George Bernard Shaw

Facts

George Bernard Shaw

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

George Bernard Shaw
The Nobel Prize in Literature 1925

Born: 26 July 1856, Dublin, Ireland

Died: 2 November 1950, Ayot St. Lawrence, United Kingdom

Residence at the time of the award: United Kingdom

Prize motivation: “for his work which is marked by both idealism and humanity, its stimulating satire often being infused with a singular poetic beauty”

Language: English

George Bernard Shaw received his Nobel Prize one year later, in 1926.

Prize share: 1/1

Life

George Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin, the son of a civil servant. After working as a real estate agent, he moved to London at the age of 20. Before he became established as a leading music and literary critic, five of his novels had been rejected. He belonged to the Fabian Society, a socialist thinktank whose members included the author Virginia Woolf. At the same time, he advocated racial biology and made positive statements about Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini.

Work

George Bernard Shaw, the commentator and theatre critic, became an author to illustrate his criticisms of contemporary British theater. He made his debut with Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant (1898) and asserted that art should be didactic and discuss social issues. Shaw’s plays are characterized by satire, provocation and allegories. He wrote more than 60 plays, of which Pygmalion (1912) is best remembered today. Shaw propounded the idea of “creative evolution,” a kind of racial biology that did not recognize the equal worth of individuals.

To cite this section
MLA style: George Bernard Shaw – Facts. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Tue. 19 Mar 2024. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1925/shaw/facts/>

Back to top Back To Top Takes users back to the top of the page

Nobel Prizes and laureates

Eleven laureates were awarded a Nobel Prize in 2023, for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. Their work and discoveries range from effective mRNA vaccines and attosecond physics to fighting against the oppression of women.

See them all presented here.
Illustration

Explore prizes and laureates

Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize.