# 1974 Nobel Prize in Literature

The 1974 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded jointly to Swedish authors Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976) "for a narrative art, farseeing in lands and ages, in the service of freedom" and Harry Martinson (1904–1978) "for writings that catch the dewdrop and reflect the cosmos." The winners were announced in October 1974 by Karl Ragnar Gierow, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, and later sparked heavy criticisms from the literary world.
At the award ceremony on 10 December 1974, Karl Ragnar Gierow of the Swedish Academy said that Johnson and Martinson
   "are representative of the many proletarian writers or working-class poets who, on a wide front, broke into our literature, not to ravage and plunder, but to enrich it with their fortunes. Their arrival meant an influx of experience and creative energy, the value of which can hardly be exaggerated."
It is the fourth (after 1904, 1917, and 1966), and as of yet last, occasion when the Nobel Prize in Literature has been shared between two individuals.

## Laureates
### Eyvind Johnson

Individual, moral, societal, and political issues are the recurring themes in Eyvind Johnson's literary works. De fyra främlingarna ("The Four Strangers"), a collection of short stories, served as his literary debut in 1924. Romanen om Olof ("The Novel about Olof"), his four autobiographical novels that appeared between 1934 and 1937, is regarded as one of his most important works. In the trilogy about Krilon (1941–1943), in which the world is represented allegorically, he took a strong stand against fascism and nazism of his day. His other famous works include Strändernas svall ("Return to Ithaca", 1946), Drömmar om rosor och eld ("Dreams of Roses and Fire", 1949), and Hans nådes tid ("The Days of His Grace", 1960).

### Harry Martinson

The poetry and prose by Harry Martinson are both written in a unique and passionate style. His experiences as a young seaman and hobo, as well as his difficult and unloving childhood, are among the themes. He cares much about nature and is interested in science, which is reflected in his philosophical views and depictions of the natural world. Martinson's most well-known composition, the Aniara poetry collection from 1956, tells the story of a spaceship that departs from Earth following a horrific nuclear war but subsequently deviates from its intended path. His other notable works include Kap Farväl ("Cape Farewell", 1933), Nässlorna blomma ("Flowering Nettle", 1935), and Vägen till Klockrike ("The Road", 1948).

