Foreign writers are Nobel Prize laureates in literature. Joseph Brodsky and four other Russian writers who received the Nobel Prize in Literature. Alexander Solzhenitsyn was deprived of Soviet citizenship because of the Nobel Prize

Nobel Prize in Literature

Awarded: writers for achievements in the field of literature.

Significance in the field of literature: the most prestigious literary prize.

The prize was established: by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895. Awarded since 1901.

Candidates are nominated: members of the Swedish Academy, other academies, institutes and societies with similar tasks and goals; professors of literature and linguistics; Nobel Prize laureates in literature; chairmen of copyright unions representing literary creativity in the respective countries.
The selection of candidates is carried out by the Nobel Committee for Literature.

Winners are selected: Swedish Academy.

The prize is awarded: once a year.

Laureates are awarded: a medal with the image of Nobel, a diploma and a cash prize, the amount of which varies.

Prize winners and justification for the award:

1901 - Sully-Prudhomme, France. For outstanding literary virtues, especially for high idealism, artistic perfection, as well as for the extraordinary combination of soul and talent, as evidenced by his books

1902 - Theodor Mommsen, Germany. One of the outstanding historical writers, who penned such a monumental work as “Roman History”

1903 - Bjornstjerne Bjornson, Norway. For noble, high and versatile poetry, which has always been marked by the freshness of inspiration and the rarest purity of spirit

1904 - Frederic Mistral, France. For the freshness and originality of poetic works that truly reflect the spirit of the people

Jose Echegaray y Eizaguirre, Spain. For numerous services to the revival of the traditions of Spanish drama

1905 - Henryk Sienkiewicz, Poland. For outstanding services in the field of epic

1906 - Giosue Carducci, Italy. Not only for his deep knowledge and critical mind, but above all for the creative energy, freshness of style and lyrical power characteristic of his poetic masterpieces

1907 - Rudyard Kipling, Great Britain. For observation, vivid imagination, maturity of ideas and outstanding talent as a storyteller

1908 - Rudolf Eiken, Germany. For his serious search for truth, the all-penetrating power of thought, broad outlook, liveliness and persuasiveness with which he defended and developed idealistic philosophy

1909 — Selma Lagerlöf, Sweden. As a tribute to the high idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual penetration that distinguish all her works

1910 - Paul Heise, Germany. For the artistry and idealism that he demonstrated throughout his long and productive creative path as a lyric poet, playwright, novelist, author of world-famous short stories

1911 - Maurice Maeterlinck, Belgium. For a multifaceted literary activity, and especially for dramatic works, which are marked by a wealth of imagination and poetic fantasy

1912 - Gerhart Hauptmann, Germany. First of all, in recognition of fruitful, varied and outstanding activity in the field of dramatic art

1913 - Rabindranath Tagore, India. For deeply sensitive, original and beautiful poems, in which his poetic thinking was expressed with exceptional skill, which, in his words, became part of the literature of the West

1915 - Romain Rolland, France. For the high idealism of artistic works, for the sympathy and love of truth with which he describes various human types

1916 - Karl Heidenstam, Sweden. In recognition of his importance as a leading representative new era in world literature

1917 - Karl Gjellerup, Denmark. For diverse poetic creativity and lofty ideals

Henrik Pontoppidan, Denmark. For a truthful description modern life Denmark

1919 - Karl Spitteler, Switzerland. For the incomparable epic "Olympic Spring"

1920 - Knut Hamsun, Norway. For the monumental work “The Juices of the Earth” about the life of Norwegian peasants who retained their centuries-old attachment to the land and loyalty to patriarchal traditions

1921 - Anatole France, France. For brilliant literary achievements, marked by sophistication of style, deeply suffered humanism and truly Gallic temperament

1922 - Jacinto Benavente y Martinez, Spain. For the brilliant skill with which he continued the glorious traditions of Spanish drama

1923 - William Yates, Ireland. For inspired poetic creativity that conveys the national spirit in highly artistic form

1924 - Wladislaw Reymont, Poland. For the outstanding national epic - the novel "Men"

1925 - Bernard Shaw, Great Britain. For creativity marked by idealism and humanism, for sparkling satire, which is often combined with exceptional poetic beauty

1926 - Grazia Deledda, Italy. For poetic works, which describe the life of her native island with plastic clarity, as well as for the depth of their approach to human problems in general

1927 - Henri Bergson, France. In recognition of his bright and life-affirming ideas, as well as for the exceptional skill with which these ideas were embodied

1928 - Sigrid Undset, Norway. For a memorable description of the Scandinavian Middle Ages

1929 - Thomas Mann, Germany. First of all, for the great novel "Buddenbrooks", which has become a classic modern literature, and whose popularity is steadily growing

1930 - Sinclair Lewis, USA. For the powerful and expressive art of storytelling and for the rare ability to create new types and characters with satire and humor

1931 - Erik Karlfeldt, Sweden. For his poetry

1932 - John Galsworthy, UK. For the high art of storytelling, the pinnacle of which is The Forsyte Saga

