The Swedish Academy has confirmed that Bob Dylan will not be collecting his Nobel Prize award in person at the ceremony next month.
The musician was announced as the winner of the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature award in October this year for having “created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.
The news that the prize winner would not be in attendance at the upcoming ceremony was announced yesterday by the Swedish Academy. In a statement, they said “Yesterday evening the Swedish Academy received a personal letter from Bob Dylan, in which he explained that due to pre-existing commitments, he is unable to travel to Stockholm in December and therefore will not attend the Nobel Prize Ceremony.” Continuing, “He underscored, once again, that he feels very honored indeed, wishing that he could receive the prize in person.”
The statement added, “That laureates decide not to come is unusual, to be sure, but not exceptional. In the recent past, several laureates have, for various reasons, been unable to come to Stockholm to receive the prize, among them Doris Lessing, Harold Pinter, and Elfriede Jelinek. The prize still belongs to them, just as it belongs to Bob Dylan.”
They concluded, “We look forward to Bob Dylan’s Nobel Lecture, which he must give – it is the only requirement – within six months counting from December 10, 2016.”
Photo Cred: Simon Murphy