## Deliberations
### Nominations

Eyvind Johnson was first nominated for the prize in 1962 and then every year until 1971. During this period Johnson declined to be considered for the prize as he himself was a member of the Swedish Academy's Nobel committee (he resigned from the committee in 1972). Harry Martinson was first nominated in 1964, and had by 1973 been nominated twelve times by six different nominators. In 1965, Nobel committee member Erik Lindegren suggested the idea of a shared prize to the two authors: "They are really the opposite of everything provinsional."
In the early 1970's Johnson and Martinson were nominated individually for the prize by their colleague in the Swedish Academy, the 1951 Nobel Prize laureate Pär Lagerkvist, and Nobel committee member Henry Olsson nominated them for a shared prize in 1970. In 1974 Johnson and Martinson were nominated by Academy members Johannes Edfelt and Pär Lagerkvist, and Johnson also by three other external nominators. Nobel committee member Artur Lundkvist however strongly opposed that the Academy should award the Nobel prize to its own members and had in 1972 stated that the Academy should "think very carefully" before awarding a Swedish author. In his memoirs, committee member Lars Gyllensten claimed that Johnson and Martinson had been proposed from outside the Academy and justified the decision to award them, arguing that "The consequence of principally excluding members of the Academy as prize candidates would mean that the Academy could only elect second rate authors."
In total, the Nobel Committee received nominations for 101 writers, same amount of nominees as the preceding year. Twenty-two authors were first-time nominees, among them Rafael Alberti, Gwen Bristow, Kamala Surayya-Das, Ralph Ellison, Armand Gatti, Uwe Johnson, Herbert Marcuse, Czesław Miłosz (awarded in 1980), R. K. Narayan, Octavio Paz (awarded in 1990), Francis Ponge, Kenzaburō Ōe (awarded in 1994), Harold Pinter (awarded in 2005), Stephen Spender, Antonio Buero Vallejo and Louise Weiss. The highest number of nominations was for Jewish author Elie Wiesel (awarded the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize). The oldest nominee was Estonian poet Marie Under (aged 91) and the youngest was Chinese poet Chen Minghua (aged 24). Nine of the nominees were women namely Gwen Bristow, Kamala Surayya-Das, Argentina Diaz Lozano, Nadine Gordimer (awarded in 1991), Doris Lessing (awarded in 2007), Astrid Lindgren, Victoria Ocampo, Marie Under and Louise Weiss – the highest number of female contenders in a year.
The authors Martin Armstrong, Herbert Ernest Bates, Buddhadeva Bose, Emma L. Brock, Carl Jacob Burckhardt, Arthur J. Burks, Rosario Castellanos, Cyril Connolly, Julius Evola, Marieluise Fleißer, Georgette Heyer, David Jones, Margaret Leech, Lois Lenski, Eric Linklater, Walter Lippmann, Sigurður Nordal, Howard Pease, Olive Higgins Prouty, Maria Ossowska, Anne Sexton, Jacqueline Susann, Jan Tschichold, Herman Van Breda and Victor E. van Vriesland died in 1974 without having been nominated for the prize.
Temporal list of nominees and their nominators for the prize :
| No. | Nominee | Country | Genre(s) | Nominator(s) |
| 1 | Rafael Alberti | Spain | poetry, drama, memoir | Johannes Edfelt (1904–1997) |
| 2 | Vicente Aleixandre (1898–1984) | Spain | poetry | Dámaso Alonso (1898–1990)Wolfgang Bernard Fleischmann (1928–1987)Norman Fulton (?)Emilio González López (1903–1991)Alexander Szogyi (1929–2007)Pedro Laín Entralgo (1908–2001)Rafael Lapesa (1908–2001)Charles W. Wendell (1930–2015) |
| 3 | Riccardo Bacchelli (1891–1985) | Italy | novel, drama, essays | Enrico Cerulli (1898–1988) |
| 4 | Saul Bellow (1915–2005) | Canada United States | novel, short story, memoir, essays | Roger Asselineau (1915–2002)Jara Ribnikar (1912–2007) |
| 5 | Louis Paul Boon (1912–1979) | Belgium | novel, essays, short story, poetry | Paul Snoek (1933–1981)Theun de Vries (1907–2005)Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991) |
| 6 | Johan Borgen (1902–1979) | Norway | novel, literary criticism | Ebba Haslund (1917–2009) |
| 7 | Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986) | Argentina | poetry, essays, translation, short story | Charles Dédéyan (1910–2003)Richard M. Goodwin (1913–1996)Jónas Kristjánsson (1924–2014)Kurt Levy (1917–2000)Sven Skydsgaard (1934–1979)Kázmér Géza Werner (1900–1985) |
