# 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature

The 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the Chilean politician and poet Pablo Neruda (1904–1973) "for a poetry that with the action of an elemental force brings alive a continent's destiny and dreams." Neruda became the second Chilean Nobel laureate in Literature after Gabriela Mistral in 1945.

## Laureate

Pablo Neruda is known for his surrealist poems and historical epics which touches political, human and passionate themes. Among his well known works which are read throughout the world include Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada ("Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair", 1924), which established him as a prominent poet and an interpreter of love and erotica, and Cien Sonetos de Amor ("100 Sonnets of Love", 1959). A diplomat, his official journey in Asia affected him strongly, which is reflected in two volumes of poems titled Residencia en la tierra ("Residence on Earth", 1933 and 1935). Neruda's Communist sympathies reflect in his work Canto General (1939), an epic poem about the whole South American continent.

## Deliberations
### Nominations

In 1971, the Swedish Academy received 137 nominations for 91 writers. Neruda received 25 nominations since 1956 and received two nominations which eventually led to him being awarded the 1971 prize. Among the shortlist were Neruda, W. H. Auden, Patrick White (awarded in 1973), André Malraux and Eugenio Montale (awarded in 1975).
The most number of nominations were for Jorge Luis Borges and Montale, both receiving 6 nominations. André Malraux was the nominee who had been nominated for most years (22 years) up to 1971. 25 of the nominees were nominated first-time, among them Elie Wiesel (awarded the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize), José García Villa, James Baldwin, Arno Schmidt, Georges Schéhadé, William Golding (awarded in 1983) and Richard E. Kim. The oldest nominee was Jacques Maritain (aged 89) while the youngest was Richard E. Kim (aged 39). Peruvian novelist José María Arguedas was nominated posthumously by the professor of Scandinavian languages, Elie Poulenard (1901–1985) from University of Strasbourg. Estonian poet Marie Under was the only female nominee.
The authors André Billy, C. D. Broad, Walter Van Tilburg Clark, Daniel de la Vega, Nels F. S. Ferré, Peter Fleming, Claude Gauvreau, Gaito Gazdanov, A. P. Herbert, Philippe Hériat, Raicho Hiratsuka, Anthony Ludovici, Ogden Nash, Allan Nevins, Reinhold Niebuhr, Naoya Shiga, Kenneth Slessor, Juhan Smuul, Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Frank Underhill, Charles Vildrac, Waldo Williams, and Philip Wylie died in 1971 without having been nominated for the prize. The Indian novelist Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay and Dutch writer Simon Vestdijk died months before the announcement.
Official list of nominees and their nominators for the prize :
| No. | Nominee | Country | Genre(s) | Nominator(s) |
| 1 | Edward Albee (1928–2016) | United States | drama | Dieter Schaller (1929–2003) |
| 2 | Jorge Amado (1912–2001) | Brazil | novel, short story | Laurent Versini (1932–2021) |
| 3 | Jerzy Andrzejewski (1909–1983) | Poland | novel, short story | Eeva Kilpi (born 1928) |
| 4 | Louis Aragon (1897–1982) | France | novel, short story, poetry, essays | Jean Gaudon (1926–2019) |
| 5 | José María Arguedas (1911–1969) (posthumous nomination) | Peru | novel, short story, poetry, essays | Elie Poulenard (1901-1985) |
| 6 | Wystan Hugh Auden (1907–1973) | United Kingdom United States | poetry, essays, screenplay | Erik Frykman (1905–1980)Barbara Hardy (1924–2016) |
| 7 | Riccardo Bacchelli (1891–1985) | Italy | novel, drama, essays | Giacomo Devoto (1897–1974)Beniamino Segre (1903–1977) |
| 8 | James Baldwin (1924–1987) | United States | novel, short story, essays, poetry, drama | Jacob Louis Mey (1926–2023) |
| 9 | Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay (1898–1971) | India | novel, short story, drama, essays, autobiography, songwriting | Krishna Kripalani (1907–1992) |
| 10 | Mykola Bazhan (1904–1983) | Ukraine | poetry, essays | Omeljan Pritsak (1919–2006) |
| 11 | Saul Bellow (1915–2005) | Canada United States | novel, short story, memoir, essays | Jara Ribnikar (1912–2007) |
| 12 | Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986) | Argentina | poetry, essays, translation, short story | Manuel Durán (1925–2020)Yakov Malkiel (1914–1998)Andri Peer (1921–1985)Heinrich Bihler (1918–2017)Christopher Ricks (born 1933)Raimundo Lida (1908–1979) |
| 13 | Jawad Boulos (1900–1982) | Lebanon | history, essays | Camille Aboussouan (1919–2013) |
| 14 | Heinrich Böll (1917–1985) | West Germany | novel, short story | Karl Theodor Hyldgaard-Jensen (1917–1995)Herbert Morgan Waidson (1916–1988)Gustav Korlén (1915–2014) |
| 15 | Michel Butor (1926–2016) | France | poetry, novel, essays, translation | Karl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982) |
| 16 | Elias Canetti (1905–1994) | Bulgaria United Kingdom | novel, drama, memoir, essays | Keith Spalding (1913–2002) |
| 17 | Alejo Carpentier (1904–1980) | Cuba | novel, short story, essays | Henri Peyre (1901–1988) |
| 18 | Lord David Cecil (1902–1986) | United Kingdom | biography, history, essays | Leslie Poles Hartley (1895–1972) |
| 19 | Aimé Césaire (1913–2008) | Martinique | poetry, drama, essays | Karl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982) |
| 20 | André Chamson (1900–1983) | France | novel, essays | Giannēs Koutsocheras (1904–1994)Guy Nairay (1914–1999)Armand Lunel (1892–1977)Pierre Emmanuel (1916–1984)Wladimir d'Ormesson (1888–1973)Marcel Achard (1899–1974) |
| 21 | Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca (1914–2008) | Turkey | poetry | Yaşar Nabi Nayır (1908–1981) |
| 22 | Tsendiin Damdinsüren (1908–1986) | Mongolia | poetry, essays, novel, translation | Walther Heissig (1913–2005) |
| 23 | Salvador de Madariaga (1886–1978) | Spain | essays, history, law, novel | Kázmér Géza Werner (1900–1985) |
| 24 | Henry de Montherlant (1895–1972) | France | essays, novel, drama | Anders Österling (1884–1981) |
| 25 | Paul Demiéville (1894–1979) | Switzerland France | essays, translation | Martin Gimm (born 1930) |
| 26 | Lawrence Durrell (1912–1990) | United Kingdom | novel, short story, poetry, drama, essays | Haydn Trevor Mason (1929–2018) |
| 27 | Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990) | Switzerland | drama, novel, short story, essays | Werner Betz (1912–1980)Karl Siegfried Guthke (born 1933) |
| 28 | Rabbe Enckell (1903–1974) | Finland | short story, poetry | Carl-Eric Thors (1920–1986)Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976) |
| 29 | Salvador Espriu (1913–1985) | Spain | drama, novel, poetry | Manuel Durán (1925–2020)Antoni Comas (1931–1981) |
| 30 | Romain Gary (1914–1980) | Lithuania France | novel, essays, literary criticism, screenplay | Walther Hinz (1906–1992) |
| 31 | Maurice Genevoix (1890–1980) | France | novel, essays | Yves Gandon (1899–1975) |
| 32 | William Golding (1911–1993) | United Kingdom | novel, poetry, drama, essays | Inna Koskenniemi (1923–1995)Meta Mayne Reid (1905–1991) |
| 33 | Günter Grass (1927–2015) | West Germany | novel, drama, poetry, essays | Henry Caraway Hatfield (1912–1995)Erich Ruprecht (1906–1997)Lauri Seppänen (1924–2009)Manfred Windfuhr (born 1930) |
| 34 | Graham Greene (1904–1991) | United Kingdom | novel, short story, autobiography, essays | Mary Renault (1905–1983) |
| 35 | Jorge Guillén (1893–1984) | Spain | poetry, literary criticism | Manuel Durán (1925–2020)Andri Peer (1921–1985) |
| 36 | Paavo Haavikko (1931–2008) | Finland | poetry, drama, essays | Eeva Kilpi (born 1928) |
| 37 | William Heinesen (1900–1991) | Faroe Islands | poetry, short story, novel | Sven Møller Kristensen (1909–1991)Dag Strömbäck (1900–1978)Arthur Arnholtz (1901–1973) |
| 38 | Vladimír Holan (1905–1980) | Czechoslovakia | poetry, essays | Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976) |
| 39 | Eugène Ionesco (1909–1994) | Romania France | drama, essays | Karl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982) |
| 40 | Roman Jakobson (1896–1982) | Russia United States | essays | Jean Dubois (1920–2015) |
| 41 | Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976) | Sweden | novel, short story | Pär Lagerkvist (1891–1974) |
| 42 | Younghill Kang (1898–1972) | North Korea United States | novel, memoir, drama | Robert Payne (1911–1983) |
| 43 | Erich Kästner (1899–1974) | West Germany | poetry, screenplay, autobiography | Kázmér Géza Werner (1900–1985) |
| 44 | Richard Eun Kook Kim (1932–2009) | North Korea United States | novel, short story | Baek Cheol (1908-1985) |
| 45 | Arthur Koestler (1905–1983) | Hungary United Kingdom | novel, autobiography, essays | Georges Matoré (1908–1998) |
| 46 | Miroslav Krleža (1893–1981) | Croatia Yugoslavia | poetry, drama, short story, novel, essays | Gunnar Jacobsson (1918–2001) |
| 47 | Karl Krolow (1915–1999) | West Germany | poetry, essays, translation | Emil Ernst Ploss (1925–1972) |
| 48 | Philip Larkin (1922–1985) | United Kingdom | poetry, novel, essays | Jørgen Læssøe (1924–1993) |
| 49 | Siegfried Lenz (1926–2014) | West Germany | novel, short story, essays, drama | Karl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982) |
| 50 | Väinö Linna (1920–1992) | Finland | novel | Eeva Kilpi (born 1928)Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976) |
| 51 | Compton Mackenzie (1883–1972) | United Kingdom | novel, short story, drama, poetry, history, biography, essays, literary criticism, memoir | Magne Oftedal (1921–1985) |
| 52 | Archibald MacLeish (1892–1982) | United States | poetry, essays, drama, law | William Scovil Anderson (1927–2022) |
| 53 | Hugh MacLennan (1907–1990) | Canada | novel, essays | Lawrence Lande (1906–1998) |
| 54 | André Malraux (1901–1976) | France | novel, essays, literary criticism | Ernest Lee Tuveson (1915–1996)Kauko Aatos Ojala (1919–1987)Lloyd James Austin (1915–1994)Henri Peyre (1901–1988)John Henry Raleigh (1920–2001) |
| 55 | Jacques Maritain (1882–1973) | France | philosophy | Charles Dédéyan (1910–2003) |
| 56 | Harry Martinson (1904–1978) | Sweden | poetry, novel, drama, essays | Arthur Arnholtz (1901–1973) |
| 57 | Miquel Melendres i Rué (1905–1974) | Spain | essays, theology, poetry, memoir | Antoni Griera (1887–1973) |
| 58 | Arthur Miller (1915–2005) | United States | drama, screenplay, essays | Petronella O'Flanagan (?)Andri Peer (1921–1985) |
| 59 | Vilhelm Moberg (1898–1973) | Sweden | novel, drama, history | Anders Österling (1884–1981) |
| 60 | Eugenio Montale (1896–1981) | Italy | poetry, translation | Carlo Bo (1911–2001)Marco Scovazzi (1923–1971)Uberto Limentani (1913–1989)Paul Renucci (1915–1976)Lanfranco Caretti (1915–1995)Henri Peyre (1901–1988) |
| 61 | Alberto Moravia (1907–1990) | Italy | novel, literary criticism, essays, drama | Aimo Sakari (1911–2001)Jacques Robichez (1914–1999) |
| 62 | Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977) | Russia United States | novel, short story, poetry, drama, translation, literary criticism, memoir | Jens Pauli Heinesen (1932–2011)Bernard Tervoort (1920–2006) |
| 63 | Mikhail Naimy (1889–1988) | Lebanon | poetry, drama, short story, novel, autobiography, literary criticism | I. Bassalo (?)Toufic Fahd (1923–2009) |
| 64 | Pablo Neruda (1904–1973) | Chile | poetry | Henri Peyre (1901–1988)Josephine Miles (1911–1985) |
| 65 | Fritiof Nilsson Piraten (1895–1972) | Sweden | short story, novel, essays, law | Bertil Ejder (1916–2005) |
| 66 | Ezra Pound (1885–1972) | United States | poetry, essays | Hans Galinsky (1909–1991) |
| 67 | Evaristo Ribera Chevremont (1890–1976) | Puerto Rico | poetry | Ernesto Juan Fonfrías (1909–1990) |
| 68 | Yannis Ritsos (1909–1990) | Greece | poetry, songwriting | Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976)Per Wästberg (b. 1933) |
| 69 | Alain Robbe-Grillet (1922–2008) | France | novel, short story, essays, screenplays | Henry Olsson (1896–1985) |
| 70 | Tadeusz Rózewicz (1921–2014) | Poland | poetry, drama, translation | Gunnar Jacobsson (1918–2001) |
| 71 | Hans Ruin (1891–1980) | Finland Sweden | philosophy | Arthur Arnholtz (1901–1973) |
| 72 | Georges Schéhadé (1905–1989) | Lebanon | poetry, drama, novel | Camille Aboussouan (1919–2013) |
| 73 | Arno Schmidt (1914–1979) | West Germany | novel, short story, biography, essays | Lars Gyllensten (1921–2006) |
| 74 | Léopold Sédar Senghor (1906–2001) | Senegal | poetry, essays | Karl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982) |
| 75 | Robert Shih [Shi Jieyun] (1926–1983) | China | essays | Étienne Lamotte (1903–1983) |
| 76 | Claude Simon (1913–2005) | France | novel, essays | Henry Olsson (1896–1985) |
| 77 | Charles Percy Snow (1905–1980) | United Kingdom | novel, essays | Sylvère Monod (1921–2006) |
| 78 | Zaharia Stancu (1902–1974) | Romania | poetry, novel, philosophy, essays | Karl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982) |
| 79 | Marie Under (1883–1980) | Estonia | poetry | Algirdas Landsbergis (1924–2004) |
| 80 | Simon Vestdijk (1898–1971) | Netherlands | novel, poetry, essays, translation | Karl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982) |
| 81 | José García Villa (1908–1997) | Philippines United States | poetry, essays | Alejandro Roces (1924–2011)Pacita Habana (died 2016)professors from Far Eastern University |
| 82 | Gerard Walschap (1898–1989) | Belgium | novel, drama, essays | Richard Declerck (1899–1986)William Pée (1903–1986)Marcel Coole (1913–2000) |
| 83 | Mika Waltari (1908–1979) | Finland | short story, novel, poetry, drama, essays, screenplay | Inna Koskenniemi (1923–1995) |
| 84 | Sándor Weöres (1913–1989) | Hungary | poetry, translation | Áron Kibédi Varga (1930–2018) |
| 85 | Patrick White (1912–1990) | Australia | novel, short story, drama, poetry, autobiography | Esko Pennanen (1912–1990)Leslie Rees (1905–2000) |
| 86 | Elie Wiesel (1928–2016) | Romania United States | memoir, essays, novel, drama | Gerd Høst-Heyerdahl (1915–2007) |
| 87 | Thornton Wilder (1897–1975) | United States | drama, novel, short story | Wolfgang Clemen (1909–1990)Julián Marías (1914–2005)William Summers Anderson (1919–2021) |
| 88 | Tennessee Williams (1911–1983) | United States | drama, novel, screenplay, short story, poetry | Kázmér Géza Werner (1900–1985) |
| 89 | Henry Williamson (1895–1977) | United Kingdom | novel, short story | Petronella O'Flanagan (?) |
| 90 | Angus Wilson (1913–1991) | United Kingdom | novel, short story, essays | Gerhard Nickel (1928–2015) |
| 91 | Carl Zuckmayer (1896–1977) | West Germany | drama, screenplay | Herbert Penzl (1910–1995)Alexander Lernet-Holenia (1897–1976) |

