Books

Nobel Prize in Literature winners

The Nobel Prize for Literature is the world’s most important international literary honor. Alfred Nobel - the Swedish scientist, engineer, and inventor - left his fortune to establish awards for physics, chemistry, physiology/medicine, peace, and literature.

The prizes began in 1901, and the first winner for literature was the French poet and essayist Sully Prudhomme. The winner is decided by a committee consisting of members from the Swedish Academy, which was founded in 1786. The Swedish Academy features 18 people of note – such as writers, scholars, and historians - who have the role for life. The prize is awarded for a writer’s overall body of work although individual works of importance have been cited at times.

Past winners include Annie Ernaux, Ernest Hemingway, Albert Camus, Hermann Hesse, José Saramago, Pablo Neruda, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1909.

Morning and Evening.jpg
Jon Fosse won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2023

The Nobel Prize looks for excellence in more than just fiction. Non-fiction authors (Winston Churchill and Bertrand Russell), poets (such as T.S. Eliot), playwrights (such as Harold Pinter and Nelly Sachs), a short story writer (Alice Munro), and even a singer/songwriter, Bob Dylan, have been honored.

The 2023 winner is Jon Fosse, one of Norway’s most prominent and celebrated playwrights and novelists. His works, often marked by their minimalist style and deep existential themes, explore the interior lives of rather solitary characters. He published his first novel, “Red, Black,” in 1983, and his debut play Someone Is Going to Come followed in 1992. His work A New Name: Septology VI-VII was a finalist for the International Booker Prize in 2022 and his other major works include Melancholy; Morning and Evening and Aliss at the Fire.

* The list of winners shown below contains quotations sourced from nobelprize.org. Prizes were not awarded in 1914 and 1918.

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The laureates: from 1901 until today

2023
Norway

"for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable"
2022
France

“for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory.”
2021
Tanzania, United Kingdom

"for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents."
2020
United States

"for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal."
2019
Austria

"for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience."
2018
Poland

"for a narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life."
2017
United Kingdom

"who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world."
2016
United States

"for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."
2015
Belarus

"for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time."
2014
France

"for the art of memory with which he has evoked the most ungraspable human destinies and uncovered the life-world of the occupation."
2013
Canada

"master of the contemporary short story."
2012
China

"who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary."
2011
Sweden

"because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality."
2010
Peru, Spain

"for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat."
2009
Germany, Romania

"who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed."
2008
France, Mauritius

"author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization."
2007
United Kingdom, Zimbabwe

"that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilization to scrutiny."
2006
Turkey

"who in the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures."
2005
United Kingdom

"who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms."
2004
Austria

"for her musical flow of voices and counter-voices in novels and plays that with extraordinary linguistic zeal reveal the absurdity of society's clichés and their subjugating power."
2003
South Africa

"who in innumerable guises portrays the surprising involvement of the outsider.
2002
Hungary

"for writing that upholds the fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history."
2001
United Kingdom, Trinidad & Tobago

"for having united perceptive narrative and incorruptible scrutiny in works that compel us to see the presence of suppressed histories."
2000
France, China

"for an œuvre of universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity, which has opened new paths for the Chinese novel and drama."
1999
Germany

"whose frolicsome black fables portray the forgotten face of history."
1998
Portugal

"who with parables sustained by imagination, compassion and irony continually enables us once again to apprehend an elusory reality."
1997
Italy

"who emulates the jesters of the Middle Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the downtrodden."
1996
Poland

"for poetry that with ironic precision allows the historical and biological context to come to light in fragments of human reality."
1995
Ireland

"for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past."
1994
Japan

"who with poetic force creates an imagined world, where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today."
1993
United States

"who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality."
1992
Saint Lucia

"for a poetic oeuvre of great luminosity, sustained by a historical vision, the outcome of a multicultural commitment."
1991
South Africa

"who through her magnificent epic writing has - in the words of Alfred Nobel - been of very great benefit to humanity."
1990
Mexico

"for impassioned writing with wide horizons, characterized by sensuous intelligence and humanistic integrity."
1989
Spain

"for a rich and intensive prose, which with restrained compassion forms a challenging vision of man's vulnerability."
1988
Egypt

"who, through works rich in nuance - now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous - has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind."
1987
United States, Soviet Union

