The Nobel Prize in Literature 1953 The Nobel Prize in Literature 1953 Winston Churchill The Nobel Prize in Literature 1953 Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill Prize share: 1/1 The Nobel Prize in Literature 1953 was awarded to Winston Churchill "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values". Photos: Copyright © The Nobel Foundation Share this: To cite this page MLA style: "The Nobel Prize in Literature 1953". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 23 Dec 2016. < The 1953 Nobel Prize The 1953 Nobel Prize The 1953 Nobel Prize By Kjell Stromberg On occasion, the Swedish Academy has surprised everyone by its choice of Nobel laureates. It happened in 1953, when after awards for literature to Per Lagerkvist and Francois Mauriac in the preceding two years, the Academy chose Sir Winston Churchill.

Whatever may have been the literary merits of this extraordinary laureate, it is certain that for most people throughout the world he was chiefly, if not exclusively, the great statesman who had been the architect of victory in the greatest of all wars. Another point was that, after six years out of power, Churchill had become once again Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1951, and it was generally believed that the Swedish Academy had assumed a tacit obligation not to crown any writer who was either holding a government position or playing a political role of first rank in his country at the time his candidacy might be presented. This time the Academy ignored such considerations. Churchill had been proposed for the Nobel Prize for Literature —and probably for the Peace Prize as well—as early as 1946, after having been forced out of power by the Labor party in the 1945 elections. The Nobel Committee had had plenty of time in which to crown him during this period when he was only a Member of Parliament and leader of His Britannic Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and decidedly a writer by profession.

His six years of involuntary leisure had been devoted to composing six powerful volumes of notes and memoirs on the Second World War, of which the last was published in 1953. Perhaps the Swedish Academy had decided to wait until this full stop had been put to an entire life’s work (almost half a century) as historian and writer of memoirs before awarding him a Nobel Prize. Churchill’s name was first thought of in connection with the Prize by the Swedish. In later years, this candidacy, which quickly became popular, was proposed again and again, almost exclusively by Swedish writers and historians. Several of these were members of the Academy, and they were quick to settle on this name, which by mid-century was illustrious above all others. Even so, it was passed through a fine critical sieve by two reporting Academicians. The first report on the candidate, written by the aged Per Hallstrom, former permanent secretary of the Academy, was rather negative in its conclusions. He found no literary merit whatever in the little adventure novel entitled Savrola, which a youthful Lieutenant Churchill had written to relieve the boredom of garrison life in India when there was no enemy to fight.

Although his first attempt at autobiography, a self-portrait based on childhood memories (My Early Life), is not entirely lacking in charm, or in artistic quality, in Hallstrom’s opinion, only the four-volume biography of his great ancestor Marlborough, the conqueror of Louis XIV, can serve as a basis for a judgment of Churchill as a historian. He dismissed The World Crisis, Churchill’s highly praised account of the First World War, as history. Recalling that only Theodor Mommsen had been judged worthy of a Nobel Prize for his work as a historian, the reporter asked the historians among his Academy colleagues whether the award of such a distinction based on only the Marlborough biography could really be defended. Two years later, in 1948, Professor Nils Ahnlund of the Swedish Academy answered his venerable colleague in preparing a second report, which was not limited to his own opinions of Churchill’s historical works. First of all he referred to Professor George Trevelyan of Cambridge University, an eminent authority on English history in Marlborough’s period.

A great admirer of Churchill’s work, Trevelyan was himself to propose Churchill for the Nobel Prize in spite of the violent abuse which Churchill had heaped upon the celebrated historian Macaulay who was Trevelyan’s great-uncle and the first biographer of Marlborough. Unlike Hallstrom, Ahnlund stressed the great documentary value of Churchill’s magnificent work on World War I. At no place in the exceptionally rich historical literature on that war, he observed, was the true pulse of the age to be sensed so well or the direct breath of the great events to be felt so clearly. To create such impressions called above all for outstanding literary and artistic qualities, and in Ahnlund’s opinion Churchill was the incomparable painter of the history of our time. And yet, he concluded, perhaps his historical work could not, by itself, justify the award of the Nobel Prize. But if his literary reputation were to be reinforced by his activity as an orator, there would be no doubt that he would fulfill the conditions of the Prize, for Churchill was an orator without a peer in his century. "No man has better known how to awaken such an echo by his eloquence, or to reach so vast a public," Ahnlund commented.

"It is, then, basically for his oratory that Churchill deserves the Prize; but his art as an orator is well framed by the rest of his production." In spite of this extremely favorable second report, the Academy eventually waited another five years before yielding to the appeals which came with ever greater urgency from all corners of the globe. In 1953, Churchill not only received the Nobel Prize, but also, at the time of the Queen’s coronation, was awarded knighthood in the Order of the Garter. Competition for the Nobel Prize that year was not particularly fierce. The Swedish Pen Club, under its very active president Prince William, had had good luck with its choices in previous years, but for the moment it confined itself to backing once again the choice of its British counterpart—E. M. Forster. Included among the twenty-five remaining contenders were the American Ernest Hemingway, the Icelandic writer Halldor Laxness, and the Spaniard Juan Ramon Jimenez; all three were successively to win the Prize in the following years. At any rate, they did not offer a serious threat to Churchill’s candidacy.

