# 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature is an international literary prize established according to Alfred Nobel's will that will be announced by the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Sweden, in October 2025 and awarded on 10 December 2025.

## Nominations

Every year, beginning in November of last year, thousands of letters across the world are sent to the Swedish Academy, endorsing well celebrated and little-known authors for the Nobel Prize.
Such nominations can only be done by qualified nominators, namely members of the Swedish Academy and of other academies, institutions and societies which are similar to it in construction and purpose; professors of literature and of linguistics at universities and colleges; previous Nobel Prize laureates in Literature; and chairpersons of writers' organizations qualifying as representative of their countries' production of literature and belles lettres. Among the fundamental rules in making nominations include not making them public – but some still do as previous years – nor nominating oneself which automatically disqualifies the nominee during deliberations.
Despite the secrecy, many notable writers around the globe are perennially expected to be among the official nominees and favored to win the prestigious literary prize.
Among last year's favorite authors to win the prize, according to The Guardian and Literary Hub, include Can Xue, Haruki Murakami, Ludmila Ulitskaya, Ersi Sotiropoulos, Salman Rushdie, Don DeLillo, Thomas Pynchon, László Krasznahorkai, César Aira, Gerald Murnane, Anne Carson and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o.
The following list features authors considered multiple times for the prize along with the current number of their books the Nobel Library possess. The amount of copies helps determine the Swedish Academy's interest on a particular author.
| Author | Birth Year | Country | Numbers of Books | Genre(s) |
| Peter Ackroyd | 1949 | United Kingdom | 22 | novel, biography, essays, poetry |
| Naja Marie Aidt | 1963 | Netherlands | 33 | poetry, short story, novel, drama |
| César Aira | 1949 | Argentina | 36 | novel, short story, essays, translation |
| Ibrahim al-Koni | 1948 | Libya | 31 | novel, essays, history |
| Isabel Allende | 1942 | Chile | 35 | novel, short story, memoirs |
| José Eduardo Agualusa | 1960 | Angola | 21 | novel, short story, essays |
| Homero Aridjis | 1940 | Mexico | 70 | poetry, novel, drama, short story, essays |
| Margaret Atwood | 1939 | Canada | 129 | novel, short story, poetry, essays, literary criticism |
| Bernardo Atxaga | 1951 | Spain | 23 | novel, short story, poetry |
| John Banville | 1945 | Ireland | 23 | novel, short story, drama, screenplay, essays |
| Alessandro Baricco | 1958 | Italy | 25 | novel, drama, short story, essays |
| Julian Barnes | 1946 | United Kingdom | 33 | novel, short story, essays |
| Bei Dao | 1949 | China | 45 | poetry, short story, essays, memoirs |
| Tahar Ben Jelloun | 1944 | Morocco | 66 | novel, short story, poetry, essays |
| Stefano Benni | 1947 | Italy | 26 | novel, short story, poetry, drama, essays |
| Aase Berg | 1967 | Sweden | 24 | poet, literary critic |
| Wolf Biermann | 1936 | Germany | 23 | poetry, songwriting |
| Ana Blandiana | 1942 | Romania | 25 | novel, poetry, essays, drama, translation |
| Can Xue | 1953 | China | 24 | novel, short story, literary criticism |
