A Nobel Perspective on Literature

Awards matter. For writers, a major award substantially increases the visibility of their work. Yet the most coveted writing award, the Nobel Prize in Literature, is influenced by many factors beyond a writer’s talents — including gender, nationality, native tongue, and more. 

Intrigued by the politics of the Nobel Prize, UW professor Eric Ames has created a 200-level course, World Literature and the Nobel Prize. Faculty from departments across the humanities participate as guest speakers, each presenting a Nobel laureate’s work and the factors that led to that writer’s selection.

A sampling of books by Nobel Prize-winning writers featured in a new...