1933 - Ivan Bunin. For the strict mastery with which he develops the traditions of Russian classical prose

1934 - Luigi Pirandello, Italy. For creative courage and ingenuity in the revival of dramatic and performing arts

1936 - Eugene O'Neill, USA. For the power of impact, truthfulness and depth of dramatic works that interpret the tragedy genre in a new way

1937 - Roger Martin du Gard, France. For artistic strength and truth in the depiction of man and the most significant aspects of modern life

1938 - Pearl Buck, USA. For a multifaceted, truly epic description of the life of Chinese peasants and for biographical masterpieces

1939 - Frans Sillanpää, Finland. For his deep insight into the lives of Finnish peasants and his excellent description of their customs and connection with nature

1944 - Vilhelm Jensen, Denmark. For the rare strength and richness of poetic imagination combined with intellectual curiosity and originality of creative style

1945 - Gabriela Mistral, Chile. For poetry true feeling, making her name a symbol of idealistic aspiration for all of Latin America

1946 - Hermann Hesse, Switzerland. For inspired creativity, in which classical ideals of humanism are manifested, as well as for brilliant style

1947 - Andre Gide, France. For deep and artistic significant works, in which human problems presented with a fearless love of truth and deep psychological insight

1948 - Thomas Eliot, UK. For outstanding innovative contribution to modern poetry

1949 - William Faulkner, USA. For his significant and artistic point view as a unique contribution to the development of the modern American novel

1950 - Bertrand Russell, UK. To one of the most brilliant representatives of rationalism and humanism, a fearless fighter for freedom of speech and freedom of thought

1951 - Per Lagerkvist, Sweden. For the artistic power and absolute independence of judgment of the writer who was looking for answers to eternal questions facing humanity

1952 - Francois Mauriac, France. For the deep spiritual insight and artistic power with which he reflected the drama of human life in his novels

1953 - Winston Churchill, Great Britain. For the high skill of works of a historical and biographical nature, as well as for brilliant oratory, with the help of which the highest human values ​​were defended

1954 - Ernest Hemingway, USA. For his narrative prowess once again demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea

1955 - Halldor Laxness, Iceland. For the vibrant epic force that has revived the great narrative art of Iceland

1956 - Juan Jimenez, Spain. For lyric poetry, an example of high spirit and artistic purity in Spanish poetry

1957 — Albert Camus, France. For his enormous contribution to literature, highlighting the importance of human conscience

1958 - Boris Pasternak, USSR. For significant achievements in modern lyric poetry, as well as for continuing the traditions of the great Russian epic novel

1959 - Salvatore Quasimodo, Italy. For lyrical poetry that expresses with classical vividness the tragic experience of our time

1960 - Saint-John Perse, France. For sublimity and imagery, which through the means of poetry reflect the circumstances of our time

1961 - Ivo Andric, Yugoslavia. For the power of epic talent, which allowed us to fully reveal human destinies and problems related to the history of his country

1962 - John Steinbeck, USA. For his realistic and poetic gift, combined with gentle humor and keen social vision

1963 - Giorgos Seferis, Greece. For outstanding lyrical works filled with admiration for the world of the ancient Hellenes
1964 - Jean-Paul Sartre, France. For creativity rich in ideas, imbued with the spirit of freedom and the search for truth, which has had a huge impact on our time

1965 - Mikhail Sholokhov, USSR. For the artistic strength and integrity of the epic about Don Cossacks at a turning point for Russia

1966 - Shmuel Agnon, Israel. For deep original art narratives inspired by Jewish folk motifs

Nelly Sachs, Sweden. For outstanding lyrical and dramatic works exploring the fate of the Jewish people

1967 - Miguel Asturias, Guatemala. For the bright creative achievement, which is based on an interest in the customs and traditions of the Indians of Latin America

1968 - Yasunari Kawabata, Japan. For writing that captures the essence of Japanese consciousness

1969 - Samuel Beckett, Ireland. For innovative works in prose and drama, in which tragedy modern man becomes his triumph

1970 - Alexander Solzhenitsyn, USSR. For the moral strength with which he followed the immutable traditions of Russian literature

1971 - Pablo Neruda, Chile. For poetry that with supernatural power embodied the fate of an entire continent

1972 - Heinrich Böll, Germany. For creativity that combines a wide scope of reality with high art creation of characters and which became a significant contribution to the revival of German literature

1973 - Patrick White, Australia. For the epic and psychological mastery, thanks to which a new literary continent was discovered

1974 - Eivind Jonson, Sweden. For narrative art that illuminates space and time and serves freedom

Harry Martinson, Sweden. For creativity that contains everything - from a drop of dew to space

1975 - Eugenio Montale, Italy. For outstanding achievements in poetry, marked by enormous insight and illumination of a truthful, without illusions, view of life

1976 - Saul Bellow, USA. For humanism and subtle analysis modern culture, combined in his work

1977 - Vicente Aleisandre, Spain. For outstanding poetic creativity that reflects the position of man in space and modern society and at the same time represents a magnificent testimony to the revival of the traditions of Spanish poetry during the period between the world wars

