The Nobel Academy Will Award Two Literature Prizes in 2019

The foundation responsible for the Nobel Prize in Literature announced on Tuesday, March 5, that the Swedish Academy will announce both the 2018 and 2019 Nobel Prizes in Literature this October. This foundation, which was damaged last year due to a sexual misconduct scandal involving one of its members, has managed to rebuild itself and restore its credibility. The Nobel Foundation had previously warned that if the Swedish Academy (responsible for selecting Nobel Literature Prize winners) could not restore its tarnished credibility and reputation, the selection of winners in this category would be entrusted to another committee or institution. Recently, the Nobel Foundation stated that it 'believes the Swedish Academy has taken steps to restore trust in this Academy and will undertake further actions.' The statement noted that 'several important changes' have been made, including the possibility for current members to resign and the selection of new members, resulting in 'individuals whose performance and presence create conflicts of interest or are subjects of judicial investigations will no longer be members of the Academy.' The Nobel Foundation added: 'Restoring the credibility and trust in the Academy will take more time, but the prerequisites for this change are favorable.' Last year, following the resignation of many board members of the Swedish Academy due to allegations of sexual harassment, the selection and awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature was canceled. Jean-Claude Arnault, the husband of a former member of the Swedish Academy, was convicted last year of two counts of sexual assault from 2011. It is reported that Mr. Arnault also leaked the names of Nobel Literature Prize winners in seven instances. As a result of this scandal, the Swedish Academy announced in mid-May that due to 'the tarnishing of its reputation and the loss of public trust in this Academy,' the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2018 would not be announced. This was the first time since 1943 that this prestigious award was not given. The Swedish Academy also announced on Tuesday that Horace Engdahl, a member of the Academy who supported Jean-Claude Arnault and referred to other Academy members as a 'loser and spiteful clique,' has resigned. Horace Engdahl, who has been a member of the Swedish Academy since 1997, harshly attacked Sara Danius in an editorial, describing her as the worst president in the history of this institution. Ms. Danius, who announced her decision to resign last year, officially stepped down from the presidency of this 18-member Academy last month. Alfred Nobel, the Swedish industrialist and inventor of dynamite, designated the Swedish Academy as responsible for selecting the winners of the Nobel Literature Prize in his will, while the selection of winners in other Nobel Prize categories has been entrusted to other institutions in Sweden and Norway. Nobel Prize winners are announced every October, and the awards are presented on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death in 1896.