| 8 | Gwen Bristow (1903–1980) | United States | novel, poetry, essays | Lorenz Graham (1902–1989) |
| 9 | Miodrag Bulatović (1930–1991) | Yugoslavia | novel, short story, drama, essays | Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters |
| 10 | Anthony Burgess (1917–1993) | United Kingdom | novel, poetry, drama, screenplay, autobiography, biography, essays, literary criticism, translation | Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991) |
| 11 | Elias Canetti (1905–1994) | Bulgaria United Kingdom | novel, drama, memoir, essays | Manfred Durzak (born 1938)Keith Spalding (1913–2002) |
| 12 | Camilo José Cela (1916–2002) | Spain | novel, short story, essay, poetry, drama, memoir | Juan Contreras López de Ayala (1893–1978) |
| 13 | André Chamson (1900–1983) | France | novel, essays | Yannis Koutsocheras (1904–1994)Yves Gandon (1899–1975)Armand Lunel (1892–1977)Guy Nairay (1914–1999) |
| 14 | Chen Minghua (born 1950) | China | poetry, essays | Emeterio Barcelon Barcelo-Soriano (1897–1978) |
| 15 | Sri Chinmoy (1931–2007) | India United States | poetry, drama, short story, essays, songwriting | Joseph Axelrod (1910–1974)Karl Kroeber (1926–2009)Peter Pitzele (born 1942) |
| 16 | Adolfo Costa du Rels (1891–1980) | Bolivia | novel, short story, drama, poetry, essays | Humberto Palza (1900–1975) |
| 17 | Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca (1914–2008) | Turkey | poetry | Yaşar Nabi Nayır (1908–1981) |
| 18 | Kamala Surraya-Das (1934–2009) | India | novel, short story, poetry, memoir, essays | K. P. Kannan (?) |
| 19 | Argentina Díaz Lozano (1909–1999) | Honduras | short story, poetry, essays, biography | Luis Antonio Díaz Vasconcelos (1908–?)José Luis Cifuentes (1908–1981) |
| 20 | Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902–1987) | Brazil | poetry, essays | Maria Alice Barroso (1926–2012) |
| 21 | Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990) | Switzerland | drama, novel, short story, essays | Werner Betz (1912–1980)Herbert Penzl (1910–1995) |
| 22 | Ralph Ellison (1913–1994) | United States | novel, short story, essays, literary criticism | Henri Peyre (1901–1988) |
| 23 | Odysseas Elytis (1911–1996) | Greece | poetry, essays, translation | Nobel Committee |
| 24 | Rabbe Enckell (1903–1974) | Finland | short story, poetry | Eeva Kilpi (born 1928)Lars Huldén (1926–2016) |
| 25 | Hans Magnus Enzensberger (1929–2022) | West Germany | poetry, essays, translation | Sven Skydsgaard (1934–1979) |
| 26 | Salvador Espriu (1913–1985) | Spain | drama, novel, poetry | Antoni Comas i Pujol (1931–1981)Bertil Maler (1910–1980) |
| 27 | Max Frisch (1911–1991) | Switzerland | novel, drama | Henri Peyre (1901–1988)Leevi Valkama (1915–2000) |
| 28 | Armand Gatti (1924–2017) | France | drama, screenplay, poetry, essays | Volker Klotz (1930–2023) |
| 29 | William Golding (1911–1993) | United Kingdom | novel, poetry, drama, essays | Nobel Committee |
| 30 | Nadine Gordimer (1923–2014) | South Africa | novel, short story, essay, drama | Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991) |
| 31 | Julien Gracq (1910–2007) | France | novel, drama, poetry, essays | Georges Matoré (1908–1998) |
| 32 | Günter Grass (1927–2015) | West Germany | novel, drama, poetry, essays | Manfred Windfuhr (born 1930) |
| 33 | Robert Graves (1895–1985) | United Kingdom | history, novel, poetry, literary criticism, essays | A. Norman Jeffares (1920–2005) |
| 34 | Julien Green (1900–1998) | France | novel, autobiography, essays | Georges Sion (1913–2001)Edgar F. Shannon Jr. (1918–1997) |
| 35 | Graham Greene (1904–1991) | United Kingdom | novel, short story, autobiography, essays | Mira Mihelič (1912–1985)Mary Renault (1905–1983)Herbert Morgan Waidson (1916–1988)Walter Weiss (1927–2004)Kázmér Géza Werner (1900–1985) |
| 36 | Jorge Guillén (1893–1984) | Spain | poetry, literary criticism | Henri Peyre (1901–1988) |
| 37 | G. Floran | | | Eugène Ionesco (1909–1994) |
| 38 | Paavo Haavikko (1931–2008) | Finland | poetry, drama, essays | Eeva Kilpi (born 1928) |
| 39 | William Heinesen (1900–1991) | Faroe Islands | poetry, short story, novel | Gustav Albeck (1906–1995)Peter Foote (1924–2009)William Glyn Jones (1928–2014)Duncan M. Mennie (1909–1998)Niels Clausen Lukman (1907–2003) |
