Can You Ever Win a Nobel Prize in Literature?
The alternating interpretations of Nobel’s will and the controversies about the award.
Winning a Nobel Prize in Literature is probably a dream of every writer. Having no geographical restrictions makes everyone eligible for the prize, but are we, really? Even though the main mission of the Nobel Committee is to identify the finest author and their work, it’s not always that straightforward in reality. Many argue that the political and national interests of the jury have come in the way during the selection process, leaving the true laureates empty-handed.
Alfred Nobel and his disputable will
Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1833. He had three brothers. His father, Immanuel Nobel, was an inventor just like him. Even though Alfred’s main interest was in Literature and Poetry, he was expected to follow his father’s footsteps. With this in mind, he was sent abroad to study chemical engineering. There he met a scientist who invented Nitroglycerine, a highly explosive chemical not yet fit for practical use. Alfred, being a genius as he was, didn’t give up on the chemical and with his father, he worked on the explosive that was later successfully used in construction work. He didn’t stop there either and after many experiments…