| Emmanuel Carrère | 1957 | France | 20 | novel, essays, biography, screenplay |
| Anne Carson | 1950 | Canada | 49 | poetry, essays |
| Mircea Cărtărescu | 1958 | Romania | 41 | novel, poetry, short story, literary criticism, essays |
| Patrick Chamoiseau | 1953 | Martinique | 30 | novel, essays, autobiography, screenplay |
| Hélène Cixous | 1937 | France | 91 | essays, literary criticism, philosophy, drama, poetry |
| Mia Couto | 1955 | Mozambique | 61 | novel, short story, essays |
| Rachel Cusk | 1967 | United Kingdom | 24 | novel, essays, drama |
| Lydia Davis | 1947 | United States | 23 | short story, novel, essays |
| Don DeLillo | 1936 | United States | 59 | novel, short story, drama, screenplay, essays |
| Anita Desai | 1937 | India | 25 | novel, short story |
| Ananda Devi | 1957 | Mauritius | 26 | novel, short story, poetry |
| Jean Echenoz | 1947 | France | 25 | novel, short story, essays |
| Inger Edelfeldt | 1956 | Sweden | 33 | novel, short story, translation |
| Carl-Göran Ekerwald | 1923 | Sweden | 38 | novel, short story, essays, literary criticism |
| Kerstin Ekman | 1933 | Sweden | 71 | novel, essays, screenplay |
| Anna Enquist | 1945 | Netherlands | 23 | novel, poetry |
| Viktor Yerofeyev | 1947 | Russia | 23 | novel, essays |
| Jenny Erpenbeck | 1967 | Germany | 22 | novel, short story, drama, essays |
| Franck Étienne | 1939 | Haiti | 25 | novel, poetry, drama, essays |
| Knut Faldbakken | 1941 | Norway | 21 | novel, short story, essays |
| Nuruddin Farah | 1945 | Somalia | 25 | novel, short story, drama |
| Jean-Pierre Faye | 1925 | France | 22 | philosophy, essays, novel, poetry |
| Dominique Fernandez | 1929 | France | 21 | novel, essays |
| Elena Ferrante | 1943 | Italy | 25 | novel, essays |
| Aris Fioretos | 1960 | Sweden | 47 | novel, essays, translation |
| Magnus Florin | 1955 | Sweden | 32 | novel, drama, essays |
| Kjartan Fløgstad | 1944 | Norway | 48 | novel, short story, poetry, essays |
| Richard Ford | 1944 | United States | 22 | novel, short story, screenplay |
| Tua Forsström | 1947 | Sweden | 37 | poetry, drama, essays |
| Niels Frank | 1963 | Denmark | 22 | poetry, essays |
| Katarina Frostenson | 1953 | Sweden | 99 | poetry, biography, essays, drama, translation |
| Athol Fugard | 1932 | South Africa | 21 | drama, novel, memoirs |
| Robin Fulton | 1937 | United Kingdom | 32 | poetry, essays, translation |
| Eric Fylkeson | 1950 | Sweden | 24 | poetry, essays |
| Jonas Gardell | 1963 | Sweden | 24 | novel, drama, screenplay |
| Jörgen Gassilewski | 1961 | Sweden | 22 | poetry, essays |
| Sylvie Germain | 1954 | France | 23 | novel, short story, essays |
| Amitav Ghosh | 1956 | India | 27 | novel, essays |
| Pere Gimferrer | 1945 | Spain | 55 | poetry, novel, essays, translation, literary criticism |
| David Grossman | 1954 | Israel | 35 | novel, essays |
| Vigdís Grímsdóttir | 1953 | Iceland | 21 | poetry, short story, drama |
| Durs Grünbein | 1962 | Germany | 73 | poetry, essays, novel |
| Einar Már Guðmundsson | 1954 | Iceland | 47 | novel, short story, poetry, essays |
| Lennart Hagerfors | 1946 | Sweden | 24 | novel, essays |
| Gunnar Harding | 1940 | Sweden | 81 | poetry, novel, essays, translation |
| Dick Harrison | 1966 | Sweden | 34 | history, essays, novel |
| Paal-Helge Haugen | 1945 | Norway | 27 | novel, poetry, drama |
| Christoph Hein | 1944 | Germany | 28 | novel, drama, essays |
| Christina Hesselholdt | 1962 | Denmark | 23 | novel, short story, essays |
| Michel Houellebecq | 1957 | France | 49 | novel, poetry, essays |
| Siri Hustvedt | 1955 | United States | 22 | novel, essays, translation |
| Roy Jacobsen | 1954 | Norway | 37 | novel, short story, autobiography |
| Drago Jančar | 1948 | Slovenia | 25 | novel, short story, drama, essays |
| Ann Jäderlund | 1955 | Sweden | 32 | poetry, drama |
| Carsten Jensen | 1952 | Netherlands | 21 | novel, essays, literary criticism |
| Per Christian Jersild | 1935 | Sweden | 42 | novel, essays |
| Lídia Jorge | 1946 | Portugal | 33 | novel, short story, essays, poetry |
| Theodor Kallifatides | 1938 | Sweden | 43 | novel, poetry, essays, translation |
| Einar Kárason | 1955 | Iceland | 20 | novel, poetry, essays |
| Daniel Kehlmann | 1975 | Germany | 22 | novel, drama |
| Vénus Khoury-Ghata | 1937 | France | 53 | novel, poetry, short story |
| Eeva Kilpi | 1928 | Finland | 24 | novel, short story, poetry, essays |
| Jamaica Kincaid | 1949 | United States | 26 | novel, essays, short story |
| Esther Kinsky | 1956 | Germany | 20 | novel, poetry, translation |
| Erling Kittelsen | 1946 | Norway | 20 | poetry, novel, short story, drama, translation |
| Jan Kjærstad | 1953 | Norway | 31 | novel, short story, essays |
| Ivan Klíma | 1931 | Czechia | 49 | novel, drama, memoirs |
| Bengt af Klintberg | 1938 | Sweden | 34 | short story, essays |
| Alexander Kluge | 1932 | Germany | 28 | essays, philosophy, drama |
| Karl Ove Knausgård | 1968 | Norway | 52 | novel, autobiography, essays |
| Ko Un | 1933 | South Korea | 37 | poetry, essays |
| Pavel Kohout | 1928 | Czechia | 24 | novel, drama, poetry, autobiography |
| Urszula Kozioł | 1931 | Poland | 26 | poetry, novel, short story, drama |
| Hanna Krall | 1935 | Poland | 70 | novel, essays |
| László Krasznahorkai | 1954 | Hungary | 40 | novel, short story, translation |
| Julia Kristeva | 1941 | France | 38 | novel, essays, philosophy |
| Ryszard Krynicki | 1943 | Poland | 20 | poetry, translation |
| Stig Larsson | 1955 | Sweden | 39 | novel, short story, drama, poetry, essays, screenplay |
| Peter Laugesen | 1942 | Denmark | 38 | poetry, drama |
| Kristoffer Leandoer | 1962 | Sweden | 49 | poetry, short story, novel, essays |
| Mara Lee | 1972 | Sweden | 23 | poetry, novel, translation |
| Sven-Eric Liedman | 1939 | Sweden | 26 | essays, philosophy, history |
| Rosa Liksom | 1958 | Sweden | 24 | novel, short story |
| Birgitta Lillpers | 1958 | Sweden | 21 | novel, poetry |
| Ewa Lipska | 1945 | Poland | 43 | poetry, essays |
| Lotta Lotass | 1964 | Sweden | 44 | novel, short story, drama, essays |
| António Lobo Antunes | 1942 | Portugal | 98 | novel, short story, essays |
| Ulf Lundell | 1949 | Sweden | 25 | songwriting, novel, poetry |
| Marie Lundquist | 1950 | Sweden | 39 | poetry, essays, translation |
| Alain Mabanckou | 1966 | Republic of Congo | 31 | novel, poetry, essays |
| Svend Åge Madsen | 1939 | Denmark | 32 | novel, short story, drama |
| Claudio Magris | 1939 | Italy | 107 | essays, translation, novel, short story |
| Andreï Makine | 1957 | France | 27 | novel |
| David Malouf | 1934 | Australia | 25 | novel, short story, poetry, essays, drama |
| Norman Manea | 1936 | Romania | 23 | novel, essays |
| Dacia Maraini | 1936 | Italy | 27 | novel, short story, essays, drama |
| Merete Mazzarella | 1945 | Finland | 38 | essays, novel, autobiography, literary criticism |
| Ian McEwan | 1948 | United Kingdom | 38 | novel, short story, screenplay, drama |