1978 - Isaac Bashevis-Singer, USA. For the emotional art of storytelling, which, rooted in Polish-Jewish cultural traditions, raises eternal questions

1979 - Odyseas Elytis, Greece. For poetic creativity, which, in line with the Greek tradition, with sensual strength and intellectual insight, depicts the struggle of modern man for freedom and independence

1980 - Czeslaw Milosz Poland. For showing with fearless clairvoyance the vulnerability of man in a world torn by conflict

1981 - Elias Canetti, UK. For his enormous contribution to literature, highlighting the importance of human conscience

1982 - Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Colombia. For novels and stories in which fantasy and reality, combined, reflect the life and conflicts of an entire continent

1983 - William Golding, UK. For novels that appeal to essence human nature and the problem of evil, they are all united by the idea of ​​the struggle for survival

1984 - Jaroslav Seifert, Czechoslovakia. For poetry which is fresh, sensual and imaginative and which demonstrates the independence of spirit and versatility of man.

1985 - Claude Simon, France. For the combination of poetic and pictorial principles in his work

1986 - Wole Soyinka, Nigeria. For creating a theater of enormous cultural perspective and poetry

1987 - Joseph Brodsky, USA. For comprehensive creativity, imbued with clarity of thought and passion of poetry

1988 - Naguib Mahfouz, Egypt. For the realism and richness of the Arabic story, which has meaning for all humanity

1989 - Camilo Sela, Spain. For expressive and powerful prose that compassionately and movingly describes human frailty

1990 - Octavio Paz, Mexico. For biased, comprehensive writings marked by sensitive intelligence and humanistic integrity

1991 - Nadine Gordimer, South Africa. For bringing great benefit to humanity with her magnificent epic

1992 - Derek Walcott, Saint Lucia. For vibrant poetic creativity, full of historicism and the result of devotion to culture in all its diversity

1993 - Toni Morrison, USA. For bringing to life an important aspect of American reality in her novels of dream and poetry.

1994 - Kenzaburo Oe, Japan. For having created with poetic force an imaginary world in which reality and myth combine to present a disturbing picture of today's human misfortunes

1995 - Seamus Heaney, Ireland. For the lyrical beauty and ethical depth of poetry, which reveals to us amazing everyday life and the living past

1996 - Wislawa Szymborska, Poland. For poetry that describes with extreme accuracy historical and biological phenomena in the context of human reality

1997 - Dario Fo, Italy. Because he, inheriting the medieval jesters, condemns power and authority and defends the dignity of the oppressed

1998 - Jose Saramago, Portugal. For works that, using parables supported by imagination, compassion and irony, make it possible to understand illusory reality

1999 - Gunther Grass, Germany. Because his playful and dark parables illuminate a forgotten image of history

2000 - Gao Xingjian, France. For works of universal significance, marked by bitterness for the position of man in the modern world

2001 - Vidiadhar Naipaul, UK. For unwavering honesty, which makes us think about facts that are usually not discussed

2002 - Imre Kertesz, Hungary. For the fact that in his work Kertesz gives an answer to the question of how an individual can continue to live and think in an era when society is increasingly subjugating the individual.

2003 - John Coetzee, South Africa. For creating countless guises of surprising situations involving outsiders

2004 - Elfriede Jelinek, Austria. For the musical inflections of voices and echoes in novels and plays that, with extraordinary linguistic zeal, reveal the absurdity of social clichés and their enslaving power

2005 - Harold Pinter, UK. For the fact that in his plays he reveals the abyss that lies under the bustle of everyday life and invades the dungeons of oppression

2006 - Orhan Pamuk, Türkiye. For being in search of a melancholic soul hometown found new symbols for the clash and interweaving of cultures

2007 - Doris Lessing, UK. For his insight into women's experiences filled with skepticism, passion and visionary power.

2008 - Gustave Leclezio, France, Mauritius. Because Leclezio writes “about new directions, poetic adventures, sensual delights,” he is “an explorer of humanity beyond the boundaries of the ruling civilization.”

2009 - Herta Müller, Germany. With concentration in poetry and sincerity in prose, he describes the life of the disadvantaged

2010 - Mario Vargas Llosa, Spain. For his cartography of power structures and his vivid images of resistance, rebellion and defeat of the individual

2011 - Tumas Tranströmer, Sweden. For accurate and rich images that gave readers a new look at the real world

2012 - Mo Yan, China. For its breathtaking realism, which unites folk tales with modernity

2013 - Alice Munr, Canada. Master of modern short story

On December 10, 1901, the world's first Nobel Prize was awarded. Since then, five Russian writers have received this prize in the field of literature.

1933, Ivan Alekseevich Bunin

Bunin was the first Russian writer to receive such a high award - Nobel Prize according to literature. This happened in 1933, when Bunin had already been living in exile in Paris for several years. The prize was awarded to Ivan Bunin "for the rigorous skill with which he develops the traditions of Russian classical prose." We were talking about the writer’s largest work - the novel “The Life of Arsenyev”.