"for an all-embracing authorship, imbued with clarity of thought and poetic intensity."
1986
Nigeria

"who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence."
1985
France

"who in his novel combines the poet's and the painter's creativeness with a deepened awareness of time in the depiction of the human condition."
1984
Czechoslovakia

"for his poetry which endowed with freshness, sensuality and rich inventiveness provides a liberating image of the indomitable spirit and versatility of man."
1983
United Kingdom

"for his novels which, with the perspicuity of realistic narrative art and the diversity and universality of myth, illuminate the human condition in the world of today."
1982
Colombia

"for his novels and short stories, in which the fantastic and the realistic are combined in a richly composed world of imagination, reflecting a continent's life and conflicts."
1981
United Kingdom, Bulgaria

"for writings marked by a broad outlook, a wealth of ideas and artistic power."
1980
Poland

"who with uncompromising clear-sightedness voices man's exposed condition in a world of severe conflicts."
1979
Greece

"for his poetry, which, against the background of Greek tradition, depicts with sensuous strength and intellectual clear-sightedness modern man's struggle for freedom and creativeness."
1978
United States, Poland

"for his impassioned narrative art which, with roots in a Polish-Jewish cultural tradition, brings universal human conditions to life."
1977
Spain

"for a creative poetic writing which illuminates man's condition in the cosmos and in present-day society, at the same time representing the great renewal of the traditions of Spanish poetry between the wars."
1976
United States

"for the human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture that are combined in his work."
1975
Italy

"for his distinctive poetry which, with great artistic sensitivity, has interpreted human values under the sign of an outlook on life with no illusions."
1974
Sweden

"for a narrative art, far-seeing in lands and ages, in the service of freedom."
1974
Sweden

"for writings that catch the dewdrop and reflect the cosmos."
1973
Australia

"for an epic and psychological narrative art which has introduced a new continent into literature."
1972
Germany

"for his writing which through its combination of a broad perspective on his time and a sensitive skill in characterization has contributed to a renewal of German literature."
1971
Chile

"for a poetry that with the action of an elemental force brings alive a continent's destiny and dreams."
1970
Soviet Union

"for the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature."
1969
Ireland

"for his writing, which - in new forms for the novel and drama - in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation."
1968
Japan

"for his narrative mastery, which with great sensibility expresses the essence of the Japanese mind."
1967
Guatemala

"for his vivid literary achievement, deep-rooted in the national traits and traditions of Indian peoples of Latin America."
1966
Israel

"for his profoundly characteristic narrative art with motifs from the life of the Jewish people."
1966
Germany, Sweden

"for her outstanding lyrical and dramatic writing, which interprets Israel's destiny with touching strength."
1965
Soviet Union

"for the artistic power and integrity with which, in his epic of the Don, he has given expression to a historic phase in the life of the Russian people."
1964
France

"for his work which, rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth, has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age."
1963
Greece

"for his eminent lyrical writing, inspired by a deep feeling for the Hellenic world of culture."
1962
United States

"for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception."
1961
Yugoslavia

"for the epic force with which he has traced themes and depicted human destinies drawn from the history of his country."
1960
France

"for the soaring flight and the evocative imagery of his poetry which in a visionary fashion reflects the conditions of our time."
1959
Italy

"for his lyrical poetry, which with classical fire expresses the tragic experience of life in our own times."
1958
Soviet Union

"for his important achievement both in contemporary lyrical poetry and in the field of the great Russian epic tradition."
1957
France

"for his important literary production, which with clear-sighted earnestness illuminates the problems of the human conscience in our times."
1956
Spain

"for his lyrical poetry, which in Spanish language constitutes an example of high spirit and artistic purity."
1955
Iceland

"for his vivid epic power which has renewed the great narrative art of Iceland."
1954
United States

"for his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea, and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style."
1953
United Kingdom

"for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values."
1952
France

"for the deep spiritual insight and the artistic intensity with which he has in his novels penetrated the drama of human life."
1951
Sweden

"for the artistic vigor and true independence of mind with which he endeavors in his poetry to find answers to the eternal questions confronting mankind."
1950
United Kingdom

"in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought."
1949
United States

"for his powerful and artistically unique contribution to the modern American novel."
1948
United Kingdom

"for his outstanding, pioneer contribution to present-day poetry."
1947
France

"for his comprehensive and artistically significant writings, in which human problems and conditions have been presented with a fearless love of truth and keen psychological insight."
1946
Germany, Switzerland