| Gabriela Melinescu | 1942 | Romania | 34 | poetry, essays, translation |
| Eduardo Mendoza Garriga | 1943 | Spain | 27 | novel, short story, drama, essays |
| Rosa Montero | 1951 | Spain | 20 | novel, short story |
| Quim Monzó | 1952 | Spain | 24 | novel, short story, essays |
| Terézia Mora | 1971 | Hungary | 20 | novel, poetry, screenplays |
| Paul Muldoon | 1951 | Ireland | 40 | poetry, essays, literary criticism |
| Antonio Muñoz Molina | 1956 | Spain | 48 | novel, short story, essays |
| Haruki Murakami | 1949 | Japan | 47 | novel, short story, essays |
| Gerald Murnane | 1939 | Australia | 26 | novel, short story, essays, poetry, memoirs |
| Adolf Muschg | 1934 | Switzerland | 26 | novel, poetry, essays |
| Péter Nádas | 1942 | Hungary | 69 | novel, drama, essays |
| Marie NDiaye | 1967 | France | 28 | novel, short story, essays, drama, screenplay |
| Carlos Nejar | 1939 | Brazil | 24 | poetry, novel, essays, translation |
| Ulf Karl Olov Nilsson | 1965 | Sweden | 23 | poetry, essays |
| Cees Nooteboom | 1933 | Netherlands | 76 | novel, short story, poetry, essays |
| Svante Nordin | 1946 | Sweden | 36 | essays, philosophy |
| Amélie Nothomb | 1966 | Belgium | 35 | novel, short story |
| Fredrik Nyberg | 1968 | Sweden | 20 | poetry, essays |
| Joyce Carol Oates | 1938 | United States | 179 | novel, drama, poetry, short story, essays, literary criticism |
| Yōko Ogawa | 1962 | Japan | 31 | novel, short story |
| Ben Okri | 1959 | Nigeria | 30 | novel, short story, poetry, essays |
| Tommy Olofsson | 1960 | Sweden | 25 | poetry, essays |
| Michael Ondaatje | 1943 | Canada | 30 | novel, poetry, essays |
| Cynthia Ozick | 1928 | United States | 26 | novel, short story, essays |
| Vasilis Papageorgiou | 1955 | Sweden | 22 | novel, drama, poetry, essays |
| Victor Pelevin | 1962 | Russia | 46 | novel, short story, essays |
| Malte Persson | 1976 | Sweden | 26 | poetry, essays, translation |
| Lyudmila Petrushevskaya | 1938 | Russia | 46 | novel, short story, drama, poetry, essays |
| Agneta Pleijel | 1940 | Sweden | 57 | novel, poetry, drama, essays, literary criticism |
| Álvaro Pombo | 1939 | Spain | 23 | novel, short story, poetry |
| Thomas Pynchon | 1937 | United States | 20 | novel, short story, essays |
| Yann Queffélec | 1949 | France | 20 | novel, essays |
| Pascal Quignard | 1948 | France | 50 | novel, short story, essays |
| Björn Ranelid | 1949 | Sweden | 35 | novel, short story, biography, essays |
| Renzo Ricchi | 1936 | Italy | 22 | drama, poetry, short story, essays |
| Carme Riera | 1948 | Spain | 30 | novel, short story, essays, screenplay |
| Marilynne Robinson | 1943 | United States | 21 | novel, essays |
| Jacques Roubaud | 1932 | France | 32 | poetry, novel, essays |
| Dina Rubina | 1953 | Israel | 20 | novel, short story, essays |
| Luiz Ruffato | 1961 | Brazil | 20 | novel, short story, poetry, essays |
| Salman Rushdie | 1947 | United Kingdom | 60 | novel, short story, essays, autobiography |
| Ali Ahmad Said | 1930 | Syria | 77 | poetry, essays, translation |
| Olga Sedakova | 1949 | Russia | 33 | poetry, essays, translation |
| Steve Sem-Sandberg | 1958 | Sweden | 41 | novel, essays |
| Sigurjón "Sjón" Sigurðsson | 1962 | Iceland | 38 | novel, poetry, drama, screenplay |
| Ali Smith | 1962 | United Kingdom | 26 | novel, short story, drama, essays |
| Zadie Smith | 1975 | United Kingdom | 22 | novel, short story, essays, drama |
