Nobel Prize in Literature

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Nobel Prize in Literature

Role / Field:

Annual Swedish literary award recognizing outstanding global contributions to literature.

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning for Literature (Swedish: Nobelpriset i litteratur), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words of Alfred Nobel, "in the field of literature, produced the most outstanding work in an idealistic direction". Though individual works are sometimes cited as being particularly noteworthy, the award is based on an author's body of work as a whole. The Swedish Academy decides who, if anyone, will receive the prize. The academy announces the name of the laureate in early October. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895.

Career & Major Achievements

Literature is traditionally the final award presented at the Nobel Prize ceremony. On some occasions, the award has been postponed to the following year, most recently in 2018. Alfred Nobel stipulated in his last will and testament that his money be used to create a series of prizes for those who confer the "greatest benefit on mankind" in physics, chemistry, peace, physiology or medicine, and literature. Although Nobel wrote several wills during his lifetime, the last was written a little over a year before he died, and it was signed at the Swedish-Norwegian Club in Paris on 27 November 1895. Nobel bequeathed 94% of his total assets, 31 million Swedish kronor (US$198 million, €176 million in 2016), to establish and endow the five Nobel Prizes.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Due to the level of scepticism surrounding the will, it was not until 26 April 1897 that the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) approved it. The executors of his will were Ragnar Sohlman and Rudolf Lilljequist, who formed the Nobel Foundation to take care of Nobel's fortune and organise the prizes. The members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee that were to award the Peace Prize were appointed shortly after the will was approved. The prize-awarding organisations followed: the Karolinska Institutet on 7 June, the Swedish Academy on 9 June, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on 11 June. The Nobel Foundation then reached an agreement on guidelines for how the Nobel Prize should be awarded.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1895: 1895 Milestone — It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895.
2. 1897: 1897 Milestone — Due to the level of scepticism surrounding the will, it was not until 26 April 1897 that the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) approved it.
3. 2016: 2016 Milestone — Nobel bequeathed 94% of his total assets, 31 million Swedish kronor (US$198 million, €176 million in 2016), to establish and endow the five Nobel Prizes.
4. 2018: 2018 Milestone — On some occasions, the award has been postponed to the following year, most recently in 2018.

Notable Quotes by Nobel Prize in Literature

“The prize in literature should be determined by "the Academy in Stockholm"” (1900)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Nobel Prize in Literature

True or False: “Alfred Nobel stipulated that the Nobel Prize in Literature was to be awarded based on a single, outstanding work.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The award is based on an author's entire body of work as a whole, even if individual works are noteworthy.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abd El-Razzak El-Sanhuri — Historical peer (Born in 1895) (1895): Pioneering Egyptian jurist, celebrated for authoring the revised Civil Code of 1948.
• Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah — Historical peer (Born in 1895) (1895): Founder of modern Kuwait, he oversaw its transition to an independent state.
• Aaron Klug — Historical peer (Died in 2018) (2018): Pioneering biophysicist known for crystallographic electron microscopy and nucleic acid structure.
• Alan Bean — Historical peer (Died in 2018) (2018): American astronaut, naval officer, and lunar explorer who walked on the Moon.
• Abbas Kiarostami — Historical peer (Died in 2016) (2016): Master Iranian filmmaker known for blending fiction and documentary styles.
• Agnes Nixon — Historical peer (Died in 2016) (2016): Pioneering soap opera writer and producer, creator of 'One Life to Live' and 'All My Children'.
• Alphonse Daudet — Historical peer (Died in 1897) (1897): French novelist celebrated for his evocative short stories and novels.
• Amelia Earhart — Historical peer (Born in 1897) (1897): Iconic American aviator whose pioneering flights shaped early 20th-century aviation.

Frequently Asked Questions about Nobel Prize in Literature