Nobel Prize in Literature
On the 27th of November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris. He bequeathed 31 million Swedish kronor to establish five prizes for those who conferred the greatest benefit on mankind. The document specified that the prize in literature should be determined by the Academy in Stockholm. This meant the Swedish Academy would hold the power to decide every winner for over a century. The executors of his will were Ragnar Sohlman and Rudolf Lilljequist. They formed the Nobel Foundation to manage the fortune and organize the awards. It took until the 26th of April 1897 for the Storting to approve the will after years of skepticism. The Karolinska Institutet joined the process on the 7th of June, followed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on the 11th of June. King Oscar II promulgated the new statutes in 1900. Sully Prudhomme became the first recipient in 1901.
Each year the Swedish Academy sends out requests for nominations to professors and former laureates. Between 1901 and 1950, around 20 to 35 nominations arrived annually. Since then, thousands of requests are sent out each year with about 220 proposals returned. These proposals must reach the Academy by the 1st of February. A committee of four or five members examines them by April. By May, a shortlist of five names is approved. The next four months involve reading and reviewing the works of these candidates. In October, members vote and the candidate receiving more than half the votes becomes the laureate. No one can win without being on the shortlist at least twice. Many authors reappear and are reviewed repeatedly over the years. Translators and oath-sworn experts provide samples when a member does not master the language. The academy has 18 members elected for life until rules changed in 2018.
Alfred Nobel's guidelines stated that the candidate should have written in an idealistic direction. Early history read this as a lofty and sound idealism holding church, state, and family sacred. This resulted in prizes for Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Rudyard Kipling, and Paul Heyse. During World War I, neutrality policies explained many awards to Scandinavian writers. The 1920s interpreted idealistic direction more generously as wide-hearted humanity. Writers like Anatole France, George Bernard Shaw, and Thomas Mann received recognition then. The 1930s viewed the greatest benefit on mankind as writers within every person's reach. Sinclair Lewis and Pearl Buck received recognition during this era. A renewed Academy in 1946 began awarding literary pioneers like Hermann Hesse and T.S. Eliot. Since the 1970s, attention often went to important but internationally unnoticed writers. Elias Canetti and Jaroslav Seifert were awarded during this shift. Beginning in 1986, the Academy acknowledged the international aspect of Nobel's will. Authors from all over the world like Wole Soyinka and Naguib Mahfouz were recognized.
Of the 1256 nominations between 1901 and 1950 only 44 were for female authors. Five women won the prize during that first century. Between 1946 and 1990 only one woman, Nelly Sachs, was awarded the prize. Eliza Orzeszkowa and Cecile Tormay were seriously considered for prizes in 1905 and 1936 respectively. They were ultimately passed over alongside Edith Wharton and Karen Blixen. The majority of laureates have been European with Sweden itself receiving eight prizes. Asia received seven prizes if Turkish author Orhan Pamuk is included. Latin America also received seven prizes if Saint Lucian Derek Walcott is counted. Horace Engdahl declared in 2009 that Europe still is the centre of the literary world. He claimed the US was too isolated to participate in the big dialogue of literature. American critics objected that Philip Roth and Thomas Pynchon had been overlooked. Jorge Luis Borges was nominated several times but never won despite being among final candidates in the 1960s. Graham Greene was nominated thirty-one times between 1950 and 1973.
In April 2018 three members of the academy board resigned in response to a sexual misconduct investigation. Author Jean-Claude Arnault was accused by at least 18 women of sexual assault and harassment. He was married to board member Katarina Frostenson. Both were accused of leaking names of prize recipients on at least seven occasions. Friends could profit from bets using this leaked information. Sara Danius hired a law firm to investigate if Frostenson had leaked confidential information. No legal action was taken against them. The investigation caused a split within the Academy. Following a vote to exclude board member Frostenson, three members resigned in protest. On the 4th of May 2018 the Swedish Academy announced the selection would be postponed until 2019. Only eight active members are required to choose a recipient yet concerns remained about credibility. The New Academy Prize in Literature was created as an alternative award for 2018 only. Maryse Condé won the first and only New Academy Prize in Literature. King Carl XVI Gustaf said reforms may include the right to resign from lifelong membership.
A literature medal features a portrait of Alfred Nobel in left profile on the obverse. Erik Lindberg designed it. The reverse depicts a young man sitting under a laurel tree who listens to and writes down the song of the Muse. It is inscribed with the phrase It is beneficial to have improved human life through discovered arts. A plate below the figures bears the name of the recipient. Between 1902 and 2010 medals were struck by the Myntverket in Eskilstuna. In 2011 they were made by the Det Norske Myntverket in Kongsberg. Svenska Medalj has made them since 2012. Laureates receive a diploma directly from the King of Sweden. Each diploma contains a picture and text stating why they received the prize. The highlight is the prize-giving ceremony and banquet on the 10th of December. This event occurs during Nobel Week in Stockholm. The literature prize can be shared between two but not three laureates. If awarded jointly, the money splits equally between them.
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Common questions
When did Alfred Nobel sign his last will and testament to establish the Nobel Prize in Literature?
Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament on the 27th of November 1895 at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris. The document bequeathed 31 million Swedish kronor to establish five prizes for those who conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.
Who determines the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and when was this power established?
The Swedish Academy holds the power to decide every winner for the Nobel Prize in Literature. This authority was specified in Alfred Nobel's will from 1895 and confirmed by King Oscar II promulgating new statutes in 1900.
How many female authors won the Nobel Prize in Literature between 1901 and 1950?
Five women won the Nobel Prize in Literature during the first century from 1901 to 1950 out of 1256 nominations. Eliza Orzeszkowa and Cecile Tormay were seriously considered for prizes in 1905 and 1936 respectively but were ultimately passed over alongside Edith Wharton and Karen Blixen.
What happened to the Nobel Prize in Literature selection process in May 2018?
The Swedish Academy announced the selection would be postponed until 2019 on the 4th of May 2018 following a sexual misconduct investigation involving board member Katarina Frostenson. The New Academy Prize in Literature was created as an alternative award for 2018 only and Maryse Condé won the first and only New Academy Prize in Literature.
Who designed the literature medal awarded with the Nobel Prize in Literature and what does it depict?
Erik Lindberg designed the literature medal which features a portrait of Alfred Nobel in left profile on the obverse. The reverse depicts a young man sitting under a laurel tree who listens to and writes down the song of the Muse inscribed with the phrase It is beneficial to have improved human life through discovered arts.