Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 Speculation

[Cleanthess]

He could be the next Colombian writer awarded with the Nobel, but only based on international recognition. Talking about quality, Pablo Montoya and William Ospina are way way better.

I hope you're happy. You made me sink ten big ones to buy Ospina's selected essays ebook.

 

[Leseratte]

Now you see, this is the problem when you refer to Vargas Llosa as Llosa only or João Guimarães Rosa as Rosa.
Told you so!



Boubacar Boris Diop
Alain Mabanckou
Ben Okri
Germano Almeida
Emmanuel Dongala
Tierno Monenembo
Tsitsi Dangarembga
Scholastique Mukasonga
Ken Bugul

Thanks for this list, I know only Ben Okri from it.

 

[Septularisen]

He could be the next Colombian writer awarded with the Nobel, but only based on international recognition. Talking about quality, Pablo Montoya and William Ospina are way way better.

I've heard a lot of nice comments about William OSPINA, so will try to read one of his books before the end of the year.

 

[Septularisen]

Boubacar Boris Diop
Alain Mabanckou
Ben Okri
Germano Almeida
Emmanuel Dongala
Tierno Monenembo
Tsitsi Dangarembga
Scholastique Mukasonga
Ken Bugul

Very interesting list.
All those authors have a lot of books translated in french tongue (some of write directly in french tongue, and live in France...), but...
But except Ben OKRI I don't see any of those have the amplitude, and the ability to win the prize!..
So, wait and see...

 

[Americanreader]

I didn't know that. That's so sad! Komunyakaa is indeed a pretty big deal in US poetry circles (we don't have very big poetry circles here). He's a good poet, his selected volume, I think it was called Neon Vernacular, I remember being good. I'm not sure of his notoriety in 2002, but he might have just suffered from the lack of poetry interest in the US in regards to the lack of domestic coverage.

 

[Daniel del Real]

I've heard a lot of nice comments about William OSPINA, so will try to read one of his books before the end of the year.

I really enjoyed his historical trilogy about the conquest and foundation of Colombia: Ursúa, El país de la canela & La serpiente sin ojos.

hmm I'm not sure what you mean by that... that their works themselves are not Nobel material, or that they would be seen as such were the writers European?

If it's the latter, well, we're discussing Couto as a serious contender, who is Mozambican, writes in Portuguese (a somewhat underrated language) and still, here he is.

Yes, and that's the issue, WE ARE discussing him, and judging based on the last African laureate in 2003, THEY ARE NOT.

 

[Leemo]

Yes, and that's the issue, WE ARE discussing him, and judging based on the last African laureate in 2003, THEY ARE NOT.

Isn't it possible that the Swedish Academy has had multiple Africans on the shortlist over the past decade but they just didn't choose them?

To add more, it seems pretty clear (assuming the continued prescience of the Nobel Library) that Africa IS being discussed this year, just as it seemed clear that China was being discussed last year, while it appears that China is no longer in discussion this year. Given what the Academy has been saying, I think its much more likely that African writers have been looked at and discussed over the past decade than not.

 

[DouglasM]

Isn't it possible that the Swedish Academy has had multiple Africans on the shortlist over the past decade but they just didn't choose them?

Seems like they were too busy awarding Dylan to seriously consider Saadawi, al-Koni or wa Thiong'o.

 

[Leemo]

Seems like they were too busy awarding Dylan to seriously consider Saadawi, al-Koni or wa Thiong'o.

Haha you'll find no disagreement from me in that specific regard! I despised Dylan being awarded.

 

[nagisa]

Yes, and that's the issue, WE ARE discussing him, and judging based on the last African laureate in 2003, THEY ARE NOT.

To add more, it seems pretty clear (assuming the continued prescience of the Nobel Library) that Africa IS being discussed this year, just as it seemed clear that China was being discussed last year, while it appears that China is no longer in discussion this year.

The library ≠ what the SA is discussing; at best it's an indication.

Isn't it possible that the Swedish Academy has had multiple Africans on the shortlist over the past decade but they just didn't choose them?

I'd be surprised if it weren't the case. But until we get the deliberations in half a century, or we have credible nominators disclosing their picks, we're not sure of what the SA is thinking.

 

[redhead]

To add more, it seems pretty clear (assuming the continued prescience of the Nobel Library) that Africa IS being discussed this year, just as it seemed clear that China was being discussed last year, while it appears that China is no longer in discussion this year. Given what the Academy has been saying, I think its much more likely that African writers have been looked at and discussed over the past decade than not.

Judging from the lib, they’re probably looking at Africa this year, but I think they’re still discussing China. They have a few books out by Chinese authors due in August, as well as a collection of academic essays on world literature with a special focus on how Chinese lit relates to it.

 

[Leemo]

The library ≠ what the SA is discussing; at best it's an indication.


I'd be surprised if it weren't the case. But until we get the deliberations in half a century, or we have credible nominators disclosing their picks, we're not sure of what the SA is thinking.

What you write matches exactly what I'm trying to say. We're not sure what the SA is thinking, but the Nobel Library appears to be the best indication that we have. And the current indication is that Africa is being discussed. So for Daniel to posit that the Swedish Academy had not discussed writers from the continent of Africa since 2003 seems quite unlikely to me.

