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The Politics of the Nobel Prize in Literature: How the Laureates Were Selected, 1901-2007
The Politics of the Nobel Prize in Literature How the Laureates Were Selected 19012007 Author:Richard Wires This work examines the influence of politics on the selection of Nobel laureates in not only disagreements over the nature of literature, its aims, and prize criteria, but also the role of national, regional, and international concerns, and the impact of rivalries and balances among linguistic, cultural, and ideological groups. This study examin... more »es how the members of the Swedish Academy have chosen the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize in Literature since the award was introduced a century ago. Its special focus is the part that politics, broadly defined, has played in the process and selections. Thus the inquiry looks at the influence of politics in many different forms. Through review of the specific situation behind every laureate's selection, the study reveals the interplay of forces and suggests how each decision was reached, placing it within both an historical and overall pattern. Such examinations allow readers to understand why so many little-known writers became laureates and why so many highly regarded figures in world literature were never honored. The study will appeal to scholars in modern literature and cultural and intellectual history but also to serious readers beyond the academic world.« less