The Swedish Academy announced that due to sexual allegations against a close associate, the awarding of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature will be postponed to next year. The 18-member board of the Academy is responsible for selecting the Nobel laureate. On Friday, April 14, the Academy issued a statement saying that this decision was made due to a "decline in public trust in the Academy." The Academy stated that the process of selecting the Nobel laureate is in its final stages and will continue as usual in the coming months. However, it emphasized that more time is needed to rebuild public trust and to involve more active members of the Nobel Literature Committee to complete its work. This is the first time in 70 years that the Nobel Prize has been delayed. Established in 1786, the Swedish Academy has previously withheld the literature prize in 1915, 1919, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1936, and 1949, with five of those instances being postponed to the following year. The Academy has been in a deep crisis since November 2017, when a Swedish newspaper published testimonies from 18 women claiming they were sexually assaulted or harassed by Jean-Claude Arnault, a French photographer. Arnault is a prominent figure in Swedish culture, originally from France, and is the director of a cultural center that financially supports the Swedish Academy. He is married to Katarina Frostenson, a member of the Academy. Following this scandal, six lifelong members of the Academy decided to resign. Arnault is also suspected of leaking the names of seven Nobel laureates before their official announcement. He has denied all allegations.
Following Sexual Scandals, Nobel Prize in Literature Postponed to Next Year
The Swedish Academy has postponed the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature to next year due to a decline in public trust following sexual assault allegations against a close associate. This marks the first postponement of the Nobel Prize in 70 years and highlights ongoing issues of accountability within prestigious institutions.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The Swedish Academy has postponed the awarding of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature due to a decline in public trust stemming from sexual assault allegations against Jean-Claude Arnault, a close associate. This is the first postponement in 70 years and reflects ongoing issues within the Academy.
- The Academy has faced a crisis since November 2017 due to allegations against Arnault.
- This is the first delay of the Nobel Prize in Literature since 1949.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Swedish Academy, established in 1786, is responsible for awarding the Nobel Prize in Literature, a highly esteemed honor. The recent scandal has exposed vulnerabilities in its governance and public trust.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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