 

[Leemo]

Judging from the lib, they’re probably looking at Africa this year, but I think they’re still discussing China. They have a few books out by Chinese authors due in August, as well as a collection of academic essays on world literature with a special focus on how Chinese lit relates to it.

Ahh I see, I stand corrected. My previous understanding was that all the books taken out from Chinese authors were past due, similar to the work of Charles Simic.

 

[redhead]

Ahh I see, I stand corrected. My previous understanding was that all the books taken out from Chinese authors were past due, similar to the work of Charles Simic.

I mean, no one from there might be shortlisted this year. But it looks like they’re at least keeping an eye on the country and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another laureate from there within a decade or two

 

[Daniel del Real]

Isn't it possible that the Swedish Academy has had multiple Africans on the shortlist over the past decade but they just didn't choose them?

To add more, it seems pretty clear (assuming the continued prescience of the Nobel Library) that Africa IS being discussed this year, just as it seemed clear that China was being discussed last year, while it appears that China is no longer in discussion this year. Given what the Academy has been saying, I think its much more likely that African writers have been looked at and discussed over the past decade than not.

It doesn't matter, they haven't chosen any of them. You think we should be thankful because at least they deign to contemplate Africa with their divine literary eye? At least this is what I read from your post.
Somehow they reached the conclussion fucking Bob Dylan is more represetantive of the ideal direction of literature in Nobel's will than Ngugi Wa Thiong'o or Le Clezio´s foreign eye on Africa is more important than what Chinua Achebe had to say about his own continent and people.

 

[OverTheMountains]

It doesn't matter, they haven't chosen any of them. You think we should be thankful because at least they deign to contemplate Africa with their divine literary eye? At least this is what I read from your post.
Somehow they reached the conclussion fucking Bob Dylan is more represetantive of the ideal direction of literature in Nobel's will than Ngugi Wa Thiong'o or Le Clezio´s foreign eye on Africa is more important than what Chinua Achebe had to say about his own continent and people.

I mean, it's a bunch of white people judging "literature" with a euro centric lens as to what can be justified as literature. It's tragic that Le Clézio won when Achebe could have, but it isn't surprising. For all of the accusations that the SA is a liberal harem, they've a lot to learn about decolonial thoughts and traditions. Thiong'o winning could be an indicator of a shift in their understanding of highly respectable literary themes, and "artistry" that is defined by a different audience (though any judgment on artistry is truly subjective), but I'm not confident in his winning either. Which is too bad. The man is more than deserving.

I no longer fully hate Dylan winning. I don't much like the justification they provided, but I don't hate his win. But I also probably have bad taste, as I even quite enjoy Jelinek's work.

I'm here to support Ospina as a good one day candidate. The world would benefit from more translations of his work. Unfortunately my Spanish is likely not good enough to get through his stuff anymore.

 

[Papageno]

Isn't it possible that the Swedish Academy has had multiple Africans on the shortlist over the past decade but they just didn't choose them?

I really like the point you're raising. This is actually one of the things I really appreciate about the Nobel prize - we don't get to see their shortlists. They keep their mystery, since we simply know extremely little about whom they are considering or not considering. The media keep talking about the so-called "perennial candidates" such as Thiong'o or Murakami or Kundera or Roth (before he died), but we don't know if they ever really were any sort of candidates at all! - it is equally possible that the Academy considered their work and decided they were not worthy - many people would disagree, but it is Academy's decision to make and I trust them to make a good call - on most occasions.

 

[Leemo]

It doesn't matter, they haven't chosen any of them. You think we should be thankful because at least they deign to contemplate Africa with their divine literary eye? At least this is what I read from your post.
Somehow they reached the conclussion fucking Bob Dylan is more represetantive of the ideal direction of literature in Nobel's will than Ngugi Wa Thiong'o or Le Clezio´s foreign eye on Africa is more important than what Chinua Achebe had to say about his own continent and people.

I'd say that's a harsh reading of what I wrote, by no means did I mean to imply anything of that sort. I was simply trying to say that I think what you wrote was hyperbolic and unlikely to be true.

I find it to be a theme that people assume the worst from the Swedish Academy, and I won't doubt that there has traditionally been reason to do so, but there has been a wide array of changes with the Academy in the last few years alone, and personally I think it's more fair to give them time to create new trends as opposed to blaming them for things done decades ago.

 

[SpaceCadet]

With an imposing pool of writers, India (like Africa) is an other area that remains under represented among the Nobel laureates. I am aware that translation and availability could be an issue, but I was wondering if, excepting Rushdie (I mean excluding here), there was anyone from there that has been or could be considered?

 

[Salixacaena]

The library ≠ what the SA is discussing; at best it's an indication.

This is true. The library certainly isn't all telling. But it's safe to say if there isn't clear evidence of an author being checked out/in the library at all then it's doubtful they're on a shortlist. We'd discussed Anne Carson for years based on the library and additionally Charles Simic and Louis Gluck after they had nearly 20 works checked out for all of last summer. Gluck ended up winning and numerous papers cited in the Nobel's bio-bibliography section were academic papers comparing these three authors to each other meaning it was likely they were all in contention (or perhaps Carson are Gluck were and they were being compared against Simic).