Nobel Prize

Czesław Miłosz’ speech at the Nobel Banquet, December 10, 1980 Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses, Ladies and Gentlemen, I accept this highest honor on behalf of all men and women for whom I am not so much an individual as a voice, and someone who belongs to them. They should be invoked here, and they…

Odysseus Elytis’ speech at the Nobel Banquet, December 10, 1979 (in French) Sire, Madame, Altesses Royales, Mesdames, Messieurs, Le voyage d’Odysseus, dont il m’a été donné de porter le nom, semble ne devoir jamais s’achever. Et c’est heureux. Comme l’observait un de nos grands poètes contemporains, l’essentiel n’est pas dans le retour à Ithaque, qui…

Isaac Bashevis Singer’s speech at the Nobel Banquet, December 10, 1978 Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Ladies and Gentlemen, People ask me often, ‘Why do you write in a dying language?’ And I want to explain it in a few words. Firstly, I like to write ghost stories and nothing fits a ghost better than…

As the Laureate was unable to be present at the Nobel Banquet, December 10, 1977, the speech of thanks was read by Mr Jorge Padrón (in Spanish) Majestades, Altezas Reales, Señoras y Señores, En esta reunión tan grata para todos, unos, la mayoría, están aquí son su presencia física; alguna como yo con su asistencia…

English Eugenio Montale’s speech at the Nobel Banquet, December 10, 1975 (Translation) Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Ladies and Gentlemen, During a fairly long period of my life, for more than 20 years, freedom of press was somewhat reduced in Italy. But poets were not considered dangerous and they were advised to exercise selfcensorship. At…

Italian Eugenio Montale’s speech at the Nobel Banquet, December 10, 1975 (in Italian) Maestà, Altezze Reali, Signore, Signori, Durante un periodo abbastanza lungo della mia vita oltre vent’anni la libertà di stampa era piuttosto ridotta in Italia. Ma i poeti non erano considerati pericolosi e ad essi era consigliata l’autocensura. Tutt’al più ai poeti si…

Eyvind Johnson’s speech at the Nobel Banquet at the City Hall in Stockholm, December 10, 1974 (Translation) On behalf of Harry Martinson and myself I will speak as briefly as possible on the situation in which we now find ourselves. A poet or prose narrator usually looks back on what he has achieved against a…

Hebrew Samuel Agnon’s speech at the Nobel Banquet at the City Hall in Stockholm, December 10, 1966

English Samuel Agnon’s speech at the Nobel Banquet at the City Hall in Stockholm, December 10, 1966 (Translation) Our sages of blessed memory have said that we must not enjoy any pleasure in this world without reciting a blessing. If we eat any food, or drink any beverage, we must recite a blessing over them…

English Giorgos Seferis’ speech at the Nobel Banquet at the City Hall in Stockholm, December 10, 1963 (Translation) I feel at this moment that I am a living contradiction. The has decided that my efforts in a language famous through the centuries but not widespread in its present form are worthy of this high distinction.…