Bo Svensén
The Swedish Academy and the Nobel Prize in Literature, 3rd ed.

The Swedish Academy has gained worldwide recognition through its annual awarding of the Nobel Prize in Literature, first presented in 1901. But the Academy has a far longer history: it was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III to promote Swedish language and literature – still its main purpose.

This booklet, now in its third revised edition, provides a condensed review of the Academy’s foundation, history and current activities. A special section deals with the Nobel Prize in Literature: the background, the formal rules for the nomination of candidates and the choice of laureate, the Academy’s work on the Prize and, not least, the criteria for the Academy’s assessment of candidates throughout different periods. A full list of laureates 1901−2023, with prize citations, is appended.

2024. Soft cover, 135 s., ISBN 978-91-1-313957-9