On October 15, the Prize was voted to him "for his mastery of historical and biographical descriptions as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values." Because of the particular position of the new laureate, the Academy gave a flexible interpretation to its rule, always scrupulously respected before, concerning the secrecy of the vote until the final count. Thus Churchill was approached through diplomatic channels several days before the final count to learn whether he would be disposed to accept the Prize. The Prime Minister replied without hesitation that he would be deeply honored. He told the Swedish Ambassador to London, Gunnar Hagglof, when the latter went to No. 10 Downing Street to confirm the Academy’s decision, that he especially appreciated such an award for his literary work. He would be delighted to go to Stockholm to thank the Committee personally, to present his respects to "the illustrious and learned Swedish Academy," and to admire the beauties of the city—the only European capital which, to his regret, he had never visited.

Then he added that being almost eighty, he was obliged to ration his strength and to limit his participation in the Nobel Prize festivities—no public address, except for a few words of thanks at the banquet following the distribution of the Prizes, and no press conferences. He would of course attend the traditional dinner given by the King, whose guest he was to be during his entire stay in Stockholm, and he hoped to do considerable sightseeing. Unfortunately, even this limited program could not be carried out. Much to the disappointment of everyone in Sweden, the great statesman was held up by an international conference in the Bermuda Islands, where President Eisenhower had summoned English and French leaders to discuss certain questions regarding the mutual defense of Europe following the death of Stalin and the first experiences of atomic warfare. Instead, Lady Clementine Churchill went to Sweden with her youngest daughter, Mrs. Mary Soames, to represent her illustrious husband at the Nobel Prize festivities. Lady Churchill and Mrs. Soames were guests of the King. During the banquet at the Stockholm Town Hall, following the ceremony of the distribution of the Prizes, she read her husband’s acceptance speech—a charming address in which Churchill’s delightful humor counter-pointed his graver statements, which were often moving.

The speech was heard in a deep silence by a gathering of nearly a thousand and greeted with a veritable thunder of applause. Nobel Prize in Literature Nobel Prize in Literature Nobel Prize in Economics - The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel Top Surnames Nobel Prize in Literature On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes, the Nobel Prizes. As described in Nobel's will one part was dedicated to 'the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction'. Introduction Since 1901, the Nobel Prize for Literature (Swedish: Nobelpriset i litteratur) has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction" (original Swedish: den som inom litteraturen har producerat det utmärktaste i idealisk riktning). Though individual works are sometimes cited as being particularly noteworthy, here "Work" refers to an author's work as a whole.

The Swedish Academy decides who, if anyone, will receive the prize in any given year. The academy announces the name of the chosen laureate in early October. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Peace Prize, and Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. A sixth Nobel Prize in Economical Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel was added in 1986. Nobel's choice of emphasis on "idealistic" or "ideal" (English translation) in his criteria for the Nobel Prize in Literature has led to recurrent controversy. In the original Swedish, the word idealisk translates as either "idealistic" or "ideal". In the early twentieth century, the Nobel Committee interpreted the intent of the will strictly. For this reason, they did not award certain world-renowned authors of the time such as James Joyce, Leo Tolstoy, Marcel Proust, Henrik Ibsen, and Henry James. More recently, the wording has been more liberally interpreted. Thus, the Prize is now awarded both for lasting literary merit and for evidence of consistent idealism on some significant level.

In recent years, this means a kind of idealism championing human rights on a broad scale. Hence the award is now arguably more political. "The highlight of the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm is when each Nobel Laureate steps forward to receive the prize from the hands of His Majesty the King of Sweden. ... Under the eyes of a watching world, the Nobel Laureate receives three things: a diploma, a medal, and a document confirming the prize amount". The 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Mario Vargas Llosa for "his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat". The Swedish Academy has attracted significant criticism in recent years. Some critics contend that many well-known writers have not been awarded the prize or even been nominated, whereas others contend that some well-known recipients do not deserve it. There have also been controversies involving alleged political interests relating to the nomination process and ultimate selection of some of the recent literary Laureates. Sources and Resources Laureates The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded 109 times to 113 Nobel Laureates between 1901 and 2016.

The youngest Literature Laureate ever was Rudyard Kipling , who was 42, when he was awarded the Prize in 1907; best known for The Jungle Book . The oldest Literature Laureate ever was Doris Lessing , who was 88 when she was awarded the Prize in 2007, her novels include: 'The Grass is Singing' , 'The Golden Notebook' and five novels collectively known as 'Canopus in Argos' . The laureates (by year): 2016: Bob Dylan (Robert Allen Zimmerman) (b. 1941) American singer-songwriter, artist and writer, "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition". 2015: Svetlana Alexandrovna Alexievich (b. 1948) Belarousian author, "for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time". 2014: Patrick Modiano (b. 1945) French author, “for the art of memory with which he has evoked the most ungraspable human destinies and uncovered the life-world of the occupation”.

2013: Alice Ann Munro (née Laidlaw); (b.1931) Canadian author, "master of the contemporary short story". 2012: Mo Yan, 莫言 (b. 1955) Chinese novelist and short story writer, "who with hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary". 2011: Tomas Tranströmer (b. 1931) Swedish writer, poet and translator, "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality". 2010: Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa , 1st Marquis of Vargas Llosa (b. 1936) Peruvian-Spanish writer, politician, journalist, essayist, "for his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt, and defeat". Best known novels: 'The Time of the Hero' , 'The Green House' , and the monumental 'Conversation in the Cathedral' . 2009: Herta Müller (b.

1953) Romanian-born German novelist, poet and essayist, "who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed". 2008: Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio (b. 1940) French & Mauritian novelist, short stories author, essayist and translator, "author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization". 2007: Doris Lessing (b. 1919) British Novelist and writer, "that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilization to scrutiny". Her novels include 'The Grass is Singing' , 'The Golden Notebook' and five novels collectively known as 'Canopus in Argos' . 2006: Ferit Orhan Pamuk (b. 1952) Turkish novelist, screen writer and academic.His work has been sold in over eleven million copies in sixty languages. The first Nobel Prize to be awarded to a Turkish citizen.

2005: Harold Pinter , CH, CBE (1930-2008) Jewish author, English playwright, screenwriter, actor, theatre director, poet, left-wing political activist and cricket enthusiast, "who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms". There can be no hard distinctions between what is real and what is unreal, nor between what is true and what is false. A thing is not necessarily either true or false; it can be both true and false. 2004: Elfriede Jelinek (b. 1946) Jewish author, Austrian playwright and novelist. Did not accept the prize in person, "for her musical flow of voices and counter-voices in novels and plays that with extraordinary linguistic zeal reveal the absurdity of society's clichés and their subjugating power". 2003: John Maxwell Coetzee (b. 1940) South Africa born Australian novelist, literary critic and translator, "who in innumerable guises portrays the surprising involvement of the outsider". Coetzee began writing fiction in 1969.

Among others he wrote In the Heart of the Country (1977) Waiting for the Barbarians (1980) received international notice. Life & Times of Michael K (1983), won Britain's Booker Prize. Disgrace (1999), which again won the Booker Prize. 2002: Imre Kertész (b. 1929) Hungarian Jewish author, Holocaust concentration camp survivor, and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, "for writing that upholds the fragile experience of the individual against the barbaric arbitrariness of history". 2001: Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul (born 1932) Indo-Trinidadian-British writer, "for having united perceptive narrative and incorruptible scrutiny in works that compel us to see the presence of suppressed histories". 2000: Gao Xingjian 高行健 (born 1940) Chinese-born novelist, playwright, critic, and painter, "for an œuvre of universal validity, bitter insights and linguistic ingenuity, which has opened new paths for the Chinese novel and drama".

1999: Günter Grass (born 1927) German Novelist, Poet, Playwright, Sculptor, Graphic Designer, Painter, "whose frolicsome black fables portray the forgotten face of history". Best known novel The Tin Drum . 1998: Jose Saramango (1922 – 2010) Portuguese novelist, playwright, journalist, "who with parables sustained by imagination, compassion and irony continually enables us once again to apprehend an elusory reality". 1997: Dario Fo (b. 1926) Italian satirist, playwright, theater director, actor and composer, "who emulates the jesters of the Middle Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the downtrodden". 1996: Wisława Szymborska (b. 1923) Polish poet, essayist and translator, "for poetry that with ironic precision allows the historical and biological context to come to light in fragments of human reality". 1995: Seamus Heaney (b.

1939) Irish poet, writer and lecturer, "for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past". Considered by many as the greatest Irish poet since Yeats. 1994: Kenzaburo Ōe (b. 1935) Japanese author and a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature, "who with poetic force creates an imagined world, where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today". 1993: Toni Morrison (b. 1931) American author and editor, "who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality". 1992: Derek Alton Walcott (b. 1930) Saint Lucian poet, playwright, writer and visual artist, "for a poetic oeuvre of great luminosity, sustained by a historical vision, the outcome of a multicultural commitment". 1991: Nadine Gordimer (born 1923) Jewish South African writer, political activist, "who through her magnificent epic writing has - in the words of Alfred Nobel - been of very great benefit to humanity".

