Nobel winner fears rising self-censorship in Poland

Frankfurt Am Main: Poland's Nobel literature winner Olga Tokarczuk on Tuesday decried rising self-censorship in her country, while steering clear of the controversy engulfing fellow laureate Peter Handke.

Speaking at the opening press conference of the Frankfurt book fair, the dreadlocked author and outspoken critic of the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) said there was "a kind of culture war" raging at home between the right-wing government and the opposition.

"There is no official censorship in literature, but I feel a certain fear when I see that a kind of self-censorship is developing in Poland," Tokarczuk said through a translator. "Authors are somehow afraid of expressing what they really think or feel because they fear political consequences. I can only hope this development will not continue."

Tokarczuk, whose sweeping historical novels with a touch of mysticism have made her one of Poland's leading writers, last week warned that Poles faced a choice between "democracy and authoritarianism" as they headed to the polling booths.

The populist PiS, often at loggerheads with the European Union, held onto its parliamentary majority in Sunday's vote following a campaign that coupled pledges for new welfare measures with attacks on gay rights and Western values.

Tokarczuk, 57, admitted she was "not very enthusiastic about the outcome". But the arrival in parliament of "many new representatives" from other parties nevertheless left her feeling hopeful, she added.

"I'm very glad also that the left-wing Lewica (bloc) and the Greens are part of parliament for the first time. I think some new things will happen over the next four years."

Tokarczuk was last week named the winner of the 2018 Nobel literature prize, after organisers skipped a year over a sexual harassment scandal, and her announcement coincided with that of Austrian author Peter Handke as the 2019 laureate.

But while Tokarczuk's win has been warmly received, Handke's has sparked outrage with many criticising his support for the late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

Asked how she felt about being seen as the "good girl" of the Nobel gongs versus Handke's "bad boy", Tokarczuk told reporters she had been too busy to keep up with the controversy playing out in the media.