The Nobel Prize in Literature 1949

William Faulkner

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Prize share: 1/1

The Nobel Prize in Literature 1949 was awarded to William Faulkner "for his powerful and artistically unique contribution to the modern American novel"
William Faulkner received his Nobel Prize one year later, in 1950. During the selection process in 1949, the Nobel Committee for Literature decided that none of the year's nominations met the criteria as outlined in the will of Alfred Nobel. According to the Nobel Foundation's statutes, the Nobel Prize can in such a case be reserved until the following year, and this statute was then applied. William Faulkner therefore received his Nobel Prize for 1949 one year later, in 1950.

To cite this section
MLA style: The Nobel Prize in Literature 1949. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2023. Sat. 2 Dec 2023. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1949/summary/>

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

Nobel Prizes and laureates

Nobel Prizes 2023

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.