His work confronts themes such as apartheid, censorship, the outsider’s plight, the human-animal relationship, and the ethical responsibilities of literature.
Notably, his novels “Life and Times of Michael K” and “Disgrace” both received the Booker Prize, marking a rare achievement in the literary arena. 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.”
Receiving this recognition from the VUB will be Coetzee’s first honorary doctorate from a Dutch-speaking institution. The university aims to acknowledge “a writer who consciously highlights marginalized voices and literature, as well as the importance of linguistic diversity and translation,” as noted in the official announcement.
Rector Jan Danckaert emphasized Coetzee’s alignment with the university’s values of free thought, intellectual freedom, and social responsibility. “With this honorary doctorate, the VUB honors a luminary in world literature, a thinker who, armed with a sharp pen and moral courage, has motivated generations to scrutinize power structures, challenge injustice, and probe the essence of humanity,” he remarked.
#FlandersNewsService | J. M. Coetzee © PHOTO GUILLERMO LEGARIA / AFP
