Or maybe they think that Kundera doesn't need this award because he's already a "living legend".
You make some good points but I find the "well, he is already pretty well known, and already has a lot of awards, and he really does not need the Nobel" pretty *&%&$ idiotic, if that, in fact, is the Academy's attitude towards writers like Kundera, Munro, Trevor, Ko Un, etc. You give the award to Kundera, Trevor, Munro, etc. because they are legends. The Nobel, whether you like it or not, has become the pinacle of literary awards. For now, at least, every other award plays second fiddle. It it the %$^#@ cherry on the top.
Roth: "Hey, I won the Kafka, the Booker International, the Neustadt, the Prince of Asturias....=("
Mo Yan: "Big %$#% deal Roth. I got the mother %^@$@$ Nobel. Take that."
Why do you think Roth is so pissed, even though he has pretty much every major literary prize/honor known to man? It's because he does not have THE greatest prize, THE greatest honor in the literary world. I am sure he is not the only worthy snub that is going "WTF?", although the others are probably hiding their disappointment. So to say, he/she does not need the Nobel is bollocks. The Nobel is THE highest recognition in literature and writers like Munro, Trevor, Kadare are certainly worthy of the honor.
Perhaps in decades to come, the Man Booker Internation Prize will become on par with the Nobel (especially if you add, to the already small, albeit impressive list of winners/Nobel snubs, candidates like William Trevor, Ngugi, Eco, Oz, DeLillo, etc. etc.) but, until then, the Nobel is THE ultimate recognition for literary excellence. I am totally all for spotlighting worthy authors that are not as wide read, but you also need to kick the "he doesn't really need the Nobel" and give it to Munro, Trevor, Kadare, Kundera.