Accepting the award, Ivan Alekseevich said that he was the first exile to be awarded the Nobel Prize. Along with his diploma, Bunin received a check for 715 thousand French francs. With the Nobel money he could live comfortably until the end of his days. But they quickly ran out. Bunin spent it very easily and generously distributed it to his fellow emigrants in need. He invested part of it in a business that, as his “well-wishers” promised him, would be a win-win, and went broke.

It was after receiving the Nobel Prize that Bunin’s all-Russian fame grew into worldwide fame. Every Russian in Paris, even those who had not yet read a single line of this writer, took this as a personal holiday.

1958, Boris Leonidovich Pasternak

For Pasternak, this high award and recognition turned into real persecution in his homeland.

Boris Pasternak was nominated for the Nobel Prize more than once - from 1946 to 1950. And in October 1958 he was awarded this award. This happened just after the publication of his novel Doctor Zhivago. The prize was awarded to Pasternak "for significant achievements in modern lyric poetry, as well as for continuing the traditions of the great Russian epic novel."

Immediately after receiving the telegram from the Swedish Academy, Pasternak responded “extremely grateful, touched and proud, amazed and embarrassed.” But after it became known that he had been awarded a prize from the newspaper "Pravda" and " Literary newspaper"attacked the poet with indignant articles, rewarding him with epithets, "traitor", "slanderer", "Judas". Pasternak was expelled from the Writers' Union and forced to refuse the prize. And in his second letter to Stockholm he wrote: "Due to its significance, which award was awarded to me in the society to which I belong, I must refuse it. Do not consider my voluntary refusal an insult.”

Boris Pasternak's Nobel Prize was awarded to his son 31 years later. In 1989, the permanent secretary of the academy, Professor Store Allen, read both telegrams sent by Pasternak on October 23 and 29, 1958, and said that the Swedish Academy recognized Pasternak’s refusal of the prize as forced and, after thirty-one years, was presenting his medal to his son, regretting that The laureate is no longer alive.

1965, Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov

Mikhail Sholokhov was the only one Soviet writer, who received the Nobel Prize with the consent of the leadership of the USSR. Back in 1958, when a delegation from the USSR Writers Union visited Sweden and learned that Pasternak and Shokholov were among those nominated for the prize, in a telegram sent to Soviet ambassador in Sweden, it was said: “it would be desirable, through cultural figures close to us, to make it clear to the Swedish public that the Soviet Union would highly appreciate the award of the Nobel Prize to Sholokhov.” But then the prize was given to Boris Pasternak. Sholokhov received it in 1965 - “for the artistic strength and integrity of the epic about the Don Cossacks at a turning point for Russia.” By this time his famous “ Quiet Don».

1970, Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn

Alexander Solzhenitsyn became the fourth Russian writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature - in 1970 "for the moral strength with which he followed the immutable traditions of Russian literature." By this time the following had already been written outstanding works Solzhenitsyn as “Cancer Ward” and “In the First Circle”. Having learned about the award, the writer stated that he intended to receive the award “personally, on the appointed day.” But after the announcement of the award, the persecution of the writer in his homeland gained full force. The Soviet government considered the decision Nobel Committee"politically hostile". Therefore, the writer was afraid to go to Sweden to receive the award. He accepted it with gratitude, but did not participate in the award ceremony. Solzhenitsyn received his diploma only four years later - in 1974, when he was expelled from the USSR to Germany.

The writer’s wife, Natalya Solzhenitsyna, is still confident that the Nobel Prize saved her husband’s life and gave her the opportunity to write. She noted that if he had published “The Gulag Archipelago” without being a Nobel Prize laureate, he would have been killed. By the way, Solzhenitsyn was the only Nobel Prize laureate in literature for whom only eight years passed from the first publication to the award.

1987, Joseph Alexandrovich Brodsky

Joseph Brodsky became the fifth Russian writer to receive the Nobel Prize. This happened in 1987, at the same time his large book of poems, “Urania,” was published. But Brodsky received the award not as a Soviet, but as an American citizen who had lived in the USA for a long time. The Nobel Prize was awarded to him "for his comprehensive creativity, imbued with clarity of thought and poetic intensity." Receiving the award in his speech, Joseph Brodsky said: “For a private person who has preferred this whole life to some public role, for a person who has gone quite far in this preference - and in particular from his homeland, for it is better to be the last loser in democracy than a martyr or a ruler of thoughts in a despotism, to suddenly appear on this podium is a great awkwardness and test.”

Let us note that after Brodsky was awarded the Nobel Prize, and this event just happened during the beginning of perestroika in the USSR, his poems and essays began to be actively published in his homeland.

The Nobel Prize was created by and named after the Swedish industrialist, inventor and chemical engineer, Alfred Nobel. It is considered the most prestigious in the world. The laureates receive gold medal, which depicts A. B. Nobel, a diploma, as well as a check for a large sum. The latter consists of the amount of profits that the Nobel Foundation receives. In 1895 he made a will, according to which his capital was placed in bonds, shares and loans. The income that this money brings is divided equally into five parts every year and becomes a prize for achievements in five areas: chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature, and also for activities to strengthen peace.

The first Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded on December 10, 1901, and has since been awarded annually on that date, which is the anniversary of Nobel's death. The winners are awarded in Stockholm by the Swedish king himself. After receiving the award, Nobel Prize winners in literature must give a lecture on their work within 6 months. This is an indispensable condition for receiving the award.

The decision on who is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature is made by the Swedish Academy, located in Stockholm, as well as the Nobel Committee itself, which announces only the number of applicants, without naming their names. The selection procedure itself is secret, which sometimes causes angry reviews from critics and ill-wishers who claim that the award is given for political reasons and not for literary achievements. The main argument that is given as proof is that Nabokov, Tolstoy, Bokhres, Joyce were bypassed by the prize. However, the list of authors who received it still remains impressive. There are five writers from Russia who have won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Read more about each of them below.

The 2014 Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded for the 107th time, going to Patrick Modiano and screenwriter. That is, since 1901, 111 writers have received the award (since four times it was awarded to two authors at the same time).

It would take quite a long time to list all the laureates and get to know each of them. The most famous and widely read Nobel Prize winners in literature and their works are brought to your attention.

1. William Golding, 1983

William Golding received the award for his famous novels, of which there are 12 in his oeuvre. The most famous, Lord of the Flies and The Descendants, are among the best-selling books written by Nobel laureates. The novel Lord of the Flies, published in 1954, brought the writer worldwide fame. Critics often compare it to Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in terms of its significance for the development of literature and modern thought in general.

2. Toni Morrison, 1993

The Nobel Prize winners in literature are not only men, but also women. One of them is Toni Morrison. This American writer was born into a working-class family in Ohio. After attending Howard University, where she studied literature and English, she began writing her own works. Her first novel, The Bluest Eye (1970), was based on a story she wrote for a university literary circle. It is one of Toni Morrison's most popular works. Her other novel, Sula, published in 1975, was nominated for the US National.

3. 1962

Most famous works Steinbeck - "East of Eden", "The Grapes of Wrath", "Of Mice and Men". The Grapes of Wrath became a bestseller in 1939, selling more than 50,000 copies and now selling more than 75 million copies. Until 1962, the writer was nominated for the prize 8 times, and he himself believed that he was unworthy of such an award. And many American critics noted that his later novels were much weaker than his previous ones, and responded negatively to this award. In 2013, when some documents from the Swedish Academy (kept secret for 50 years) were declassified, it became clear that the writer was awarded because he was "the best in bad company" that year.

4. Ernest Hemingway, 1954

This writer became one of nine winners of the literature prize, to whom it was awarded not for creativity in general, but for a specific work, namely for the story “The Old Man and the Sea.” The same work, first published in 1952, brought the writer the following year, 1953, another prestigious award - the Pulitzer Prize.

In the same year, the Nobel Committee included Hemingway in the list of candidates, but the winner of the award that time was Winston Churchill, who by that time had already turned 79 years old, and therefore it was decided not to delay the presentation of the award. And Ernest Hemingway became a well-deserved winner of the award the following year, 1954.

5. Marquez, 1982

The winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982 included Gabriel García Márquez among their ranks. He became the first writer from Colombia to receive an award from the Swedish Academy. His books, among which we should especially note “Chronicle of a Death Declared”, “Autumn of the Patriarch”, as well as “Love in the Time of Cholera”, became the best-selling works written in Spanish, throughout its history. One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), which another Nobel laureate, Pablo Neruda, called the greatest work in Spanish since Cervantes' Don Quixote, has been translated into more than 25 languages, and total circulation works amounted to more than 50 million copies.

6. Samuel Beckett, 1969

The Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Samuel Beckett in 1969. This Irish writer is one of the most... famous representatives modernism. It was he who, together with Eugene Ionescu, founded the famous “theater of the absurd”. Samuel Beckett wrote his works in two languages ​​- English and French. The most famous creation of his pen was the play "Waiting for Godot", written in French. The plot of the work is as follows. The main characters throughout the play are waiting for a certain Godot, who should bring some meaning to their existence. However, he never appears, so the reader or viewer has to decide for himself what kind of image it was.

Beckett was fond of playing chess, enjoyed success with women, but led a rather secluded lifestyle. He did not even agree to come to the Nobel Prize ceremony, sending his publisher, Jerome Lindon, in his place.

7. William Faulkner, 1949

He also initially refused to go to Stockholm to receive the award, but was eventually persuaded by his daughter to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949. John Kennedy sent him an invitation to a dinner organized in honor of Nobel Prize winners. However, Faulkner, who all his life considered himself “not a writer, but a farmer,” in his own words, refused to accept the invitation, citing old age.

The author's most famous and popular novels are The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying. However, success did not come to these works immediately, for a long time they hardly sold. The Sound and the Fury, published in 1929, sold only three thousand copies in its first 16 years of publication. However, in 1949, by the time the author received the Nobel Prize, this novel was already an example classical literature America.

In 2012, a special edition of this work was published in the UK, in which the text was printed in 14 different colors, which was done at the request of the writer so that the reader could notice different time planes. The limited edition of the novel was only 1,480 copies and sold out immediately after its release. Now the cost of a book of this rare edition is estimated at approximately 115 thousand rubles.

