The Alternative Nobel Longlist

Hello Gentle Reader

It is now up and readily available, the Alternative Nobel Prize for Literature has released its forty-seven strong longlist consisting of the following writers in alphabetical order, followed by country.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Nigeria

Johannes Anyuru – Sweden

Margaret Atwood – Canada

Paul Auster – America

Silvia Avallone – Italy

Nina Bouraoui – France

Anne Carson – Canada

Maryse Condé – Guadeloupe (French Language)

Don DeLillo – America

Inger Edelfeldt – Sweden

Kerstin Ekman – Sweden

Elena Ferrante – Italy

Neil Gaiman – United Kingdom

Jens Ganman – Sweden

Siri Hustvedt – America

Jenny Jägerfeld – Sweden

Jonas Hassen Khemiri – Sweden

Jamaica Kincaid – Antigua and Barbuda/America

David Levithan – America  

Édouard Louis – France

Sara Lövestam – Sweden

Ulf Lundell – Sweden

Cormac McCarthy – America

Ian McEwan – United Kingdom

Haruki Murakami – Japan

Joyce Carol Oates – America

Nnedi Okorafor – Nigeria

Sofi Oksanen – Finland

Amos Oz – Israel

Sara Paborn – Sweden

Agneta Pleijel – Sweden

Thomas Pynchon – America

Marilynne Robinson – America

Meg Rosoff – America

J.K. Rowling – United Kingdom

Arundhati Roy – India (English language)

Jessica Schiefauer – Sweden

Jón Kalman Stefánsson – Iceland

Patti Smith –America

Zadie Smith – United Kingdom

Peter Stamm – Switzerland

Sara Stridsberg – Sweden

Donna Tartt – America

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o – Kenya

Kim Thúy – Vietnam/Canada

Olga Tokarczuk – Poland

Jeanette Winterson – United Kingdom

There they are, Gentle Reader, the forty-seven librarian nominated and longlisted authors for this year’s Alternative Nobel Prize for Literature, which has been setup by the New Academy. Below is a review and analysis of the list.

A Total of 47 writers have been longlisted. From the longlisted authors, the following have been divided into countries that possess the greatest number of nominees:

12 are Swedish

12 are American

5 are from the United Kingdom

2 from France

2 from Italy

2 from Nigeria

3 from Canada

1 from Switzerland

1 from Iceland

1 from Japan

1 from Kenya

1 from Israel

1 from Poland

1 from Finland

1 From India

1 from Guadeloupe

It appears (at least with the Swedish Libraries) there is home advantage, followed by America, then the United Kingdom, Canada , then France, Nigeria, and Italy, followed by the singular countries.

The longlist shows no disparity between age. The youngest author on the list is twenty-five years old (Édouard Louis) and the oldest to my knowledge is eighty-six years old (Cormac McCarthy). The above list compiled is a mixture of usual speculated candidates for the Nobel Prize for Literature: Cormac McCarthy, Joyce Carol Oates, Amos Oz, Thomas Pynchon, Don DeLillo, Haruki Murakami, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and Margaret Atwood. The list also includes, what would be considered unusual contestants on the typical Nobel Prize for Literature: global literary icons: Neil Gaiman, J.K. Rowling, and Elena Ferrante. Due to the age discrepancy and inductuction of many young authors, it’s fair to say that not all candidates have yet completely established their literary careers, when considered along other writers such as: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Amos Oz, or Cormac McCarthy. Many of the writers listed have only a few books to their name such as, Donna Tartt (but she does look dashing in a tie), or Édouard Louis, or Arundhati Roy, or Marilynne Robinson, or Sofi Oksanen. Further analysis reveals young adult authors have also been taken into consideration young adult authors, such as J.K. Rowling, David Levithan, and Nnedi Okorafor. Speaking further of young adult fiction, fantasy and science fiction authors also make it to the list with: J.K. Rowling and Nnedi Okorafor. Apparently, musicians/singers are also considered contendiable for the award (after all the Nobel Prize for Literature, did go to Bob Dylan in two-thousand and sixteen) with the punk poet, Patti Smith, being included on the list (and yes technically she has written books, but is still more renowned for her music and lyricism then her poetry).

Here’s, however, where the list gets interesting. Two former members of the Swedish Academy are also included on the list:  Kerstin Ekman, who had been inactive with the Swedish Academy since nineteen-eighty nine, and finally was able to resign recently; and Sara Stridsberg. Oh, what sweet irony. Speaking of the Swedish Academy, Agneta Pleijel is also nominated for the Alternative Nobel. What makes Agneta Pleijel notable in this regard is the fact she won the Nordic Prize, when the Swedish Academy erupted into its scandal, and soon found itself faltering in flames. She received the award from Sara Stridsberg (when she was a member) on behalf of Sara Danius, who at the time preoccupied with scandal and in-fighting. Agneta Pleijel is also currently nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize.

Overall, the longlist for this year’s Alternative Nobel (for Literature), is at best populistic in thought and execution. The longlist would not be considered extremely diverse overall; and it lacks the pomp and ceremony of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Consider it the diet-Nobel; its contenders popular or well known or some instances, not writing in lighter areas that are not conventionally associated with serious literature (though that makes one sound rather elitist). Yet, when reviewed and pondered its best to consider this as nothing more than great satire, and another call for the Swedish Academy to decide on what future it will decide to embrace and embark on. As previously noted, the pressure is mounting. Yet in the end: isn’t this sweet noble Nobel Satire, at its finest?

If you’d like to cast your vote on who you believe should go forward to the shortlist please go Here, review the longlisted authors and cast your vote before August 14^th.

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader

Take Care

And As Always

Stay Well Read

M. Mary