| Vladimir Sorokin | 1955 | Russia | 41 | novel, short story, drama, screenplay, essays |
| Peter Stamm | 1963 | Switzerland | 25 | drama, novel, essays |
| Andrzej Stasiuk | 1960 | Poland | 46 | novel, short story, essays |
| Jón Kalman Stefánsson | 1963 | Iceland | 20 | novel, poetry |
| Botho Strauss | 1944 | Germany | 64 | drama, novel, essays |
| Su Tong | 1963 | China | 22 | novel, short story, essays |
| Graham Swift | 1949 | United Kingdom | 23 | novel, short story |
| Pia Tafdrup | 1952 | Denmark | 55 | poetry, essays |
| Yoko Tawada | 1960 | Japan | 41 | novel, short story, poetry |
| Paul Theroux | 1941 | United States | 26 | novel, short story, essays |
| Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o | 1938 | Kenya | 54 | novel, drama, short story, essays |
| Søren Ulrik Thomsen | 1956 | Denmark | 20 | poetry, essays |
| Kirsten Thorup | 1942 | Denmark | 24 | novel, short story |
| Pär Thörn | 1977 | Sweden | 21 | poetry, essays |
| Thomas Tidholm | 1943 | Sweden | 20 | poetry, drama, short story, translation |
| Enrico Tiozzo | 1945 | Italy | 50 | essays, literary criticism |
| Jean-Philippe Toussaint | 1957 | Belgium | 22 | novel, screenplay |
| Colm Tóibín | 1955 | Ireland | 47 | novel, short story, essays |
| Viktoriya Tokareva | 1937 | Russia | 25 | novel, short story, screenplay |
| Tatyana Tolstaya | 1951 | Russia | 31 | novel, short story, essays |
| Michel Tremblay | 1942 | Canada | 29 | novel, short story, drama, screenplay |
| Antti Tuuri | 1944 | Finland | 21 | novel, translation, screenplay |
| Anne Tyler | 1941 | United States | 21 | novel, short story, literary criticism |
| Lyudmila Ulitskaya | 1943 | Russia | 67 | novel, short story, drama |
| Zoé Valdés | 1959 | Cuba | 21 | novel, poetry, screenplay |
| René Vázquez Díaz | 1952 | Cuba | 29 | novel, poetry, drama |
| Tomas Venclova | 1937 | Lithuania | 31 | poetry, essays, philology |
| Enrique Vila-Matas | 1948 | Spain | 60 | novel, short story, essays |
| Ivan Vladislavic | 1957 | South Africa | 26 | novel, short story, essays |
| Jan Erik Vold | 1939 | Norway | 60 | poetry, essays, novel, drama |
| Kjell Westö | 1961 | Finland | 24 | novel, short story, poetry, essays |
| Magnus William-Olsson | 1960 | Sweden | 54 | poetry, essays, translation |
| Dorrit Willumsen | 1940 | Denmark | 20 | novel, short story, poetry |
| Jeanette Winterson | 1959 | United Kingdom | 45 | novel, short story, memoirs |
| Per Wästberg | 1933 | Sweden | 257 | novel, poetry, biography, essays, literary criticism |
| Yan Lianke | 1958 | China | 41 | novel, short story |
| Yang Lian | 1955 | China | 41 | poetry, essays |
| Yu Hua | 1960 | China | 38 | novel, short story, essays |
| Serhiy Zhadan | 1974 | Ukraine | 22 | poetry, short story, essays |

## Nobel Committee

The 2025 Nobel Committee consists of the following members:
Committee Members :
| Seat No. | Name | Elected | Position | Profession |
| 4 | Anders Olsson (b. 1949) | 2008 | committee chair | literary critic, literary historian |
| 11 | Mats Malm (b. 1964) | 2018 | associate member permanent secretary | translator, literary historian, editor |
| 9 | Ellen Mattson (b. 1963) | 2019 | member | novelist, essayist |
| 14 | Steve Sem-Sandberg (b. 1958) | 2021 | member | journalist, author, translator |
| 13 | Anne Swärd (b. 1969) | 2019 | member | novelist |
| 16 | Anna-Karin Palm (b. 1961) | 2023 | associate member | novelist, culture writer |