Hello
Gentle Reader
As
part of the Swedish Academy regaining legitimacy as a Nobel Awarding institution;
after its previous scandalous ordeal, and its lost faith from the public; the
Nobel Foundation facilitated certain caveats that the Swedish Academy was
forced to give into, in order to restore its reputation and begin the process
of reclaiming its legitimacy. One of those caveats, was allowing for a period
of two years, for five external members to be brought into the Nobel Committee
to assist the Swedish Academy prize selection, and assist in creating a more
transparent process and image with the public and the media. These five
external members are:
Rebecka
Kärde
Mikaela
Blomqvist
Henrik
Petersen
Kristoffer
Leandoer
Gun-Britt
Sundstrom
When
the Laureates for two-thousand and eighteen and two-thousand and nineteen, were
announced in October, three of the above listed committee members:
Rebecka
Kärde
Mikaela
Blomqvist
Henrik
Petersen
Stood
alongside Swedish Academy members: Anders Olsson and Per Wästberg; to discuss
this year’s laureates in Literature.
Now,
however, Kristoffer Leandoer and Gun-Britt Sundstrom have formally announced that
they have recused themselves from their two year term as external members of
the Swedish Academy, much to the chagrin of many.
Kristoffer
Leandoer has cited he has chosen to leave the blended framework of the Nobel
Committee, due to the Swedish Academy’s slothful state of adapting to change,
and he does not have the patience to encourage it. Further discrepancies
between the perceptions of time were also contributing factors in his
departure.
Gun-Britt
Sundstrom has resigned due to the decision to award Peter Handke the Nobel
Prize for Literature in two-thousand and nineteen. The decision to ward Handke
the Nobel Prize for Literature has been one of consistent controversy since it
was announced on October 10th. Reactions have been divisive,
critical, and uncompromising in their denouncement. The Swedish Academy in
return, was forced to perform damage control, and sought to clarify their
position that they do not condone Peter Handke’s political statements, views,
perceptions, or defenses; but they chose to award him on purely literary terms.
They further argued that despite his political discourse, his statements did
not amount to facilitating violence, or condoning the atrocities of the
Yugoslav Wars.
Gun-Britt
Sundstrom disagreed with the notion of literature above politics. It is safe to
presume that Gun-Britt Sundstrom believes the political statements made by
Peter Handke are equally as relevant to his literary output as his literary
work, and should be considered in weighing his merit in. For these reasons, Gun-Britt
Sundstrom has chosen to recuse herself from the blended Nobel Committee.
The
Swedish Academy in turn thanked them both for their support and service during
their short tenure.
Thank-you
For Reading Gentle Reader
Take
Care
And
As Always
Stay
Well Read
M.
Mary
For Further
Reading
The Guardian: "Nobel prize for literature hit by fresh round of resignations,"
BBC: "Two Nobel literature prize committee members quit,"
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