Congratulations to Bob Dylan, 75, who was just awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel Committee said it selected the singer-songwriter for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” “Since the late 1980s, Bob Dylan has toured persistently, an undertaking called the ‘Never-Ending Tour.’ Dylan has the status of an icon. His influence on contemporary music is profound, and he is the object of a steady stream of secondary literature,” the committee added. Committee Secretary Sara Danius called Dylan “a great poet of the English-speaking tradition,” comparing him to ancient Greek poets Homer and Sappho. It is the first time in 23 years that an American has won the world’s most prestigious prize in literature. The prize, including 8 million Swedish kronor (about $900,000) is given based on the recipient’s lifetime of writing, rather than a single work. Dylan is the award’s 108th winner. Past Nobel laureates in literature include Toni Morrison, Rudyard Kipling, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, and Gabríel Gárcia Marquez.
Bob Dylan Wins Nobel Prize for Literature
