Nobel Prize in Literature: From 1901-Present

Table of Contents

• The Nobel Prize in Literature: Key Facts
• Nobel Prize in Literature: Awarding the Masters of Words and Imagination
• Celebrating the Best in Literature: List Of Nobel Prize Winners Who Shaped the Literary World
• Conclusion
• FAQs

On 27 November 1895, a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman signed his last will, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of the Nobel Prizes.

Nobel's will states that one part was for "the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction."

The Swedish Academy annually awards the Nobel Prize in Literature for an author's work.

Here's the current status:

* Source: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/ 

Let's learn more about the Nobel Prize in Literature:1901 - present.

The Nobel Prize in Literature: Key Facts

Here are some fascinating facts about the Nobel Prize in the category of Literature:

Fact No. 1:

The Nobel Prize in Literature probably belongs to the nature of literature. 

Fact No. 2: 

Among the 117 times and 121 laureates (1901-Present) in the category of Literature, 18 were women laureates

Fact No. 3: 

In total, 117 Nobel Prizes in Literature have been awarded since 1901. The Nobel Prize was not awarded on seven occasions: in 1914, 1918, 1935, 1940, 1941, 1942, and 1943. This was because none of the works under consideration is found to be of the importance indicated in the first paragraph

Fact No. 4: Rudyard Kipling was the youngest literature laureate to be awarded at age 41. He was the first English-language recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature

Fact No. 5: 

At the age of 87, Doris Lessing, a British novelist, became the oldest literature laureate ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Fact No. 6: 

The Nobel Prize was not primarily awarded during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945).

Fact No. 7: 

The first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature was Selma Lagerlöf, a Swedish writer. She was awarded the prize in 1909.

Fact No. 8: 

Winston Churchill was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945. He got 21 nominations for the literature prize and two for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Fact No. 9: 

According to the will of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Bernhard Nobel, the Nobel Prize for the Literature category consists of 

• A gold medal
• A diploma bearing a citation
• A sum of money, the amount of which depends on the income of the Nobel Foundation

Fact No. 10: 

The Nobel Prize in Literature has been shared between two laureates* on four occasions only – 1904, 1917, 1966 and 1974.

• In 1904: The Nobel Prize in Literature was shared between Frédéric Mistral and José Echegaray
• In 1917: The Nobel Prize in Literature was  shared between Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson
• In 1966: The Nobel Prize in Literature was shared between Shmuel Agnon and Nelly Sachs
• In 1974: The Nobel Prize in Literature was shared between Eyvind Johnson and Patrick White

Nobel Prize in Literature : Awarding the Masters of Words and Imagination

The Nobel Prize in Literature is a prestigious award given to the Literature category that celebrates literary excellence and global voices. Alfred Nobel established the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901, with the Swedish Academy administering it.

Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Prize for Literature has stood as one of the highest honours in the literary world. world. More than just an award, it is a global recognition of the power of language to illuminate, challenge, and transform the human experience. 

Laureates are chosen for their literary skill and their contribution to world culture, from poets and novelists to songwriters and philosophers. By honouring these masters of words and imagination, the Nobel Prize continues to shape the canon of global literature.

Celebrating the Best in Literature: 

List Of Nobel Prize Winners Who Shaped the Literary World

The Nobel Prize for Literature is awarded, according to the will of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Bernhard Nobel, “to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind” in the field of literature. It is conferred by the Swedish Academy in Stockholm.

The table provides a list of winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

*Note:

• U.S.S.R – Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

• Erik Axel Karlfeldt was a Swedish poet. He, being an essentially regional and tradition-bound poet, made himself extremely popular and won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1918, which was later declined by him because of his position as secretary to the Swedish Academy. Erik Axel Karlfeldt was awarded the Nobel Prize posthumously. From 1974, the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation stipulate that a Nobel Prize cannot be awarded posthumously.

• Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was a Russian and Soviet poet, novelist, composer, and literary translator. In 1958, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his novel Doctor Zhivago. There was so much opposition to his nomination in the Soviet Union that he declined the honour

• Jean-Paul Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was considered a leading figure in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. In October 1964, Jean-Paul Sartre was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work, which was rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth and has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age. He declined the Nobel Prize and always refused official distinctions, as he did not want to be "institutionalised" and feared it would limit the impact of his writing. 

Conclusion

The Nobel Prize in Literature is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the literary world, honoured for a writer’s life work. It has been awarded 117 times to 121 Nobel Prize laureates between 1901 and 2024/present.

Rabindranath Tagore became the first Indian citizen and the first Asian to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. 

Mother Teresa was the sole female recipient nominated for both the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Nobel Prize in Peace.

Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Prize has recognised individual excellence and drawn global attention to the powerful voices that shape human experience through storytelling.

As literature continues to evolve in form and reach, the Nobel Prize remains a testament to the profound impact of the written word on society and the human spirit.

To learn more about the legacy of the Nobel Prize, its winners, and the Nobel Prizes in Literature, read our blogs.