1990: Octavio Paz (1914 – 1998) Mexican writer, poet, diplomat, "for impassioned writing with wide horizons, characterized by sensuous intelligence and humanistic integrity". 1989: Camilo José, Manuel Juan Ramón Francisco de Jerónimo, Cela y Trulock (1916 – 2002) Spanish novelist and short story writer, "for a rich and intensive prose, which with restrained compassion forms a challenging vision of man's vulnerability". 1988: نجيب محفوظ Naguib Mahfouz (1911 – 2006) Egyptian writer, "who, through works rich in nuance - now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous - has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind". 1987: Joseph Brodsky (1940 – 1996) Russian Jewish poet and essayist, "for an all-embracing authorship, imbued with clarity of thought and poetic intensity". 1986: Akinwande Oluwole -Wole- Soyinka (b.

1934) Nigerian writer, poet and playwright, "who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence". 1985: Claude Simon (1913 – 2005) French novelist, "who in his novel combines the poet's and the painter's creativeness with a deepened awareness of time in the depiction of the human condition". 1984: Jaroslav Seifert (1901 – 1986) Czech writer, poet and journalist, "for his poetry which endowed with freshness, sensuality and rich inventiveness provides a liberating image of the indomitable spirit and versatility of man". 1983: sir William Gerald Golding (1911 – 1993) British novelist, poet and playwright, "for his novels which, with the perspicuity of realistic narrative art and the diversity and universality of myth, illuminate the human condition in the world of today". 1982: Gabriel Garcia Marquez (b.

1927) Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo, "for his novels and short stories, in which the fantastic and the realistic are combined in a richly composed world of imagination, reflecting a continent's life and conflicts". 1981: Elias Canetti Елиас Канети (1905 – 1994) Bulgarian-born novelist and non-fiction writer of Sephardi Jewish ancestry who wrote in German, "for writings marked by a broad outlook, a wealth of ideas and artistic power". 1980: Czesław Miłosz (1911 – 2004) Polish poet, prose writer and translator, of Lithuanian origin and subsequent American citizenship, "who with uncompromising clear-sightedness voices man's exposed condition in a world of severe conflicts".

His famous novel The Captive Mind Polish: Zniewolony umysł) 1979: Odysseus Elytis (1911 – 1996) Greek poet, "for his poetry, which, against the background of Greek tradition, depicts with sensuous strength and intellectual clear-sightedness modern man's struggle for freedom and creativeness". 1978: Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902 – 1991) Polish Jewish American author noted for his short stories, "for his impassioned narrative art which, with roots in a Polish-Jewish cultural tradition, brings universal human conditions to life". 1977: Vicente Pío Marcelino Cirilo Aleixandre y Merlo (1898 – 1984) Spanish poet, "for a creative poetic writing which illuminates man's condition in the cosmos and in present-day society, at the same time representing the great renewal of the traditions of Spanish poetry between the wars". 1976: Saul Bellow (1915 – 2005) Canadian-born American Jewish writer. Awarded also the Pulitzer Prize & the National Medal of Arts.

Nobel Prize motivation: "for the human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture that are combined in his work". 1975: Eugenio Montale (1896 – 1981) Italian poet, prose writer, editor and translator, "for his distinctive poetry which, with great artistic sensitivity, has interpreted human values under the sign of an outlook on life with no illusions". 1974: jointly to: Harry Martinson (1904 – 1978) Swedish sailor, author and poet, "for writings that catch the dewdrop and reflect the cosmos". 1973: Patrick Victor Martindale White (1912 – 1990) Australian novelist, short story writer, and playwright, "for an epic and psychological narrative art which has introduced a new continent into literature". 1972: Heinrich Theodor Böll (1917 – 1985) One of Germany's foremost post-World War II writers, "for his writing which through its combination of a broad perspective on his time and a sensitive skill in characterization has contributed to a renewal of German literature".

1971: Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973) Chilean poet and politician. Known for Twenty Poems of Love and a Song of Despair , surrealist poems, historical epics, and overtly political manifestos, "for a poetry that with the action of an elemental force brings alive a continent's destiny and dreams". 1970: Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn (1918 – 2008) Russian and Soviet novelist, dramatist, and historian, "for the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature". Notable work: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich , The First Circle , The Cancer Ward , The Gulag Archipelago , The Red Wheel . 1969: Samuel Barclay Beckett (1906 – 1989) Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet, "for his writing, which - in new forms for the novel and drama - in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation".

