Are the criteria for Nobel Prize in Literature truly objective?

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2022 was awarded to Annie Ernaux "for the courage with which she uncovers the roots and collective restraints of personal memory" is now allegedly anti-semitic. It is noticeable that in this year’s list, there is not a Asian in the list.



More than 90 percent of Nobel Prize winners have been men. Selma Lagerlöf, the first female writer to be awarded a Nobel Prize in literature, faced major controversies. These facts warrant a closer look at the criteria of selection of this prestigious award.

Alfred Nobel with a just cause bequeathed 94% of his total assets to establish the Prizes. Unfortunately it is claimed that the selection process has at times been marred by accusations of sexism, racism and the award committee being Eurocentric.

Another notable omission for the prize is R. K. Narayan, an Indian writer known for his works of Malgudi and for abridged versions of the Indian epics – The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. Despite being nominated and shortlisted for the Nobel, he was never awarded.

On the contrary, recently the prestigious German Book Prize (Deutscher Buchpreis), which recognizes the best new German-language novel of the year, was awarded to non-binary author Kim de l'Horizon for their debut novel, "Blutbuch" (Blood Book).

The Nobel Prize awarded to Pearl Buck in 1938 is one of the most criticised in the history of the prize. The Academy awarded Buck "for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces", but her work is generally not so popular.

Consider the comparison below between some prestigious literary awards:

The journalist Hephzibah Anderson has noted that the International Booker Prize "is fast becoming the more significant award, appearing an ever more competent alternative to the Nobel"

Emerging more as a popularity contest and worse, a political controversy is surely tarnishing the image of this literary honour. Overlooking good writers and nationality based selection has made the world question the literary quality of the Nobel.

It is yet to be seen how the award; once the ultimate arbiter of great literature, will remain relevant at a time of cultural fragmentation.



What are your thoughts on the subject? Please let me know in the comments below!