Handke won the 2019 prize for "an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience," the Academy said in a statement.
Olga Tokarczuk became the 15th woman to win the award, while Peter Handke was the 114th man
Just days ago, the Swedish Academy promised to move away from the prestigious award's "male-oriented" and "Eurocentric".