1968: Yasunari Kawabata (1899 – 1972) Japanese short story writer and novelist, "for his narrative mastery, which with great sensibility expresses the essence of the Japanese mind". 1967: Miguel Asturias (1899 – 1974) Guatemalan poet, novelist, playwright, journalist and diplomat, "for his vivid literary achievement, deep-rooted in the national traits and traditions of Indian peoples of Latin America". 1966: jointly to: Nelly Sachs (1891 – 1970) Jewish German poet and playwright, "for her outstanding lyrical and dramatic writing, which interprets Israel's destiny with touching strength". 1965: Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov (1905 – 1984) Russian novelist, "for the artistic power and integrity with which, in his epic of the Don, he has given expression to a historic phase in the life of the Russian people". His most famous novel Tikhi Don ( And Quiet Flows the Don ).

1964: Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 – 1980) French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic, "for his work which, rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth, has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age". Declined the Nobel Prize. 1963: Giorgos Seferis (1900 – 1971) Greek poet and diplomat, "for his eminent lyrical writing, inspired by a deep feeling for the Hellenic world of culture." 1962: John Steinbeck (1902 – 1968) American writer, "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen social perception". 1961: Ivo Andrić (1892 – 1975) Yugoslav novelist and short story writer, "for the epic force with which he has traced themes and depicted human destinies drawn from the history of his country".

1960: Saint-John Perse (1887 – 1975) French poet and diplomat, "for the soaring flight and evocative imagery of his poetry." 1959: Salvatore Quasimodo (1901 – 1968) Italian author and poet, "for his lyrical poetry, which with classical fire expresses the tragic experience of life in our own times". 1958: Boris Pasternak Борис Пастернак (1890 – 1960) Russian language Jewish poet, novelist, and translator of Goethe and Shakespeare. Best known for the anthology My Sister Life and Doctor Zhivago , "for his important achievement both in contemporary lyrical poetry and in the field of the great Russian epic tradition". 1957: Albert Camus (1913 – 1960) French author, journalist, and key philosopher of the 20th century, "for his important literary production, which with clear-sighted earnestness illuminates the problems of the human conscience in our times".

1956: Juan Ramón Jiménez Mantecón (1881 – 1958) Spanish poet and prolific writer, "for his lyrical poetry, which in Spanish language constitutes an example of high spirit and artistical purity". 1955: Halldór Kiljan Laxness born Guðjónsson (1902 – 1998) Icelandic writer of poetry, newspaper articles, plays, travelogues, short stories, and novels, "for his vivid epic power which has renewed the great narrative art of Iceland". 1954: Ernest Hemingway (1899 – 1961) American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist, "for his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea, and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style".

1953: Sir Winston Churchill KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (1874 – 1965) A noted statesman, orator, soldier, historian, writer, and artist, "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values". 1952: François Mauriac (1885 – 1970) French author, "for the deep spiritual insight and the artistic intensity with which he has in his novels penetrated the drama of human life" 1951: Pär Fabian Lagerkvist (1891 – 1974) Swedish author, "for the artistic vigour and true independence of mind with which he endeavours in his poetry to find answers to the eternal questions confronting mankind". 1950: Earl (Bertrand Arthur William) Russell (1872 – 1970) British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, pacifist, and social critic, "in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought".

1949: William Faulkner (1897 – 1962) American novelist and short story writer. One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, "for his powerful and artistically unique contribution to the modern American novel". 1948: Thomas Eliot (1888 – 1965) American-born English poet, playwright, and literary critic, arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century, "for his outstanding, pioneer contribution to present-day poetry". 1947: André Paul Guillaume Gide (1869 – 1951) French author, "for his comprehensive and artistically significant writings, in which human problems and conditions have been presented with a fearless love of truth and keen psychological insight". '1946:' Hermann Hesse (1877 – 1962) German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter, "for his inspired writings which, while growing in boldness and penetration, exemplify the classical humanitarian ideals and high qualities of style".

His best-known works include Steppenwolf , Siddhartha , and The Glass Bead Game (also known as Magister Ludi). '1945:' Gabriela Mistral (1889 – 1957) Chilean poet, educator, diplomat, and feminist who was the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, "for her lyric poetry which, inspired by powerful emotions, has made her name a symbol of the idealistic aspirations of the entire Latin American world". '1944:' Johannes Vilhelm Jensen (1873 – 1950) Danish writer, "for the rare strength and fertility of his poetic imagination with which is combined an intellectual curiosity of wide scope and a bold, freshly creative style", '1943:' not awarded '1941:' not awarded '1940:' not awarded '1939:' Frans Eemil Sillanpää (1888 – 1964) Finnish writer, "for his deep understanding of his country's peasantry and the exquisite art with which he has portrayed their way of life and their relationship with Nature." '1938:' Pearl S.

Buck (1892 – 1973) also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu, 賽珍珠. American writer (until 1934 in China). Pulitzer Prize in 1932. In 1938, and the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, "for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces." Her best known novel was The Good Earth . '1937:' Roger Martin du Gard (1881 – 1958) French author, "for the artistic power and truth with which he has depicted human conflict as well as some fundamental aspects of contemporary life in his novel-cycle Les Thibault ". '1936:' Eugene O'Neill (1888 – 1953) American playwright, "for the power, honesty and deep-felt emotions of his dramatic works, which embody an original concept of tragedy".

