Since the Nobel Prize in Literature was first awarded in 1901, it has predominantly celebrated writers from the Western world. However, experts are suggesting that this year, the Swedish Academy may shift its focus to voices from the non-Western world, with Chinese author Can Xue emerging as a strong contender.
Historically, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded largely to European male authors. Of the 120 laureates throughout its history, only 17 have been women, with eight of those recognized in the last two decades alone.
When looking at it from a linguistic perspective, there have been 30 winners from the English language, 16 from French, and just one from Arabic—Naguib Mahfouz from Egypt, who received the honor in 1988.
Carin Franzen, a literature professor at Stockholm University, emphasized that while China’s literary scene is teeming with talent, this has not been reflected in the Nobel Prize’s history. The last Chinese author to win the prestigious award was Mo Yan, and that was 12 years ago.
The announcement of this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature will take place at 1 PM local time on October 10. As the Swedish Academy has not released a shortlist of nominees, speculation regarding their choice is running high.
Many are optimistic about Can Xue’s chances; she appears to be a popular pick across various betting platforms. Dubbed “China’s Kafka,” her experimental writing style brilliantly transforms the ordinary into the surreal. Additionally, Australian novelist Gerald Murnane is also gaining attention as a potential winner.
Other notable names frequently discussed in Swedish literary circles include Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai, Romanian poet and novelist Mircea Cărtărescu, Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o, and Japanese writer Haruki Murakami.