| 40 | Vladimír Holan (1905–1980) | Czechoslovakia | poetry, essays | Nobel Committee |
| 41 | Gyula Illyés (1902–1983) | Hungary | poetry, novel, drama, essays | Iván Boldizsár (1912–1988)Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991) |
| 42 | Eugène Ionesco (1909–1994) | Romania France | drama, essays | Denis de Rougemont (1906–1985) |
| 43 | Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976) | Sweden | novel, short story | Johannes Edfelt (1904–1997) Pär Lagerkvist (1891–1974)Jean-Baptiste Neveux (1923–2003)Esko Pennanen (1912–1990)Carl-Eric Thors (1920–1986) |
| 44 | Uwe Johnson (1934–1984) | East Germany | novel, short story, essays, translation | Shiela St. Clair (?) |
| 45 | Ferenc Juhász (1928–2015) | Hungary | poetry | Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991) |
| 46 | Yaşar Kemal (1923–2015) | Turkey | novel, essays | Nobel Committee |
| 47 | Brendan Kennelly (1936–2021) | Ireland | novel, poetry, essays, translation | John B. Keane (1928–2002) |
| 48 | Arthur Koestler (1905–1983) | Hungary United Kingdom | novel, autobiography, essays | George Mikes (1912–1987) |
| 49 | Miroslav Krleža (1893–1981) | Croatia Yugoslavia | poetry, drama, short story, novel, essays | Nobel Committee |
| 50 | Siegfried Lenz (1926–2014) | West Germany | novel, short story, essays, drama | Nobel Committee |
| 51 | Doris Lessing (1919–2013) | United Kingdom | novel, short story, memoirs, drama, poetry, essays | Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991) |
| 52 | Astrid Lindgren (1907–2002) | Sweden | novel, short story, drama, screenplay | Adolf März (1918–1987) |
| 53 | Väinö Linna (1920–1992) | Finland | novel | Eeva Kilpi (born 1928) |
| 54 | Robert Lowell (1917–1977) | United States | poetry, translation | Hans Galinsky (1909–1991) |
| 55 | Salvador de Madariaga (1886–1978) | Spain | essays, history, law, novel | Julián Gorkin (1901–1987) |
| 56 | Norman Mailer (1923–2007) | United States | novel, short story, poetry, essays, biography, drama, screenplay | Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991) |
| 57 | Bernard Malamud (1914–1986) | United States | novel, short story | Nobel Committee |
| 58 | Eduardo Mallea (1903–1982) | Argentina | novel, short story, essays, literary criticism | Manuel Durán (1925–2020) |
| 59 | André Malraux (1901–1976) | France | novel, essays, literary criticism | Lloyd James Austin (1915–1994)Henning Fenger (1921–1985)Göran Hermerén (born 1938)Jan Kott (1914–2001)Maija Lehtonen (1924–2015)Henri Peyre (1901–1988)Magnus von Platen (1920–2020)John Henry Raleigh (1920–2001)Michael Riffaterre (1924–2006)Laurent Versini (1932–2021) |
| 60 | Frederick Manfred (1912–1994) | United States | novel, essays | Madison Jones (1925–2012)Wayne Knutson (1926–2015) |
| 61 | Herbert Marcuse (1898–1979) | West Germany United States | philosophy, essays | Hans Mayer (1907–2001) |
| 62 | Harry Martinson (1904–1978) | Sweden | poetry, novel, drama, essays | Johannes Edfelt (1904–1997) Pär Lagerkvist (1891–1974) |
| 63 | Segismundo Masel (1895–1985) | Argentina | essays | Antonio de Tornes Ballesteros (?) |
| 64 | László Mécs (1895–1978) | Hungary | poetry, essays | Watson Kirkconnell (1895–1977) |
| 65 | Henri Michaux (1899–1984) | Belgium France | poetry, essays | Nobel Committee |
| 66 | Czesław Miłosz (1911–2004) | Poland | poetry, essays, novel, translation | Algirdas Landsbergis (1924–2004) |
| 67 | Eugenio Montale (1896–1981) | Italy | poetry, translation | Henri Peyre (1901–1988)Luciano Rebay (1928–2014)Uberto Limentani (1913–1989)Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters |
| 68 | Alberto Moravia (1907–1990) | Italy | novel, literary criticism, essays, drama | Jacques Robichez (1914–1999) |
| 69 | Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977) | Russia United States | novel, short story, poetry, drama, translation, literary criticism, memoir | Hans Bielenstein (1920–2015)Hans Rothe (1928–2021)Antun Šoljan (1932–1993)Bernard Tervoort (1920–2006) |
| 70 | V. S. Naipaul (1932–2018) | Trinidad and Tobago United Kingdom | novel, short story, essays | Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991) |
| 71 | R. K. Narayan (1906–2001) | India | novel, short story, essays | Prabhakar Machwe (1917–1991)Ediriweera Sarachchandra (1914–1916) |
| 72 | Mikhail Naimy (1889–1988) | Lebanon | poetry, drama, short story, novel, autobiography, literary criticism | Toufic Fahd (1923–2009) |
| 73 | Victoria Ocampo (1890–1979) | Argentina | essays, literary criticism, biography | Miguel Alfredo Olivera (1922–2008)Fryda Schultz de Mantovani (1912–1978) |
| 74 | Kenzaburō Ōe (1935–2023) | Japan | novel, short story, essays | Kōjirō Serizawa (1896–1993) |
| 75 | Germán Pardo García (1902–1991) | Colombia Mexico | poetry | José María Acosta Acosta (?) |
| 76 | Octavio Paz (1914–1998) | Mexico | poetry, essays | Henri Peyre (1901–1988)Denis de Rougemont (1906–1985) |
| 77 | José María Pemán (1897–1981) | Spain | poetry, drama, novel, essays, screenplay | Emeterio Barcelon Barcelo-Soriano (1897–1978)Manuel Halcón (1900–1989)Fabio Amable Mota (1893–1975)Mariano Lebrón Saviñón (1922–2014) |
| 78 | Harold Pinter (1930–2008) | United Kingdom | drama, screenplay | Paul Goetsch (1934–2018)Gerhard Nickel (1928–2015) |
| 79 | Francis Ponge (1899–1988) | France | poetry, essays | Michael Riffaterre (1924–2006) |
| 80 | Zayn al-ʻĀbidīn Rahnamā (1894–1990) | Iran | history, essays, translation | Abbas Aryanpur-Kashani (1906–1985)Mohammad Mohammadi-Malayeri (1911–2002) |
| 81 | Yannis Ritsos (1909–1990) | Greece | poetry, songwriting | Per Wästberg (born 1933) |
| 82 | Tadeusz Rózewicz (1921–2014) | Poland | poetry, drama, translation | Józef Trypućko (1910–1983)Per Wästberg (born 1933) |
| 83 | Jaroslav Seifert (1901–1986) | Czechoslovakia | poetry, memoir, translation | Ľubomír Ďurovič (born 1925) |
| 84 | Léopold Sédar Senghor (1906–2001) | Senegal | poetry, essays | Roger Asselineau (1915–2002) |
| 85 | Ignazio Silone (1900–1978) | Italy | novel, short story, essays, drama | Nicolas James Perella (1927–2015)Denis de Rougemont (1906–1985) |
| 86 | Georges Simenon (1903–1989) | Belgium | novel, short story, memoir | Axel Springer (1912–1985) |
| 87 | Claude Simon (1913–2005) | France | novel, essays | Nobel CommitteeHaydn Trevor Mason (1929–2018) |
| 88 | Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902–1991) | Poland United States | novel, short story, autobiography, essays | Jules Brody (1928–2021)Julien Hirshaut (1908–1983)Lothar Kahn (1922–1990)Percy Matenko (1901–1987) |
| 89 | Stephen Spender (1909–1995) | United States | novel, short story, poetry, drama, essays, literary criticism | Barbara Hardy (1924–2016) |
| 90 | Zaharia Stancu (1902–1974) | Romania | poetry, novel, philosophy, essays | Alf Lombard (1902–1996)Aatos Ojala (1919–1987) |
| 91 | Isidor Feinstein Stone (1907–1989) | United States | essays | Joseph Axelrod (1910–1974) |
| 92 | Abraham Sutzkever (1913–2010) | Belarus Israel | poetry | Joseph Leftwich (1892–1984) |
| 93 | Pratap Narayan Tandon (born 1935) | India | novel, essays | Kesari Narayan Shukla (?) |
| 94 | Marie Under (1883–1980) | Estonia | poetry | Ants Oras (1900–1982) |
| 95 | Antonio Buero Vallejo (1916–2000) | Spain | drama | Juan Contreras López de Ayala (1893–1978) |
| 96 | José García Villa (1908–1997) | Philippines United States | poetry, essays | Purita Kalaw Ledesma (1914–2005) |
| 97 | Gerard Walschap (1898–1989) | Belgium | novel, drama, essays | Maurice Gilliams (1900–1982)Willem Pée (1903–1986) |
| 98 | Louise Weiss (1893–1983) | France | novel, drama, memoir, essays | Jacques Chabannes (1900–1994)Paul Mousset (1907–1981)Étienne Wolff (1904–1996) |
| 99 | Erico Verissimo (1905–1975) | Brazil | novel, short story, autobiography, essays, translation | Ernesto Leme (1896–1986) |
| 100 | Sándor Weöres (1913–1989) | Hungary | poetry, translation | Áron Kibédi Varga (1930–2018) |
| 101 | Elie Wiesel (1928–2016) | Romania United States | memoir, essays, novel, drama | Irving Abrahamson (1925–?)Marver Bernstein (1919–1990)Harry J. Cargas (1932–1998)Gerson D. Cohen (1924–1991)Dale R. Corson (1914–2012)Maurice Stanley Friedman (1921–2012)James Friend (1932–1987)Irving Greenberg (born 1933)Irving Halperin (1922–2000)Gerd Høst-Heyerdahl (1915–2007)Edward H. Levi (1911–2000)Franklin Littell (1917–2009)Robert Marshak (1916–1992)Elizabeth J. McCormack (1922–2020)André Neher (1914–1988)David Weinstein (1908–1993)Melvin B. Yoken (born 1939) |

### Prize decision

The previous year, the Swedish Academy had discussed if it was suitable for the Academy to award Swedish authors, following the proposals of Johnson, Martinson and novelist Vilhelm Moberg (1898-1973) as candidates for the prize. Concerns had been raised that awarding a Swedish author would harm the international reputation of the Nobel prize and the Swedish Academy's prestige. In a report dated 5 June 1973, Nobel committee chairman Karl Ragnar Gierow wrote on the matter that Johnson, Martinson and Moberg were all worthy recipients of the prize and of the same literary class as the shortlisted candidates for the 1973 prize. Gierow argued that excluding Swedish persons from being awarded the Nobel prize had no support in the statues of the Nobel Foundation and that Alfred Nobel in his will had specifically written that no regard of nationality should be taken, but that the worthiest candidate should be awarded. Gierow said that an unprejudiced examination of the candidates individual merits should be the first and essential basis of the decision and left it to the Academy to further deliberate on a prize to the Swedish candidates.
In 1974, a shared prize to Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson was proposed by Johannes Edfelt, a member of the Swedish Academy. Johnson and Martinson were also nominated individually by Pär Lagerkvist of the Swedish Academy and Johnson individually by three external nominators. As three members of the Swedish Academy had recently died in 1974, and Johnson and Martinson themselves did not take any part in the deliberations, the prize decision for the 1974 Nobel Prize in Literature was taken by at most thirteen individuals. Member Anders Österling revealed that the prize decision was "very unanimous".
For the 1974 prize, the Nobel committee shortlisted eight authors in six proposals, including three proposals for a shared prize. The Nobel committee proposed that the 1974 Nobel Prize in Literature should be awarded jointly to Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson. The committee's second proposal was a shared prize to Nadine Gordimer (subsequently awarded in 1991) and Doris Lessing (awarded in 2007). Their third proposal was Saul Bellow (awarded in 1976), either awarded alone or shared with Norman Mailer, and their fourth proposal was Eugenio Montale (awarded in 1975). Graham Greene, who had for many years been a candidate for the prize, were again also proposed by the committee.
Committee chair Karl Ragnar Gierow listed Johnson and Martinson as his first proposal and argued that the two authors "from a strictly literary perspective are equal or ahead of several of those, who are now considered for a Nobel prize or have already received it", and again noted that denying authors from being awarded the Nobel prize because they are Swedish or members of the Swedish Academy had no support at all in the statutes of the Nobel Foundation. Gierow's second proposal was Graham Greene, citing Greene's recent novel The Honorary Consul as a work that had strengthed his long standing candidacy, and Montale his third proposal.
Committee member Artur Lundkvist strongly opposed that the Swedish Academy should award the Nobel Prize to its own members and urged Johnson and Martinson to not accept the prize, thinking it would make them unhappy. Lundkvist later said he thought the award brought the authors to a too early death. Lundkvist advocated a shared prize to Gordimer and Lessing. No other objections against the proposal to award Johnson and Martinson the prize was noted within the Academy.