'1935:' not awarded 1934: Luigi Pirandello (1867 – 1936) Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer "for his bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." 1933: Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin (1870 – 1953) Russian writer, "for the strict artistry with which he has carried on the classical Russian traditions in prose writing". 1932: John Galsworthy (1867 – 1933) English novelist and playwright, "for his distinguished art of narration which takes its highest form in The Forsyte Saga" . 1931: Erik Axel Karlfeldt (1864 – 1931) Swedish poet, for "The poetry of Erik Axel Karlfeldt". 1930: Sinclair Lewis (1885 – 1951) American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright, "for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humour, new types of characters".

1929: Thomas Mann (1875 – 1955) German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist and essayist, "principally for his great novel, Buddenbrooks , which has won steadily increased recognition as one of the classic works of contemporary literature". 1928: Sigrid Undset (1882 – 1949) Norwegian novelist, "principially for her powerful descriptions of Northern life during the Middle Ages". 1927: Henri Bergson (1859 – 1941) French Jewishphilosopher, "in recognition of his rich and vitalizing ideas and the brillant skill with which they have been presented". 1926: Grazia Deledda (1871 – 1936) Italian novelist and short story writer, "for her idealistically inspired writings which with plastic clarity picture the life on her native island and with depth and sympathy deal with human problems in general".

1925: George Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950) Irish playwright, "for his work which is marked by both idealism and humanity, its stimulating satire often being infused with a singular poetic beauty". 1924: Wladyslaw Stanislaw Reymont (1867 – 1925) Polish Novelist, "for his great national epic, The Peasants ". 1923: William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939) Irish poet and dramatist, "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation". 1922: Jacinto Benavente y Benavente (1866 – 1954) Spanish dramatists, "for the happy manner in which he has continued the illustrious traditions of the Spanish drama".

1921: Anatole France , born François-Anatole Thibault (1844 – 1924) French poet, journalist, and novelist, "in recognition of his brilliant literary achievements, characterized as they are by a nobility of style, a profound human sympathy, grace, and a true Gallic temperament". 1920: Knut Hamsun (1859 – 1952) Norwegian author, "for his monumental work, Growth of the Soil". 1919: Carl Friedrich Georg Spitteler (1845 – 1924) Swiss Poet, "in special appreciation of his epic, Olympian Spring". 1918: not awarded 1917: jointly to: Karl Adolph Gjellerup (1857 – 1919) Danish poet and novelist, "for his varied and rich poetry, which is inspired by lofty ideals", and to Henrik Pontoppidan (1857 – 1943) Danish writer, "for his authentic descriptions of present-day life in Denmark".

1916: Carl Gustaf Verner von Heidenstam (1859 – 1940) Swedish poet and novelist, "in recognition of his significance as the leading representative of a new era in our literature". 1915: Romain Rolland (1866 – 1944) French dramatist, novelist, essayist, art historian and mystic, "as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production and to the sympathy and love of truth with which he has described different types of human beings". 1914: not awarded 1913: Rabindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941) Bengali poet, novelist, musician, painter and playwright, "because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West".

1912: Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann (1862 – 1946) was a German dramatist and novelist, "primarily in recognition of his fruitful, varied and outstanding production in the realm of dramatic art". 1911: count Maurice Polydore Marie Bernhard Maeterlinck (1862 – 1949) Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who wrote in French, "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations". 1910: Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse (1830 – 1914) German Jewish writer and translator, "as a tribute to the consummate artistry, permeated with idealism, which he has demonstrated during his long productive career as a lyric poet, dramatist, novelist and writer of world-renowned short stories".

1909: Selma Lagerlöf (1858 – 1940) Swedish author. Known for her children's book 'The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgerssons' , "in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings". 1908: Rudolf Christoph Eucken (1846 – 1926) German philosopher, "in recognition of his earnest search for truth, his penetrating power of thought, his wide range of vision, and the warmth and strength in presentation with which in his numerous works he has vindicated and developed an idealistic philosophy of life". 1907: Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1936) English poet, short-story writer, and novelist, "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author".

1906: Giosuè Carducci (1835 – 1907) Regarded as the national poet of modern Italy, "not only in consideration of his deep learning and critical research, but above all as a tribute to the creative energy, freshness of style, and lyrical force which characterize his poetic masterpieces". Winston Churchill - Biographical Winston Churchill The Nobel Prize in Literature 1953 Winston Churchill Share this: Winston Churchill - Biographical The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965), the son of Lord Randolph Churchill and his American wife Jennie Jerome, was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst. After a brief but eventful career in the army, he became a Conservative Member of Parliament in 1900. He held many high posts in Liberal and Conservative governments during the first three decades of the century. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty - a post which he had earlier held from 1911 to 1915. In May, 1940, he became Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and remained in office until 1945.

