No Nobel Prize in literature this year!

Stockholm, May 4: The Swedish Academy says the Nobel Prize in Literature will be not awarded this year following sex-abuse allegations and other issues within its ranks that have tarnished the body’s reputation.

In its official release, the Nobel Foundation said, “The Swedish Academy has decided to postpone the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature, with the intention of awarding it in 2019. According to the Swedish Foundations Act, the Nobel Foundation is ultimately responsible for fulfilling the intentions in the will of Alfred Nobel. During the past several weeks, we have pursued a continuous dialogue with the Swedish Academy, and we support Thursday’s decision.

 

In principle, the Nobel Prize shall be awarded every year, but decisions on Nobel Prizes have been postponed on a number of occasions during the history of the prizes. One of the circumstances that may justify an exception is when a situation in a prize-awarding institution arises that is so serious that a prize decision will not be perceived as credible.”

It is the first time since 1943 that the prestigious award will not be handed out.

The foundation also said that the Swedish Academy will now put all its efforts into the task of restoring its credibility as a prize-awarding institution and that the Academy will report the concrete actions that are undertaken. We also assume that all members of the Academy realize that both its extensive reform efforts and its future organizational structure must be characterized by a greater openness towards the outside world.

The decision does not affect the other Nobel prizes, which are awarded separately. This year's laureate will be announced in 2019, the academy said.