8. 2007

The Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007 was awarded to Doris Lessing. This British writer and poet received the award at the age of 88, making her the oldest recipient. She also became the eleventh woman (out of 13) to receive the Nobel Prize.

Lessing was not very popular with critics, since she rarely wrote on topics devoted to pressing social issues; she was even often called a propagandist of Sufism, a teaching that preaches the renunciation of worldly vanity. However, according to The Times magazine, this writer ranks fifth on the list of the 50 greatest British authors published after 1945.

Doris Lessing's most popular work is the novel "The Golden Notebook", published in 1962. Some critics classify it as an example of classic feminist prose, but the writer herself categorically disagrees with this opinion.

9. Albert Camus, 1957

French writers also received the Nobel Prize in Literature. One of them, a writer, journalist, and essayist of Algerian origin, Albert Camus, is the “conscience of the West.” His most famous work is the story “The Stranger,” published in 1942 in France. Made in 1946 English translation, sales began, and within a few years the number of copies sold amounted to more than 3.5 million.

Albert Camus is often considered a representative of existentialism, but he himself did not agree with this and denied it in every possible way similar definition. Thus, in a speech delivered at the presentation of the Nobel Prize, he noted that in his work he sought to “avoid outright lies and resist oppression.”

10. Alice Munro, 2013

In 2013, nominees for the Nobel Prize in Literature included Alice Munro on their list. A representative of Canada, this novelist became famous in the short story genre. She began writing them early, in her teenage years, but the first collection of her works, entitled “Dance of the Happy Shadows,” was published only in 1968, when the author was already 37 years old. In 1971, the next collection, “The Lives of Girls and Women,” appeared, which critics called “an education novel.” Others her literary works include the books: “Who exactly are you?”, “The Fugitive”, “Too Much Happiness”. One of her collections, “The Hateful Friendship, Courtship, Love, Marriage,” published in 2001, was even made into a Canadian film called “Away From Her,” directed by Sarah Polley. The author's most popular book is " Dear Life", published in 2012.

Munro is often called the "Canadian Chekhov" because the writers' styles are similar. Like the Russian writer, he is characterized by psychological realism and clarity.

Nobel Prize laureates in literature from Russia

To date, five Russian writers have won the prize. The first laureate was I. A. Bunin.

1. Ivan Alekseevich Bunin, 1933

This is a famous Russian writer and poet, an outstanding master of realistic prose, and an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In 1920, Ivan Alekseevich emigrated to France, and when presenting the award, he noted that the Swedish Academy acted very bravely by awarding the emigrant writer. Among the contenders for this year’s prize was another Russian writer, M. Gorky, however, largely thanks to the publication of the book “The Life of Arsenyev” by that time, the scales nevertheless tipped in the direction of Ivan Alekseevich.

Bunin began writing his first poems at the age of 7-8 years. Later, his famous works were published: the story “The Village”, the collection “Sukhodol”, the books “John the Weeper”, “The Gentleman from San Francisco”, etc. In the 20s he wrote (1924) and “ Sunstroke"(1927). And in 1943, the pinnacle of Ivan Alexandrovich's creativity, a collection of stories, was born" Dark alleys". This book was dedicated to only one topic - love, its “dark” and gloomy sides, as the author wrote in one of his letters.

2. Boris Leonidovich Pasternak, 1958

The Nobel Prize winners in literature from Russia in 1958 included Boris Leonidovich Pasternak on their list. The poet was awarded the prize at a difficult time. He was forced to abandon it under threat of exile from Russia. However, the Nobel Committee regarded Boris Leonidovich’s refusal as forced, and in 1989 transferred the medal and diploma to his son after the writer’s death. The famous novel "Doctor Zhivago" is Pasternak's true artistic testament. This work was written in 1955. Albert Camus, laureate in 1957, spoke with admiration of this novel.

3. Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov, 1965

In 1965, M. A. Sholokhov was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Russia has once again proven to the whole world that it has talented writers. Having begun his literary activity as a representative of realism, depicting the deep contradictions of life, Sholokhov, however, in some works finds himself captive of the socialist trend. During the presentation of the Nobel Prize, Mikhail Alexandrovich made a speech in which he noted that in his works he sought to praise “the nation of workers, builders and heroes.”

In 1926 he started his main novel, Quiet Don, and completed it in 1940, long before he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Sholokhov's works were published in parts, including "Quiet Don". In 1928, largely thanks to the assistance of A.S. Serafimovich, a friend of Mikhail Alexandrovich, the first part appeared in print. The second volume was published the following year. The third was published in 1932-1933, already with the assistance and support of M. Gorky. The last, fourth, volume was published in 1940. This novel had great value both for Russian and world literature. It was translated into many languages ​​of the world, became the basis of the famous opera by Ivan Dzerzhinsky, as well as numerous theatrical productions and films.

Some, however, accused Sholokhov of plagiarism (including A. I. Solzhenitsyn), believing that most of the work was copied from the manuscripts of F. D. Kryukov, a Cossack writer. Other researchers confirmed the authorship of Sholokhov.

In addition to this work, in 1932 Sholokhov also created “Virgin Soil Upturned,” a work telling about the history of collectivization among the Cossacks. In 1955, the first chapters of the second volume were published, and at the beginning of 1960 the last ones were completed.

At the end of 1942, the third novel, “They Fought for the Motherland,” was published.

4. Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, 1970

The Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970 was awarded to A. I. Solzhenitsyn. Alexander Isaevich accepted it, but did not dare to attend the award ceremony because he was afraid of the Soviet government, which regarded the decision of the Nobel Committee as “politically hostile.” Solzhenitsyn was afraid that he would not be able to return to his homeland after this trip, although the 1970 Nobel Prize in Literature that he received increased the prestige of our country. In his work, he touched upon acute socio-political problems and actively fought against communism, its ideas and the policies of the Soviet regime.

The main works of Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn include: “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” (1962), story “ Matrenin Dvor", the novel "In the First Circle" (written from 1955 to 1968), "The Gulag Archipelago" (1964-1970). The first published work was the story "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich", which appeared in the magazine " New world". This publication aroused great interest and numerous responses from readers, which inspired the writer to create the Gulag Archipelago. In 1964, Alexander Isaevich’s first story received the Lenin Prize.

However, a year later he lost the favor of the Soviet authorities, and his works were prohibited from being published. His novels “The Gulag Archipelago”, “In the First Circle” and “Cancer Ward” were published abroad, for which the writer was deprived of citizenship in 1974 and he was forced to emigrate. Only 20 years later he managed to return to his homeland. In 2001-2002, Solzhenitsyn’s great work “Two Hundred Years Together” appeared. Alexander Isaevich died in 2008.

5. Joseph Alexandrovich Brodsky, 1987

The winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987 joined their ranks with I. A. Brodsky. In 1972, the writer was forced to emigrate to the USA, so the world encyclopedia even calls him American. Among all the writers who received the Nobel Prize, he is the youngest. With his lyrics, he comprehended the world as a single cultural and metaphysical whole, and also pointed out the limitations of the perception of man as a subject of knowledge.

Joseph Alexandrovich wrote not only in Russian, but also in English poems, essays, literary criticism. Immediately after the publication of his first collection in the West, in 1965, Brodsky came to international fame. TO the best books of the author include: “Embankment of the Incurable”, “Part of Speech”, “Landscape with Flood”, “The End” belle époque", "Stop in the Desert" and others.

These works represent more than the thousands of other books that fill bookstore shelves. Everything about them is beautiful - starting from the laconic language talented writers, ending with the topics the authors raise.

Scenes from Provincial Life, John Maxwell Coetzee

South African John Maxwell Coetzee is the first writer to be awarded the Booker Prize twice (in 1983 and 1999). In 2003, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature "for creating countless guises of amazing situations involving outsiders." Coetzee's novels are characterized by well-crafted composition, rich dialogue, and analytical skill. He mercilessly criticizes the cruel rationalism and artificial morality of Western civilization. At the same time, Coetzee is one of those writers who rarely talks about his work, and even less often about himself. However, Scenes from Provincial Life, an amazing autobiographical novel, is an exception. Here Coetzee is extremely frank with the reader. He talks about his mother's painful, suffocating love, about the hobbies and mistakes that followed him for years, and about the path he had to go through to finally start writing.

"The Humble Hero", Mario Vargas Llosa

Mario Vargas Llosa is a distinguished Peruvian novelist and playwright who received the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature “for his cartography of power structures and his vivid images of resistance, rebellion and the defeat of the individual.” Continuing the line of great Latin American writers such as Jorge Luis Borges, Garcia Marquez, Julio Cortazar, he creates amazing novels balancing on the brink of reality and fiction. In the new book by Vargas Llosa, “The Humble Hero,” the Marinera masterfully twists two parallel storylines. The hard worker Felicito Yanaque, decent and trusting, becomes a victim of strange blackmailers. At the same time, successful businessman Ismael Carrera, in the twilight of his life, seeks revenge on his two slacker sons who want his death. And Ismael and Felicito, of course, are not heroes at all. However, where others cowardly agree, these two stage a quiet rebellion. Old acquaintances also appear on the pages of the new novel - characters from the world created by Vargas Llosa.

"Moons of Jupiter", Alice Munro

Canadian writer Alice Munro is a master of the modern short story and winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature. Critics constantly compare Munro to Chekhov, and this comparison is not without reason: like the Russian writer, she knows how to tell a story in such a way that readers, even those belonging to a completely different culture, recognize themselves in the characters. These twelve stories, presented in seemingly simple language, reveal amazing plot abysses. In just twenty pages, Munro manages to create a whole world - alive, tangible and incredibly attractive.

