Nobel Prize in Literature
The
Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words of
Alfred Nobel, produced "the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency". The "work" in this case generally refers to an author's work as a whole, not to any individual work, though individual works are sometimes cited in the awards. The
Swedish Academy decides who, if anyone, will receive the prize in any given year and announces the name of the chosen laureate in early October.
The original citation of this
Nobel Prize has led to much controversy. In the original Swedish, the word
idealisk can be translated as either "idealistic" or "ideal". In earlier years the Nobel Committee stuck closely to the intent of the will, and left out certain world-renowned writers such as
Leo Tolstoy and
Henrik Ibsen for the Prize, probably because their works were not "idealistic" enough. In later years the wording is interpreted much more liberally, and the Prize is awarded, as is often argued that it should be, for lasting literary merit. The choice of the Academy can still generate controversy in their selection of lesser known writers, such as
Dario Fo in 1997.
The Nobel Prize is not the sole measure of literary excellence and lasting worth; many prominent writers have failed to be cited or even nominated for the award.
Each year the Swedish Academy sends out requests for nominations of candidates for the Nobel Prize in
Literature. Members of the Academy, members of literature academies and societies, professors of literature and language, former Nobel literature laureates, and the presidents of writers' organizations are all allowed to nominate a candidate. However, it is not possible to nominate oneself.
Thousands of requests are sent out each year, and about fifty proposals are returned. These proposals must be received by the Academy by
February 1, after which they are examined by the Nobel Committee. By April, the Academy narrows the field to around twenty candidates, and by summer the list is reduced further to some five names. In October that year, members of the Academy vote, and the candidate who receives more than half the number of votes is named the Nobel Laureate in Literature. The process is similar to those of other Nobel Prizes.
The prize money of the Nobel Prize has been fluctuating since its inauguration but as present stands at 10 million
Swedish krona. The winner also wins a gold medal and a Nobel diploma.
The Prize in Literature has a history of controversial awards.
Sir Winston Churchill received the prize in 1953, while the popular
Graham Greene was never recognized.
The choice of the 2004 winner,
Elfriede Jelinek, drew criticism from within the academy itself. Knut Ahnlund (who had not played an active role in the academy since 1996) resigned saying that picking Jelinek had caused "irreparable damage" to the award's reputation.
Swedes are surprised that poet
Tomas Transtromer and the children's author
Astrid Lindgren have not been honoured.
It has been suggested that
W.H.Auden's poorly received translation of 1961
Peace Prize winner
Dag Hammarskjöld's
Vägmärken (Markings) put pay to his chances of receiving the prize.
*The oldest person to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature was Theodor Mommsen, who was 85 when he received the Prize in 1902. The youngest was Rudyard Kipling, who was 42 when he won the Prize in 1907.
*Mommsen was also the Nobel laureate born earliest (
November 30,
1817), a combination of his advanced age and the early year in which he received the Prize. He was born nearly 129 years before the most recently born laureate, Elfriede Jelinek (
October 20,
1946).
*The longest-lived laureate in literature to date is Bertrand Russell, who was 97 when he died. The oldest living laureate is Naguib Mahfouz, currently 94 years old. He will surpass Russell if he lives past
August 29,
2009. The shortest-lived laureate was Albert Camus, who died in a car crash at the age of 46, three years after receiving the award.
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Nobel Laureates in Literature by country |
Recipients listed as belonging to more than one country are counted as one for each of those. E.g., T. S. Eliot is counted as an American and again as a Briton. Declining or exiled recipients are counted under the listed country. East and West German recipients are counted for Germany.
Recipients listed as belonging to more than one continent are counted as one for each of those, e.g., T. S. Eliot is counted for both North America and Europe. North America includes all of Latin America and the Caribbean, while Oceania encompasses
Australasia,
Micronesia,
Melanesia, and
Polynesia.
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Nobel Prize*
Nobel laureates by country*
Nobel Prize in Literature winners by longevity*
The Nobel Prize in Literature - Laureates*
Nobel Prize Winners in Literature*
The Nobel Prize