### Prize Decision

In 1971, the Nobel committee shortlisted Patrick White (awarded in 1973), W.H. Auden, André Malraux and Eugenio Montale (awarded in 1975) along with Pablo Neruda. The Academy's archives later revealed in 2022 that Neruda was almost denied the Nobel Prize because of his "communist tendencies" and odes to Stalin. While Anders Österling of the Nobel committee praised Neruda's "poetic natural power and dynamic vitality", he questioned whether the increasingly dominant communist tendency in his poetry is compatible with the purpose of the Nobel prize. In the archives, Österling wrote that "a writer's way of thinking – whether Marxist, syndicalist, anarchist or something else – belongs to his free right. However, Neruda is fully politically involved, including through his hymns to Stalin and other purely propagandistic achievements. On that basis, I have reservations about his candidacy, without, however, wanting to firmly reject it in advance..." Österling had previously spoken out against the candidacy both of Ezra Pound and Samuel Beckett, but was eventually persuaded with Neruda's and Beckett's merits later awarded them the prize, but not Pound.
Committee members Lars Gyllensten, Henry Olsson and Artur Lundkvist all recommended Neruda and Patrick White as the main contenders for the prize. Karl Ragnar Gierow listed Neruda as his first proposal and W.H. Auden as his second proposal, noting a "little marked difference" between the order of the proposals. Österling found Auden to be the most recommendable among the candidates, followed by Montale and Patrick White. André Malraux's candidacy was dismissed by the committee as his best work was thought to be too far back in time. Following their meeting on 16 September 1971 the Nobel committee reported that Neruda had the strongest support in the committee, followed by Auden and White with an equal amount of votes.

## Reactions

Pablo Neruda had been one of the favourites to be awarded the Nobel prize in Literature in 1971. Other possible winners speculated about in the media included Graham Greene, Henry Miller and Lawrence Durrell.
The choice of Neruda was controversial for political reasons. It was questioned if Neruda's far-left communism was compatible with the purpose of the Nobel prize, but it was widely agreed that Neruda deserved the prize for his literary achievements.
Bo Strömstedt, cultural editor of the newspaper Expressen, suggested ironically that Neruda's appointment to the Paris embassy might have been decisive factor for him being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, describing it as "Pension for Diplomats". In an interview, he pointed out that three laureates in the last decade had been diplomats: Saint-John Perse of France, Giorgos Seferis of Greece and Miguel Ángel Asturias of Guatemala. "I call it a Nobel old-age pension for diplomats," he said. "I think Pablo Neruda is a great poet and a greater artist than Patrick White but like choices that come too late, it's a bit dull. I'm for choosing younger persons who are in the midst of their work."
In his home country Chile, the awarding of the Nobel prize to Neruda was widely celebrated. Commenting on the political criticism, Neruda said at a press conference in Stockholm before the award ceremony: "The Nobel prize in literature could have been awarded to other Latin American writers who represent other beliefs. That would not have been wrong by the Swedish Academy but I don't think it would have received the same response and joy among our people as this choice has done."

## Award ceremony

At the award ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December 1971, Karl Ragnar Gierow of the Swedish Academy said:
   The spirit of Nobel’s will tells us what he had in mind [about the prize is to reward work in “an ideal direction”]. The contribution must be one which will benefit mankind. But any work of art worthy of the name does this, so does any literary work with a serious purpose, and so far that matter does that which aims at nothing more serious than raising a healthy laugh. The clause in the will has so much to say that it leaves us without a clear message. One of the few cases, however, where it does take on a definite meaning is this year’s winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature: Pablo Neruda. His work benefits mankind precisely because of its direction. It is my impossible task here to indicate this in a few words. To sum up, Neruda is like catching a condor with a butterfly net. Neruda, in a nutshell, is an unreasonable proposition: the kernel bursts the shell.
   Nevertheless, one can do something to describe this kernel. What Neruda has achieved in his writing is community with existence. This sounds simple, and is perhaps our most difficult problem. He himself, in one of his New Elemental Odes, has defined it in the formula: harmony with Man and the Earth. The direction in his work, the direction which can so justly be called ideal, is indicated by the path which has brought him to this harmony. (...)
   we shall follow with high expectations this remarkable poetry, which with the overflowing vitality of an awakening continent resembles one of its rivers, growing all the mightier and more majestic the closer it approaches the estuary and the sea.

## Nobel lecture

Pablo Neruda delivered a Nobel lecture entitled "Towards the Splendid City" on 13 December 1971, in which he raises some great points about the craft of writing poetry and the poet's relation to society. Neruda expressed: "I believe that poetry is an action, ephemeral or solemn, in which there enters as equal partners solitude and solidarity, emotion and action, the nearness to oneself, the nearness to mankind and to the secret manifestations of nature."