News about the Nobel Prize for Literature for: 2019

Hello Gentle Reader,

The crisis that debilitated the Swedish Academy for better half (or three quarters) of two-thousand and eighteen, has been declared over. Over the past year and four months into this year, we have seen the faces of the Swedish Academy change, while the prize was placed on hiatus until the internal issues within the academy could be rectified, and order restored. Now the award is set to be shared for two-thousand and nineteen; one to mark the missing laureate for two-thousand and eighteen, and the other routine for the awarding year. This being said, the dynamic within the Swedish Academy is once again set to change.

Anders Olsson is the pro-tempore Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy, meaning he fulfills the position on a temporary term. Part of the statutes of the Swedish Academy is that the Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy must stepdown from the position, once they hit seventy years old. Anders Olsson, will be seventy in June; meaning the position of Permanent Secretary moving forward is up to be filled. The question is: who fills it?

The Current layout of the Swedish Academy is as follows:

Chair No. 1 – (Justice) Eric M. Runesson (Age: 58)

Chair No. 2 – Bo Ralph (Age: 73)

Chair No. 3 – Sture Allen (Age: 90)

Chair No. 4 – Anders Olsson (Age: 69)

Chair No. 5 – Göran Malmqvist (Age: 94)

Chair No. 6 – Tomas Riad (Age: 59)

Chair No. 7 – Vacant

Chair No. 8 – Jesper Svenbro (Age: 74)

Chair No. 9 – Ellen Mattson (Age: 56) [Not Inducted, until December, 20, 2019]

Chair No. 10 – Peter Englund (Age: 61)

Chair No. 11 – Mats Malm (Age: 54)

Chair No. 12 -- Per Wästberg (Age: 85)

Chair No. 13 -- Anne Swärd (Age: 50) [Not inducted, until December, 20, 2019]

Chair No. 14 – Kristina Lugn (Age: 70)

Chair No. 15 – Jila Mossaed (Age: 71)

Chair No. 16 -- Kjell Espmark (Age: 88)

Chair No. 17 – Horace Engdahl (Age: 70)

Chair No. 18 – Tua Forsström (72) [Not inducted, until December, 20, 2019]

From looking at the list and the potential candidates for the award the candidates are slim.  Ten of the current sitting members are no longer eligible due to age. Three are not eligible because they have not been formally inducted. While one seat is still vacant. This only leaves the following as potential candidates to fill the role for Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy:

Chair No. 1 – (Justice) Eric M. Runesson

Chair No. 6 – Tomas Riad

Chair No. 10 – Peter Englund

Chair No. 11 – Mats Malm

Of these members, Peter Englund had already filled role from two-thousand and nine until two-thousand and fifteen. He previously stepped down from the position as it conflicted with his already busy schedule and engagements. (Justice) Eric M. Runesson is a recently appointed Supreme Court Judge and has already stated he is not interested in filling the position, as he views the Swedish Academy as a part-time opportunity, one in which he has no further time to allocate to. This leaves:

Chair No. 6 – Tomas Riad

Chair No. 11 – Mats Malm

Throughout the scandal and crisis which brought the Swedish Academy to its knees, Tomas Riad has remained under the radar during the events; never participating in the media frenzy battle that took place afterwards. Mats Malm on the other hand is a relatively new inductee, coming in at the final stages of the academy’s smoldering battlefield.

Of the two potential (and most likely) candidates, it will be interesting to see who the Swedish Academy declares as the incumbent Permanent Secretary, to announce the prize in the autumn.

Speaking of the award come autumn, against usual convention, the Swedish Academy has set the date for the announcement months in advance, rather than its usual days before hand.

Come autumn Gentle Reader, Nobel Week is set to roll out as follows:

Monday – October 7^th – Announcement: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Tuesday – October 8^th – Announcement: Nobel Prize in Physics

Wednesday – October 9^th – Announcement: Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Thursday – October 10^th – Announcement: Nobel Prize in Literature (two laureates)

Friday – October 11^th – Announcement: Nobel Peace Prize

Monday – October 14^th – Announcement:  The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (Also known as: The Nobel Prize in Economics)

With only five months way Gentle Reader, it’ll be exciting adventures for the Swedish Academy and the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader

Take Care

And As Always

Stay Well Read

M. Mary

For Further Reading:

Sverigesradio: The Academy is chasing the replacement for Olsson

The Nobel Prize Announcement Dates