GOETHE PRIZE 2009Lars Gustafsson (Västerås, 1936). Swedish philosopher, novelist and poet. He is considered one of the main representatives of contemporary Swedish literature. He graduated in Philosophy from the University of Uppsala and has been a professor at the University of Texas (Austin) until May 2006, when he retired. As a writer with training and dedication to philosophy, in his novels he tries to bring order to an apparently chaotic reality, which his characters confront with difficulty. His obsession with time and identity has made him be considered "the Swedish Borges." The most important of his works is Death of a beekeeper. Highlights also: The afternoon of a tiler, Funeral music for Freemasons and Family party.