"Beloved", Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison received the 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature as a writer "who brought to life an important aspect of American reality in her dreamy and poetic novels." Her most famous novel, Beloved, was published in 1987 and received a Pulitzer Prize. At the heart of the book - real events, which took place in Ohio in the 80s of the 19th century: this is the amazing story of the black slave Sethe, who decided on a terrible act - to give freedom, but take her life. Sethe kills her daughter to save her from slavery. The novel is about how difficult it can sometimes be to tear out the memory of the past from the heart, about difficult choices that change fate, and people who remain loved forever.

"Woman from Nowhere", Jean-Marie Gustave Leclezio

Jean-Marie Gustave Leclezio, one of the largest living French writers, won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2008. He is the author of thirty books, including novels, stories, essays and articles. In the presented book, for the first time in Russian, two stories by Leclezio are published at once: “The Storm” and “The Woman from Nowhere.” The action of the first takes place on an island lost in the Sea of ​​Japan, the second - in Cote d'Ivoire and the Parisian suburbs. However, despite such a vast geography, the heroines of both stories are very similar in some ways - these are teenage girls who are desperately striving to find their place in an inhospitable, hostile world. The Frenchman Leclezio, who lived for a long time in the countries South America, in Africa, Southeast Asia, Japan, Thailand and on his native island of Mauritius, writes about how a person who grew up in the lap of pristine nature feels in the oppressive space of modern civilization.

My Strange Thoughts, Orhan Pamuk

Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006 “for finding new symbols for the clash and interweaving of cultures in his search for the melancholy soul of his hometown.” "My strange thoughts" - last novel author, which he worked on for six years. Main character, Mevlut, works on the streets of Istanbul, watching as the streets fill with new people and the city gains and loses new and old buildings. Before his eyes, coups take place, authorities change each other, and Mevlut still wanders the streets winter evenings, wondering what distinguishes him from other people, why he has strange thoughts about everything in the world, and who really is his beloved, to whom he has been writing letters for the last three years.

Nobel Prize– one of the world's most prestigious prizes, awarded annually for outstanding scientific research, revolutionary inventions or major contributions to culture or society.

On November 27, 1895, A. Nobel drew up a will, which provided for the allocation of certain cash for award awards in five areas: physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine, literature and contributions to world peace. And in 1900, the Nobel Foundation was created - a private, independent, non-governmental organization with an initial capital of 31 million Swedish crowns. Since 1969, on the initiative of the Swedish Bank, awards have also been made prizes in economics.

Since the establishment of the awards, strict rules for selecting laureates have been in place. Intellectuals from all over the world participate in the process. Thousands of minds work to ensure that the most worthy candidate receives the Nobel Prize.

In total, to date, five Russian-speaking writers have received this award.

Ivan Alekseevich Bunin(1870-1953), Russian writer, poet, honorary academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1933 “for the strict skill with which he develops the traditions of Russian classical prose.” In his speech when presenting the prize, Bunin noted the courage of the Swedish Academy, which honored the emigrant writer (he emigrated to France in 1920). Ivan Alekseevich Bunin - greatest master Russian realistic prose.

Boris Leonidovich Pasternak(1890-1960), Russian poet, laureate of the 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature “for outstanding services to modern lyric poetry and to the field of great Russian prose.” He was forced to refuse the award under threat of expulsion from the country. The Swedish Academy recognized Pasternak's refusal of the prize as forced and in 1989 awarded a diploma and medal to his son.

Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov(1905-1984), Russian writer, winner of the 1965 Nobel Prize in Literature “for the artistic power and integrity of the epic about the Don Cossacks at a turning point for Russia.” In his speech during the awards ceremony, Sholokhov said his goal was to “extol the nation of workers, builders and heroes.” Having started out as a realistic writer who was not afraid to show deep life contradictions, Sholokhov in some of his works found himself captive of socialist realism.

Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn(1918-2008), Russian writer, winner of the 1970 Nobel Prize in Literature "for the moral strength derived from the tradition of great Russian literature." The Soviet government considered the decision of the Nobel Committee to be “politically hostile,” and Solzhenitsyn, fearing that after his trip it would be impossible to return to his homeland, accepted the award, but did not attend the award ceremony. In their artistic literary works As a rule, he touched upon acute socio-political issues and actively opposed communist ideas, the political system of the USSR and the policies of its authorities.

Joseph Alexandrovich Brodsky(1940-1996), poet, laureate of the 1987 Nobel Prize in Literature “for his multifaceted creativity, marked by acuteness of thought and deep poetry.” In 1972, he was forced to emigrate from the USSR and lived in the USA (the World Encyclopedia calls him American). I.A. Brodsky is the youngest writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. The peculiarities of the poet's lyrics are the understanding of the world as a single metaphysical and cultural whole, the identification of the limitations of man as a subject of consciousness.

If you want to get more specific information about the life and work of Russian poets and writers, to get to know their works better, online tutors We are always happy to help you. Online teachers will help you analyze a poem or write a review about the work of the selected author. Training is based on a specially developed software. Qualified teachers provide assistance in completing homework and explaining incomprehensible material; help prepare for the State Exam and the Unified State Exam. The student chooses for himself whether to conduct classes with the chosen tutor for a long time, or to use the teacher’s help only in specific situations when difficulties arise with a certain task.

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