Nobel Prize

German Im Abseits Ist Schreiben die Gabe der Schmiegsamkeit, der Anschmiegsamkeit an die Wirklichkeit? Man möchte sich ja gern anschmiegen, aber was geschieht da mit mir? Was geschieht mit denen, die die Wirklichkeit gar nicht wirklich kennen? Die ist ja sowas von zerzaust. Kein Kamm, der sie glätten könnte. Die Dichter fahren hindurch und versammeln…

Swedish Avsides Är skrivande gåvan att smyga sig på, att anpassa sig till verkligheten? Man skulle ju gärna vilja anpassa sig, men vad sker då med mig? Vad sker med dem som verkligen inte känner verkligheten? Den är till den grad hoptovad. Ingen kam som kunde reda ut den. Författarna kammar igenom och samlar förtvivlat…

English Nobel Lecture, December 8, 1989 (Translation) Eulogy to the Fable Distinguished Academicians, My old friend and mentor Pío Baroja – who did not receive the Nobel Prize because the bright light of success does not always fall on the righteous – had a clock on his wall. Around the face of that clock there…

English Nobel Lecture, 8 December 1988 Read at the Swedish Academy by Mr. Mohamed Salmawy(first in Arabic, then in English) (Translation) Ladies and Gentlemen, To begin with I would like to thank the and its Nobel committee for taking notice of my long and perseverant endeavours, and I would like you to accept my talk…

Nobel Lecture, December 8, 1986 This Past Must Address Its Present A rather curious scene, unscripted, once took place in the wings of a London theatre at the same time as the scheduled performance was being presented on the actual stage, before an audience. What happened was this: an actor refused to come on stage…

8 December 1978 The storyteller and poet of our time, as in any other time, must be an entertainer of the spirit in the full sense of the word, not just a preacher of social or political ideals. There is no paradise for bored readers and no excuse for tedious literature that does not intrigue…

English Nobel Lecture on 2 May, 1973 (Translation) An Essay on the Reason of Poetry It is said by those who ought to know – and by others, who also ought to know, it is disputed – that in matters which to all appearances are rational, calculable and achieved by the combined efforts of architects,…

German Nobelvorlesung am 2. Mai 1973 Versuch über die vernunft der poesie Es wird von denen, die es wissen müssten, gesagt – und von anderen, die es ebenfalls wissen müssten, bestritten – dass bei etwas anscheinend so Rationalem, Berechenbarem, von Architekten, Zeichnern, Ingenieuren, Arbeitern gemeinsam Erbrachtem wie einer Brücke ein paar Millimeter bis Zentimeter Unberechenbarkeit…

English (pdf 1.26 MB) (pdf 247 kB) Nobel Lecture by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Oslo, 10 December 2011. A Voice for Freedom! Your Majesties, Royal Highnesses, Excellencies, Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Nobel Laureates, my brothers and sisters: On behalf of all the women of Liberia, the women of Africa, and women…

English (pdf 429 kB) (pdf 273 kB) Nobel Lecture by Tawakkol Karman, Oslo, 10 December 2011. In the name of God the Compassionate the Merciful Your Majesties, Highnesses, Excellencies, Distinguished Committee of the Nobel Peace Prize, Arab spring and revolution youth in the arena of freedom and change, and all free people…