Nobel Prize in Literature 2020 Speculation

[Bartleby]

I quite like the idea of considering writers rather than novels! I wonder if there's functionality on this forum to do voting polls...

Yeah, I know, me too. That’s why I like the Nobel, for being an entire career’s assessment... but it’d be kinda hard reading entire authors’ works in short time, no? I mean, we’ve got lives... most of those SA members’ jobs is to read books, and that’s it... perhaps if it were done once a year, one writer at a time, tho?

and yes, there is a way of enabling voting polls on threads.

 

[namelesshere]

Yeah, I know, me too. That’s why I like the Nobel, for being an entire career’s assessment... but it’d be kinda hard reading entire authors’ works in short time, no? I mean, we’ve got lives... most of those SA members’ jobs is to read books, and that’s it... perhaps if it were done once a year, one writer at a time, tho?

and yes, there is a way of enabling voting polls on threads.

Yeh, agreed. Slowly, slowly.

All participants could have one nomination. All those go into a list - everyone is allowed 3 votes which they must cast against separate names. Top 6 (?) go to "shortlist" stage for further discussion with a final vote in week 1 of October!

It could be a disaster but it could also be fun.

 

[Bartleby]

Yeh, agreed. Slowly, slowly.

All participants could have one nomination. All those go into a list - everyone is allowed 3 votes which they must cast against separate names. Top 6 (?) go to "shortlist" stage for further discussion with a final vote in week 1 of October!

It could be a disaster but it could also be fun.

I guess it would be worth a try at least. I know, from (very) recent experience (presenting a seminar together) that group readings can be a very enlightening thing
And the eligible writers would be anyone, alive or dead? Or those still living who haven’t (yet) got the Nobel?
(I’d personally find the latter more interesting)

 

[redhead]

I’d be down to try

also, here are the names making up the Nobel committee this year:https://www.nobelprize.org/about/the-nobel-committee-for-literature/

Any guesses as to their preferences? Based on Svenbro’s background as a poet influenced by Ancient Greek writing, I could see him voting for Carson

 

[Bartleby]

I’d be down to try

also, here are the names making up the Nobel committee this year:https://www.nobelprize.org/about/the-nobel-committee-for-literature/

Any guesses as to their preferences? Based on Svenbro’s background as a poet influenced by Ancient Greek writing, I could see him voting for Carson

If I’m not mistaken, Olsson and Wästberg were part of the committee last year (I don’t remember about Svenbro).
Curious to see they didn’t replace the external experts who left in protest...

edit: just rewatched the beginning of last year’s prizes announcement and those SA members were part of the committee, together with Kristina Lugn, who, sadly, passed away this year...

I’ve found out that Wästberg has written a book about the Portuguese wars in Angola and Mozambique. That could make him particularly fond of Lobo Antunes’ work...

 

[DouglasM]

To give a WLF Award for lifetime achievement in literature would be a fun way to start the decade in these boards. We could discuss the rules and democratically choose a winner. Who knows, it could even make more users join the conversations throughout the year.

 

[namelesshere]

Has anyone seen the 4 minute interview with Anders Olsson on twitter? I don't think there's anything particularly revealing in it, although the fact that the prize looks globally is mentioned a couple of times, and it finishes with the Alfred Nobel quote around "for the greatest benefit to humankind".

 

[hayden]

Has anyone seen the 4 minute interview with Anders Olsson on twitter? I don't think there's anything particularly revealing in it, although the fact that the prize looks globally is mentioned a couple of times, and it finishes with the Alfred Nobel quote around "for the greatest benefit to humankind".

The immediate mention of essayists and professors made me think towards Carson. That's about all I got out of it though.

 

[namelesshere]

The immediate mention of essayists and professors made me think towards Carson. That's about all I got out of it though.

And scientists... that was odd.

 

[redhead]

Richard Dawkins has publicly complained about how no scientists have won the Literature prize a few times:

“ (Why is the Nobel Prize in Literature almost always given to a novelist, never a scientist? Why should we prefer our literature to be about things that didn’t happen? Wouldn’t, say, Steven Pinker be a good candidate for the literature prize?)”

Richard Dawkins: By the Book (Published 2013)

The author of “The God Delusion” and “An Appetite for Wonder” doesn’t care for “Pride and Prejudice”: “I can’t get excited about who is going to marry whom, and how rich they are.”

www.nytimes.com

That might’ve been why he mentioned scientists.

 

[Bartleby]

Has anyone seen the 4 minute interview with Anders Olsson on twitter? I don't think there's anything particularly revealing in it, although the fact that the prize looks globally is mentioned a couple of times, and it finishes with the Alfred Nobel quote around "for the greatest benefit to humankind".

Thanks! I don’t ever check Twitter, don’t have an account.
The link to it, btw.

I liked what he said about it all being about literary merit, their debates about what it means, and the way he speaks about the amazing thing that is discussing great literature with others who share the same enthusiasm for it.

 

[namelesshere]

Richard Dawkins has publicly complained about how no scientists have won the Literature prize a few times:

“ (Why is the Nobel Prize in Literature almost always given to a novelist, never a scientist? Why should we prefer our literature to be about things that didn’t happen? Wouldn’t, say, Steven Pinker be a good candidate for the literature prize?)”

Richard Dawkins: By the Book (Published 2013)

The author of “The God Delusion” and “An Appetite for Wonder” doesn’t care for “Pride and Prejudice”: “I can’t get excited about who is going to marry whom, and how rich they are.”

www.nytimes.com

That might’ve been why he mentioned scientists.

Yeh, true, though an unusual time to bring it up now 7 years after the complaint...

If I were a novelist and scientists started winning the Nobel Prize for literature I'd be pretty pissed off. I mean, scientists already have Physics, Chemistry and Medicine prizes... I'm not saying there isn't great writing done by scientists but... they don't need to win the literature prize too.

 

[DouglasM]

"Wouldn’t, say, Steven Pinker be a good candidate for the literature prize?"

No, never. Nein. Não. No. Nee. Ne. Nej. Non. Nei. Tidak. Naeh. Nie. Illai. Nahin. Dim.
Please, don't.

 

[namelesshere]

Thanks! I don’t ever check Twitter, don’t have an account.
The link to it, btw.

I liked what he said about it all being about literary merit, their debates about what it means, and the way he speaks about the amazing thing that is discussing great literature with others who share the same enthusiasm for it.

He made it sound wonderful didn't he! Which I'm sure it is.

 

[namelesshere]

No, never. Nein. Não. No. Nee. Ne. Nej. Non. Nei. Tidak. Naeh. Nie. Illai. Nahin. Dim.
Please, don't.

I see your nos, and agree with your nos, and raise you...Bob Dylan.

 

[Americanreader]

No, never. Nein. Não. No. Nee. Ne. Nej. Non. Nei. Tidak. Naeh. Nie. Illai. Nahin. Dim.
Please, don't.

I agree, scientists do not primarily create literary work, and they already have multiple prizes.

 

[Americanreader]

They might do some on the side, but their job is to be a scientist.

 

[Bartleby]

No, never. Nein. Não. No. Nee. Ne. Nej. Non. Nei. Tidak. Naeh. Nie. Illai. Nahin. Dim.
Please, don't.

Now I’m curious to know why, never heard of the guy...

and btw, the Dawkins quote is so obtuse, and then the other one about Austen on the link’s preview just made me cringe so hard...

and as for scientists... well if we consider social sciences... it’s been recently brought up again that it was rumoured that Derrida would win the prize the year he died (it can all be lies, but still).

 

[redhead]

Yeh, true, though an unusual time to bring it up now 7 years after the complaint...

Dawkins has brought it up a bunch of times, so that might be why Olsson mentioned it.

They might do some on the side, but their job is to be a scientist.

I could see a scientist win if they write nonfiction works for audiences wider than fellow researchers. I can’t name any who I think are worthy right now, but I could see it happening.

 

[peter_d]

Mulish came to mind. Understandable wasn't meant as a negative word targeted at the Netherlands, I still felt like I needed to signal the country out in that post compared to many others, but I don't feel like they've had a towering figure who's been bluntly snubbed of the award (a la Borges, Amado, perhaps Thiong'o one day, but hopefully not...). I don't think that's a good thing by any means, and it certainly wasn't a shot at the quality of Dutch literature. I'll agree Nooteboom is most likely the Dutch frontrunner at the moment. Ugrešić has Dutch citizenship, but I think everyone considers her foremost a Croatian writer. Truly didn't mean any offence, it was meant as an honest shoutout to the country.

The country you represent is definitely no criteria, but my comment was just replying to the 'time for another French laureate' post, which I didn't quite catch the sarcasm in. I think we're actually in agreement. There clearly isn't a queue.

Hayden, I did not, in any way, take your message as an insult. Not even as negative. I was just curious to know why you thought that it was more understandable and I kind of expected that you would bring up the relatively limited amount of speakers/readers of the Dutch language. In which case I would have reacted that those numbers are usually underestimated. There are roughly 25 million native speakers, and about another 15 million who master it as a second (or third) language. But you're right with the 'tower figure' argument. On the other hand, the Nobel is often awarded to not so well-known authors. Who knows one day it will go to a Dutch or an Argentinian that no one outside their country of origin has ever heard about.