'Nomadic' French writer wins Nobel prize

French author Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, a globetrotting novelist hailed as a child of all continents, won the Nobel prize for literature yesterday.

The Swedish Academy, which decides the winner of the coveted 10 million Swedish crown (€1.03 million) prize, praised the 68-year-old's adventurous novels, essays and children's books.

"His works have a cosmopolitan character. Frenchman, yes, but more so a traveller, a citizen of the world, a nomad," Horace Engdahl, permanent secretary of the Academy, told a news conference to announce the laureate.

Underlining his international credentials, Mr Le Clezio, who describes himself as French and Mauritian, answered questions in English, French and Spanish at a Paris press conference.

"Some kind of incredulity, some kind of awe, then some kind of enjoyment and mirth," he said, describing how he felt when he heard the news. Questioned about what he would do with the prize money, he added: "I have debts. I'm going to pay them."

Mr Engdahl stirred up resentment among some US authors and critics in the run-up to this year's announcement by saying American writers were too insular and did not participate in the "big dialogue" of literature. The last American to win the literature Nobel was novelist Toni Morrison in 1993.

When asked about the issue, Mr Le Clezio replied: "I don't think you can say American literature is any one thing, because it takes many forms."

He added that Philip Roth, a perennial favourite among bookmakers to scoop the Nobel, would be a worthy winner.

"He will certainly win this prize, and even if he doesn't he will remain a very great writer."

Nice-born Mr Le Clezio moved to Nigeria with his family at the age of eight. He wrote his first works - Un Long Voyage and Oradi Noir - during the month-long journey.

According to the Academy's website, he studied English at a British university and taught at institutions in Bangkok, Mexico City, Boston, Austin and Albuquerque, among others.