## Reactions

The joint selection of Eyvind Johnson and Martinson for the Nobel Prize was very controversial as both were members of the Swedish Academy, the institution that awards the Nobel Prize in Literature. Graham Greene, Jorge Luis Borges, Saul Bellow (awarded in 1976) and Vladimir Nabokov were favourites to win the award that year.
The choice of Johnson and Martinson was heavily criticised by the press in their home country, mainly because the Swedish Academy awarded two of their own members. The most fierce critic, Sven Delblanc in Expressen, called it "a catastrophic decision" and said that the little credibility of the Nobel Prize in Literature that was left "would be wiped out with mockery, rolling around the world". He thought awarding the two academy members was a case of corruption: “There exists no strong international opinion advocating these authors. The choice reflects a lack of judgment by the academy. And lack of judgment in a serious context like this can only too easily be interpreted as corruption through camaraderie. Mutual admiration is one thing, but this smells almost like embezzlement.” The choices was also attacked by some other younger literature figures, saying the authors had written their best works too far back in time and that neither had won any international reputation.
According to research of press clips and letters sent to the Swedish Academy and Johan Svedjedals 2023 Harry Martinson biography, the negative reactions to the prize decision has however proved to have been exaggerated with one-sided focus on Delblanc's article and the negative reactions of Olof Lagercrantz. The contemporary reactions were rather mixed with several positive reactions both in Sweden and internationally. In a survey in Svenska Dagbladet, a majority of the literary professors and authors called it an excellent choice. Literature professor Thure Stenström said: "It is a triumph for all cultures good forces when an authorship such as Eyvind Johnson's is awarded. Harry Martinson is also an extraordinary worthy candidate. (...) Aniara alone would of course count as a merit enough for the Nobel prize." Literature professor Gunnar Brandell said that the prize decision was likely to be criticized internationally; "But one can take that calmly. Those who know these prospected Nobel prize laureates works of course know that they each in their own way measure up well." Swedish author and critic Karl Vennberg also favoured the prize and was quoted saying in the New York Times: “I find that if I myself had a Nobel Prize to give, I would have been prepared to give Harry Martinson one as far back as 1932.”
International reactions generally focused on the fact that Johnson and Martinson were little known outside their home country, and were sometimes negatively or neutrally reported. Some of the international reactions were however much less negative than the Swedish reactions. The French newspaper La Nouvelle République said that Johnson and Martinson were "remarkable representatives of the modern Swedish literature and their work undoubtly deserve to be much known". Positive reactions were also noted in Denmark, Norway, Finland, England and the USA. A writer in Times Literary Supplement wrote "That Martinson and Johnson are worthy recipients of the prize, few acquinted with their work would deny." In the same publication, the Swedish criticism was described as driven by envy of the same kind that several other successful Swedish persons had been strickened by.

### Personal reactions

According to academy member Lars Gyllensten, both authors were badly affected by the negativity and criticism following the award. The sensitive Martinson found it hard to cope with the criticism following his award, and died on 11 February 1978 at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm after cutting his stomach open with a pair of scissors in what has been described as a "hara-kiri-like manner".

## Award ceremony

At the award ceremony on 10 December 1974 in Stockholm Concert Hall Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson received their awards. At the ceremony Alexander Solzhenitsyn also received his 1970 Nobel Prize in Literature, after finally having been allowed to leave the Soviet Union. Solzhenitsyn's presence was much noticed in the Swedish press.

## Aftermath

In his memoirs, published in 2000, former secretary of the Swedish Academy and Nobel committee member Lars Gyllensten justified the prize decision and claimed that it was well received by the Swedish public. The negative reactions in the Swedish press Gyllensten described as driven by envy and the Law of Jante. In the book Gyllensten claimed that Martinson's suicide in 1978 was a direct result of the heavy criticism led by Sven Delblanc in Expressen and Olof Lagercrantz in Dagens Nyheter.
In September 2024, Sveriges Television premiered the one hour documentary Harry och Eyvind - Nobelpriset som förstörde allt ("Harry and Eyvind - The Nobel Prize that ruined everything") by Hanna Cedergren and Anders Lundgren, including archive footage and interviews with David Lagercrantz, (son of Olof Lagercrantz), and Harry Martinson's biographer Johan Svedjedal, among others. In his 2023 Harry Martinson biography, Svedjedal devoted over twenty pages to the 1974 Nobel Prize in literature. Svedjedal concluded: "In the longer perspective the Nobel prize helped to further bring Harry Martinson and Eyvind Johnson to the world literature. But in the short and half-long perspective the prize was rather a pain for especially Harry. Even if many reactions [among the public] were positive he felt the negative so strong that nearly all happiness was ruined."