He took over the premiership again in the Conservative victory of 1951 and resigned in 1955. However, he remained a Member of Parliament until the general election of 1964, when he did not seek re-election. Queen Elizabeth II conferred on Churchill the dignity of Knighthood and invested him with the insignia of the Order of the Garter in 1953. Among the other countless honours and decorations he received, special mention should be made of the honorary citizenship of the United States which President Kennedy conferred on him in 1963. Churchill's literary career began with campaign reports: The Story of the Malakand Field Force (1898) and The River War (1899), an account of the campaign in the Sudan and the Battle of Omdurman. In 1900, he published his only novel, Savrola, and, six years later, his first major work, the biography of his father, Lord Randolph Churchill. His other famous biography, the life of his great ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough, was published in four volumes between 1933 and 1938.

Churchill's history of the First World War appeared in four volumes under the title of The World Crisis (1923-29); his memoirs of the Second World War ran to six volumes (1948-1953/54). After his retirement from office, Churchill wrote a History of the English-speaking Peoples (4 vols., 1956-58). His magnificent oratory survives in a dozen volumes of speeches, among them The Unrelenting Struggle (1942), The Dawn of Liberation (1945), and Victory (1946). Churchill, a gifted amateur painter, wrote Painting as a Pastime (1948). An autobiographical account of his youth, My Early Life, appeared in 1930. From Nobel Lectures , Literature 1901-1967, Editor Horst Frenz, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1969 This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and first published in the book series Les Prix Nobel . It was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures . To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.

Winston Churchill died on January 24, 1965. Has a Politician Ever Won the Nobel Prize in Literature? - Other Voice Review Sports Has a Politician Ever Won the Nobel Prize in Literature? The only politician who ever won the Nobel Prize in Literature was British prime minister Winston Churchill. In 1953, Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature as recognition for his historical works and memoirs, the six-volume The Second World War and A History of the English Speaking People. Prior to his political career, Churchill had a critically acclaimed literary career, including a four-volume history of World War I. The selection committee for Churchill’s Nobel Prize in Literature went on record stating he was chosen for the honor due to his skill in historical and biographical writing, as well as his passionate and persuasive political speeches. More about the Nobel Prize All Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden except for the Peace Prize, which award creator Alfred Nobel specified without reason be given in Oslo, Norway The oldest man and woman to ever win Nobel Prizes were honored in the same year: 2007.

Economics winner Leonid Hurwicz was 90, and Literature winner Doris Lessing was 87 Four US Presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize: Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore Roosevelt, as well as one vice president: Al Gore. Do share your thoughts and comments on this. Leave a Comment READ GET THE REAL & UNBIASED NEWS Get the daily digest right into your inbox, and stay on top of what's going on in the world... About OVReview OVReview, or Other Voice Review is an independent media company reporting the major global news, events and their implications on the financial portfolios of successful investors. About Behl Capital Behl Capital, Inc. is the world's first Private Equity firm that offers Managed investments to investors. Instead of handing over money to other fund managers who then channel that money to business leaders, Behl Capital directly employs the investment capital to acquire, run, grow and eventually sell companies. About Westernston Westernston Consulting, Inc. is the world's leading strategy consulting company specializing in business growth through deployment of client acquisition funnels that breakeven within 30 days of initiation.

Often, our clients find that doubling or tripling their cashflow is simply a matter of letting things take their natural course after we have deployed the proper systems. About Lakshay Behl Lakshay Behl is the world's leading business systems architect. He engineers and deploys business systems that automatically operate, manage and grow companies. While he typically works with established companies in certain sectors, his strategies are universally applicable. Get A Free Copy Right Now Churchill - definition of Churchill by The Free Dictionary Churchill - definition of Churchill by The Free Dictionary Related to Churchill: Sir Winston Churchill Chur·chill (chûr′chĭl′, chûrch′hĭl′), Caryl Born 1938. British playwright. Her best-known work, Cloud 9 (1979), is considered a landmark of feminist and postmodern literature. Churchill , John First Duke of Marlborough. 1650-1722. English general and statesman who served under five British monarchs. He is best known for his decisive victory in the Battle of Blenheim (1704). Churchill , Sir Winston Leonard Spencer 1874-1965. British politician and writer.

