1957 Nobel Prize in Literature

20px 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature Albert Camus Swedish Academy 1901 https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1957/summary/ 1957 laureate Camus Harcourt 1945.jpg "for his important literary production, which with clear-sighted earnestness illuminates the problems of the human conscience in our times." 17 October 1957 (announcement) 10 December 1957 (ceremony) Stockholm Sweden 1956 Nobel Prize in Literature 1958 The 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded the French writer Albert Camus (1913–1960) "for his important literary production, which with clear-sighted earnestness illuminates the problems of the human conscience in our times."https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1957/summary/ Nobel Prize in Literature 1957 nobelprize.org He is the ninth French author to become a recipient of the prize after Catholic novelist François Mauriac in 1952, and the fourth philosopher after British analytic philosopher Bertrand Russell in 1950. Aged 44 when he received the prize, Camus is the second youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, after only Rudyard Kipling (41).https://www.theguardian.com/books/1997/oct/15/biography.albertcamus Camus and his women The Guardian 15 October 1997 Laureate Albert Camus Camus made his debut as a writer in 1937, but his breakthrough came with the novel L’étranger ("The Stranger"), published in 1942. It concerns the absurdity of life, a theme he returns to in other books, including his philosophical work Le mythe de Sisyphe ("The Myth of Sisyphus", 1942). He also worked as a journalist and playwright with Caligula (1944), which received praises from theatre critics. Because of his friendship with Jean-Paul Sartre, Camus was labeled an existentialist, but he preferred not to be linked with any ideology. His other successful novels include La peste ("The Plague", 1947), La chute ("The Fall", 1956), and an unfinished autobiography, Le Premier homme ("The First Man"), was published posthumously.https://www.britannica.com/biography/Albert-Camus Albert Camus BritannicaAlbert Camus – Facts nobelprize.org Deliberations Nominations Albert Camus was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature on 11 occasions, the first time in 1949. He was nominated once in 1957 by a French professor of Anglo-Saxon language and literature from the Caen University, which he was awarded afterwards.https://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/archive/show_people.php?id=1572 Albert Camus Nomination archive 21 May 2024 nobelprize.org In total, the Nobel committee received 66 nominations for 49 writers including Nikos Kazantzakis, E. M. Forster, Alberto Moravia, Georges Duhamel, Jules Romains, Ezra Pound, Saint-John Perse (awarded in 1960), Carlo Levi, Boris Pasternak (awarded in 1958) and Robert Frost.https://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/archive/list.php?prize=4&year=1957 Nomination archive April 2020 nobelprize.org 12 of the nominees were nominated first-time among them Jean-Paul Sartre (awarded in 1964), Lennox Robinson, Jan Parandowski, Samuel Beckett (awarded in 1969), Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, André Chamson, Väinö Linna and Carlo Levi. The nominee with the highest number of nominations – 4 nominations – was for André Malraux. Four of the nominees were women namely Gertrud von Le Fort, Karen Blixen, Henriette Charasson, and Maria Dąbrowska. The authors Nurullah Ataç, Erich Auerbach, Arturo Barea, Ernst Bertram, Roy Campbell, Joyce Cary, José Lins do Rego, Alfred Döblin, Claude Farrère, Peter Freuchen, Rose Fyleman, Oliver St. John Gogarty, Sacha Guitry, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Eric Alfred Knudsen, Barbu Lăzăreanu, Wyndham Lewis, Malcolm Lowry, Mait Metsanurk, Christopher Morley, Gilbert Murray, Ralph Barton Perry, Clemente Rebora, Aleksey Remizov, Umberto Saba, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa died in 1957 without having been nominated for the prize. French poet Valery Larbaud died before the only chance to be rewarded. Official list of nominees and their nominators for the prize No. Nominee Country Genre(s) Nominator(s)1Mark Aldanov (1886–1957)Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic UkraineFrench Fourth Republic Francebiography, novel, essays, literary criticismSamson Soloveitchik (1887–1974)2Riccardo Bacchelli (1891–1985)Italynovel, drama, essays Mario Fubini (1901–1977) Alfredo Schiaffini (1895–1971) Paolo Toschi (1893–1973)3Knuth Becker (1891–1974)Denmarkpoetry, novelSven Clausen (1893–1961)4Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)Irelandnovel, drama, poetryRobert-Léon Wagner (1905–1982)5Karen Blixen (1885–1962)Denmarknovel, short story, memoirHarry Martinson (1904–1978) Elias Wessén (1889–1981)6Albert Camus (1913–1960)French Fourth Republic France(French Algeria Algeria)novel, short story, essays, philosophy, dramaSylvère Monod (1921–2006)7André Chamson (1900–1983)French Fourth Republic Francenovel, essaysJean-Baptiste Fort (1870-1942)8Henriette Charasson (1884–1972)French Fourth Republic Francepoetry, essays, drama, novel, literary criticism, biographySerge Barrault (1887–1976)9Maria Dąbrowska (1889–1965)Polish People's Republic Polandnovel, short story, essays, drama, literary criticismCharles Hyatt (1931–2007)10Gonzague de Reynold (1880–1970)Switzerlandhistory, essays, biography, memoirPierre-Henri Simon (1903–1972)11Henry de Montherlant (1895–1972)French Fourth Republic Franceessays, novel, dramaEugène Napoleon Tigerstedt (1907–1979)12Georges Duhamel (1884–1966)French Fourth Republic Francenovel, short story, poetry, drama, literary criticismAndré Plassart (1889–1978)13Mircea Eliade (1907–1986)Socialist Republic of Romania RomaniaUnited States 1912history, philosophy, essays, autobiography, novel, short storyErnest Koliqi (1903–1975)14Johan Falkberget (1879–1967)Norwaynovel, short story, essaysNorwegian Authors' Union15Lion Feuchtwanger (1884–1958)GermanyUnited States 1912novel, dramaViktor Klemperer (1881–1960)16Edward Morgan Forster (1879–1970)United Kingdomnovel, short story, drama, essays, biography, literary criticismThe English PEN-Club Herbert Koziol (1903–1986)17Robert Frost (1874–1963)United States 1912poetry, dramaThe American PEN-Club18Jean Giono (1895–1970)French Fourth Republic Francenovel, short story, essays, poetry, dramaRobert-Léon Wagner (1905–1982)19Armand Godoy (1880–1964)Republic of Cuba (1902–1959) CubaFrench Fourth Republic Francepoetry, translationAntonio Iraizoz Villar (1890–1976) Claude Farrère (1876–1957)20Hu Shih (1891–1962)Chinaessays, philosophy, history, poetry, pedagogyThe Chinese PEN-Club21Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (1894–1980)Polish People's Republic Polandpoetry, essays, drama, translation, short story, novelCharles Hyatt (1931–2007)22Nikos Kazantzakis (1883–1957)Kingdom of Greece Greecenovel, philosophy, essays, drama, memoir, translationSamuel Baud-Bovy (19061986) Society of Men of Letters of Greece23Valery Larbaud (1881–1957)French Fourth Republic Francenovel, poetry, literary criticismPierre Costil (1901–1968)24Carlo Levi (1902–1975)Italymemoir, novel, short storyMario Praz (1896–1892)25Väinö Linna (1920–1992)FinlandnovelRolf Lagerborg (1874–1959)26André Malraux (1901–1976)French Fourth Republic Francenovel, essays, literary criticismClaude Backvis (1910–1998) Jacques-Henry Bornecque (1910–1995) Société des gens de lettres Erik Hjalmar Linder (1906–1994)27Gabriel Marcel (1889–1973)French Fourth Republic Francephilosophy, dramaCharles Dédéyan (1910–2003)28Ramón Menéndez Pidal (1869–1968)Francoist Spain Spainphilology, historyGunnar Tilander (1894–1973) Hans Rheinfelder (1898–1971) André Burger (1896–1985)29Alberto Moravia (1907–1990)Italynovel, literary criticism, essays, dramaGennaro Perrotta (1900–1962)30Seán O'Casey (1880–1964)Irelanddrama, memoirOscar Cargill (1898–1972)31Jan Parandowski (1895–1978)Polish People's Republic Polandessays, translationCharles Hyatt (1931–2007)32Boris Pasternak (1890–1960)Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic Russiapoetry, novel, translationHarry Martinson (1904–1978)33Saint-John Perse (1887–1975)French Fourth Republic FrancepoetryDag Hammarskjöld (1905–1961)34Ezra Pound (1885–1972)United States 1912poetry, essaysIngvar Andersson (1899–1974)35Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888–1975)Indiaphilosophy, essays, lawArthur John Arberry (1905–1969) Hywel Lewis (1910–1992)36Lennox Robinson (1886–1958)Irelanddrama, poetryThe Irish PEN-Club37Jules Romains (1885–1972)French Fourth Republic Francepoetry, drama, screenplayAlfonso Reyes Ochoa (1889–1959) Society of Authors and Composers of Drama Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques38Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980)French Fourth Republic Francephilosophy, novel, drama, essays, screenplayJacques Scherer (1912–1997)39Zalman Shneour (1887–1959)Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic BelarusUnited States 1912poetry, essaysSimon Rawidowicz (1897–1957)40Ignazio Silone (1900–1978)Italynovel, short story, essays, dramaGennaro Perrotta (1900–1962)41Stijn Streuvels (1871–1969)Belgiumnovel, short storyPierre Brachin (1914–2004) Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature42Jules Supervielle (1884–1960)French Fourth Republic FranceUruguaypoetry, novel, short storyMaurice Le Boucher (1882–1964)43Herman Teirlinck (1879–1967)Belgiumnovel, poetry, essays, dramaFrançois Closset (1900–1964) Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts44Frank Thiess (1890–1977)West GermanynovelKasimir Edschmid (1890–1966)45Arnold Joseph Toynbee (1889–1975)United Kingdomhistory, philosophyClaude Backvis (1910–1998)46George Macauley Trevelyan (1876–1962)United Kingdombiography, autobiography, essays, historyElias Wessén (1889–1981)47Tarjei Vesaas (1897–1970)Norwaypoetry, novelSigmund Skard (1903–1995)48Simon Vestdijk (1898–1971)Netherlandsnovel, poetry, essays, translationThe Belgian PEN-Club49Gertrud von Le Fort (1876–1971)West Germanynovel, short story, essays, poetryPoetry Department of the Prussian Academy of Arts Prize decision According to the New York Times, the members of the Swedish Academy voted unanimously for Albert Camus as the 1957 laureate.https://www.nytimes.com/1957/10/18/archives/albert-camus-wins-nobel-letters-prize-nobel-prize-won-by-albert.html Albert Camus Wins Nobel Letters Prize; NOBEL PRIZE WON BY ALBERT CAMUS Felix Belair Jr. 18 October 1957 New York Times Anders Österling, permanent secretary of the Academy, said that Camus work "can unhesitatingly be said to conform with the idealistic aim which is the very base of the Nobel Prize." The Danish author Karen Blixen was told by a Swedish journalist the she was the favourite among the judges to be awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature and expected to win the prize.https://melissarossi.substack.com/p/the-curse-of-the-nobel-prize-in-literature The curse of the Nobel Prize: the cases of Albert Camus and Karen Blixen Melissa Rossi 4 October 2023 Rossi Reports Reactions The choice of Albert Camus was well received in France. Following the prize announcement, author and literature critic Émile Henriot wrote in Le Monde: "He is one of the men whose thought and talent honor France, and it is wonderful that this title is recognized with such brilliance abroad. The high literary qualities of his work have, with five or six important books, undoubtedly deserved the place he occupies at the forefront of our writers".https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1957/10/18/prix-nobel-de-litterature_2339900_1819218.html PRIX NOBEL de littérature Henriot, Émile 18 October 1957 Le Monde French Camus himself modestly said: "I wish Malraux had got the prize. He deserved it more than I did".https://thelondonmagazine.org/article/malraux-camus-nobel-prize/ untitled Myers, Jeffrey The London Magazine Award ceremony right|thumb|Camus in Stockholm for the Nobel Prize At the award ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December 1957 Anders Österling, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, said: Active and highly creative, Camus is in the centre of interest in the literary world, even outside of France. Inspired by an authentic moral engagement, he devotes himself with all his being to the great fundamental questions of life, and certainly this aspiration corresponds to the idealistic end for which the Nobel Prize was established. Behind his incessant affirmation of the absurdity of the human condition is no sterile negativism. This view of things is supplemented in him by a powerful imperative, a nevertheless, an appeal to the will which incites to revolt against absurdity and which, for that reason, creates a value.https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1957/ceremony-speech/ Award Ceremony speech nobelprize.org Nobel banquet At the Nobel banquet in Stockholm City Hall on 10 December 1957, Albert Camus held a speech in which he spoke about his idea of his art and the role of the writer. Prior to the speech, Bernard Karlgren, a member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, addressed Camus, pointing out the prominent role of France in Western culture and said: In your writings we find manifested to a high degree the clarity and the lucidity, the penetration and the subtlety, the inimitable art inherent in your literary language, all of which we admire and warmly love. We salute you as a true representative of that wonderful French spirit.https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1957/camus/speech/ Banquet speech nobelprize.org References External links Award Ceremony speech nobelprize.org Banquet speech nobelprize.org Nominations of Albert Camus nobelprize.org Photo gallery nobelprize.org 1957 Category:Albert Camus Nobel