"for his inspired writings which, while growing in boldness and penetration, exemplify the classical humanitarian ideals and high qualities of style."
1945
Chile

"for her lyric poetry which, inspired by powerful emotions, has made her name a symbol of the idealistic aspirations of the entire Latin American world."
1944
Denmark

"for the rare strength and fertility of his poetic imagination with which is combined an intellectual curiosity of wide scope and a bold, freshly creative style."
1939
Finland

"for his deep understanding of his country's peasantry and the exquisite art with which he has portrayed their way of life and their relationship with Nature."
1938
United States

"for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces."
1937
France

"for the artistic power and truth with which he has depicted human conflict as well as some fundamental aspects of contemporary life in his novel-cycle Les Thibault."
1936
United States

"for the power, honesty and deep-felt emotions of his dramatic works, which embody an original concept of tragedy."
1934
Italy

"for his bold and ingenious revival of dramatic and scenic art."
1933
Stateless, domicile in France

"for the strict artistry with which he has carried on the classical Russian traditions in prose writing."
1932
United Kingdom

"for his distinguished art of narration which takes its highest form in The Forsyte Saga."
1931
Sweden

"The poetry of Erik Axel Karlfeldt."
1930
United States

"for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of characters."
1929
Germany

"principally for his great novel, Buddenbrooks, which has won steadily increased recognition as one of the classic works of contemporary literature."
1928
Norway, Denmark

"principally for her powerful descriptions of Northern life during the Middle Ages."
1927
France

“in recognition of his rich and vitalizing ideas and the brilliant skill with which they have been presented.”
1926
Italy

“for her idealistically inspired writings which with plastic clarity picture the life on her native island and with depth and sympathy deal with human problems in general.”
1925
United Kingdom

“for his work which is marked by both idealism and humanity, its stimulating satire often being infused with a singular poetic beauty.”
1924
Poland

“for his great national epic, The Peasants.”
1923
United Kingdom

“for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation.”
1922
Spain

“for the happy manner in which he has continued the illustrious traditions of the Spanish drama.”
1921
France

“in recognition of his brilliant literary achievements, characterized as they are by a nobility of style, a profound human sympathy, grace, and a true Gallic temperament.”
1920
Norway

“for his monumental work, Growth of the Soil."
1919
Switzerland

“in special appreciation of his epic, Olympian Spring.
1917 (shared)
Denmark

“for his varied and rich poetry, which is inspired by lofty ideals.”
1917 (shared)
Denmark

“for his authentic descriptions of present-day life in Denmark.”
1916
Sweden

“in recognition of his significance as the leading representative of a new era in our literature.”
1915
France

“as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production and to the sympathy and love of truth with which he has described different types of human beings.”
1913
India

“because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West.”
1912
Germany, Poland

“primarily in recognition of his fruitful, varied and outstanding production in the realm of dramatic art.”
1911
Belgium

“in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration.”
1910
Germany

“as a tribute to the consummate artistry, permeated with idealism, which he has demonstrated during his long productive career as a lyric poet, dramatist, novelist and writer of world-renowned short stories.”
1909
Sweden

"in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings.”
1908
Germany

“in recognition of his earnest search for truth, his penetrating power of thought, his wide range of vision, and the warmth and strength in presentation with which in his numerous works he has vindicated and developed an idealistic philosophy of life.”
1907
United Kingdom

“in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author.”
1906
Italy

“not only in consideration of his deep learning and critical research, but above all as a tribute to the creative energy, freshness of style, and lyrical force which characterize his poetic masterpieces.”
1905
Poland

“because of his outstanding merits as an epic writer.”
1904 (shared)
France

“in recognition of the fresh originality and true inspiration of his poetic production, which faithfully reflects the natural scenery and native spirit of his people, and, in addition, his significant work as a Provençal philologist.”
1904 (shared)
Spain

“in recognition of the numerous and brilliant compositions which, in an individual and original manner, have revived the great traditions of the Spanish drama.”
1903
Norway

“as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit.”
1902
Germany

"the greatest living master of the art of historical writing, with special reference to his monumental work, A History of Rome."
1901
France

"in special recognition of his poetic composition, which gives evidence of lofty idealism, artistic perfection and a rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect."

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