As prime minister (1940-1945 and 1951-1955) he led Great Britain through World War II. Churchill published several works, including The Second World War (1948-1953), and won the 1953 Nobel Prize for literature. Chur·chill′i·an (chûr-chĭl′ē-ən) adj. Churchill (ˈtʃɜːtʃɪl) n 1. (Placename) a river in E Canada, rising in SE Labrador and flowing north and southeast over Churchill Falls, then east to the Atlantic. Length: about 1000 km (600 miles). Former name: Hamilton River 2. (Placename) a river in central Canada, rising in NW Saskatchewan and flowing east through several lakes to Hudson Bay. Length: about 1600 km (1000 miles) Churchill (ˈtʃɜːtʃɪl) n 1. (Biography) Caryl.

born 1938, British playwright; her plays include Cloud Nine (1978), Top Girls (1982), Serious Money (1987), and Far Away (2000) 2. (Biography) Charles. 1731–64, British poet, noted for his polemical satires. His works include The Rosciad (1761) and The Prophecy of Famine (1763) 3. (Biography) John. See (1st Duke of) Marlborough 2 4. (Biography) Lord Randolph. 1849–95, British Conservative politician: secretary of state for India (1885–86) and chancellor of the Exchequer and leader of the House of Commons (1886) 5. (Biography) his son, Sir Winston (Leonard Spencer). 1874–1965, British Conservative statesman, orator, and writer, noted for his leadership during World War II.

He held various posts under both Conservative and Liberal governments, including 1st Lord of the Admiralty (1911–15), before becoming prime minister (1940–45; 1951–55). His writings include The World Crisis (1923–29), Marlborough (1933–38), The Second World War (1948–54), and History of the English-Speaking Peoples (1956–58): Nobel prize for literature 1953 Church•ill 1. John, 1st Duke of Marlborough, ( “Corporal John” ), 1650–1722, British military commander. 2. Lord Randolph (Henry Spencer), 1849–95, British statesman (father of Winston L. S. Churchill). 3. Sir Winston (Leonard Spencer), 1874–1965, British prime minister 1940–45, 1951–55; Nobel prize for literature 1953. 4. a river in Canada flowing NE from E Saskatchewan through Manitoba to Hudson Bay.

ab. 1000 mi. (1600 km) long. 5. Formerly, Hamilton. a river in S central Labrador, Newfoundland, in E Canada, flowing E to Lake Melville. 208 mi. (335 km) long. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: 2. Churchill - British statesman and leader during World War II; received Nobel prize for literature in 1953 (1874-1965) Churchill - a Canadian town in northern Manitoba on Hudson Bay; important port for shipping grain Manitoba - one of the three prairie provinces in central Canada Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: Cherwell References in classic literature ? Captain Weston was a general favourite; and when the chances of his military life had introduced him to Miss Churchill, of a great Yorkshire family, and Miss Churchill fell in love with him, nobody was surprized, except her brother and his wife, who had never seen him, and who were full of pride and importance, which the connexion would offend.

They lived beyond their income, but still it was nothing in comparison of Enscombe: she did not cease to love her husband, but she wanted at once to be the wife of Captain Weston, and Miss Churchill of Enscombe. Churchill, having no children of their own, nor any other young creature of equal kindred to care for, offered to take the whole charge of the little Frank soon after her decease. He had only himself to please in his choice: his fortune was his own; for as to Frank, it was more than being tacitly brought up as his uncle's heir, it had become so avowed an adoption as to have him assume the name of Churchill on coming of age. Frank Churchill was one of the boasts of Highbury, and a lively curiosity to see him prevailed, though the compliment was so little returned that he had never been there in his life. Frank Churchill to come among them; and the hope strengthened when it was understood that he had written to his new mother on the occasion. Has a Politician Ever Won the Nobel Prize in Literature? Has a Politician Ever Won the Nobel Prize in Literature? Tweet The first politician to win the Nobel Prize in Literature was José Echegaray.

He shared the Nobel Prize in Literature with Frédéric Mistral in the year 1904. José Echegaray was the Minister of Public Works and Finance Minister in the Spanish government. In addition to his successful government career, he was a prolific playwright and was given the Novel Prize in Literature for his contribution to Spanish drama. The next politician to be given a Nobel Prize in Literature was British prime minister Winston Churchill. In 1953, Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in recognition for his historical works and memoirs, the six-volume The Second World War and A History of the English Speaking People. More about the Nobel Prize: All Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden except for the Peace Prize, which award creator Alfred Nobel specified without reason be given in Oslo, Norway. The oldest man and woman to ever win Nobel Prizes were honored in the same year: 2007. Economics winner Leonid Hurwicz was 90, and Literature winner Doris Lessing was 87. Four US Presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize: Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore Roosevelt, as well as one vice president: Al Gore.

Follow wiseGEEK: 1000+ images about WOMEN/NOBEL PRIZE on Pinterest | Nobel peace prize, Nobel prize and Nobel prize in literature Forward Wangari Muta Maathai (1 April 1940 – 25 September 2011) was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She was educated in the United States at Mount St. Scholastica and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the University of Nairobi in Kenya. In the 1970s, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women's rights See More

Question: Which British politician won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1953?
Answer: Winston Churchill