Bob Dylan Awarded 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2016 goes to Bob Dylan, 75, for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."

Dylan is the first songwriter to win the prestigious accolade.

From Rolling Stone:

The Swedish Academy handed Bob Dylan a remarkable, unexpected accolade on Thursday, announcing the singer as the recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature. In a succinct statement, the Academy said Dylan deserved the honor "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition." He is the first American to win the Nobel Prize in literature since Toni Morrison in 1993. Previous renowned American laureates in the literature category include William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck.

The news was announced by the academy's permanent secretary, Sara Danius. According to NPR, Danius called Dylan "a great poet in the English-speaking tradition," and "a wonderful sampler—a very original sampler" during an interview following the announcement. "For 54 years now, he has been at it and reinventing himself, constantly creating a new identity," she added.

See Bob Dylan’s bio.

Facts about the Nobel Prize in Literature:

• 113 have been awarded since 1901.

• The prize was not awarded on seven occasions: in 1914, 1918, 1935, 1940, 1941, 1942, and 1943.
• The average age of all Literature Laureates between 1901 and 2015 is 65 years.

• The youngest Literature Laureate is Rudyard Kipling, best known for The Jungle Book, who was 41 years old when he was awarded the Literature Prize in 1907.

• The oldest Nobel Laureate in Literature to date is Doris Lessing, who was 88 years old when she was awarded the Prize in 2007.

• Two people have declined the Nobel Prize in Literature. Boris Pasternak (1958) "accepted first, later caused by the authorities of his country (Soviet Union) to decline the Prize"). Jean Paul Sartre (1964) “declined the prize because he had consistently declined all official honors.”

• 27 Nobel Laureates in Literature from 1901 to 2014 write in English

• Many believe Winston Churchill was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but he was actually awarded the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature. Between 1945 and 1953, Winston Churchill got 21 nominations for the Literature Prize and two for the Nobel Peace Prize.

• The nominations and the opinions written by the members of the Nobel Committee in Literature each year are kept secret for 50 years.

• The Nobel Prize amount for 2016 is set at Swedish kronor (SEK) 8.0 million per full Nobel Prize, which is about $906,000. Alfred Nobel left most of his estate, more than SEK 31 million (today approximately SEK 1,702 million) to be converted into a fund and invested in "safe securities." The income from the investments was to be "distributed annually in the form of prizes to those who during the preceding year have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind."

What will Bob do with his newfound money?

For a complete list of all Nobel Prizes in Literature, visit nobelprize.org.

X