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1973 Nobel Prize in Literature

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1973 Nobel Prize in Literature
Patrick White
"for an epic and psychological narrative art which has introduced a new continent into literature."
Date
  • 18 October 1973 (1973-10-18) (announcement)
  • 10 December 1973
    (ceremony)
LocationStockholm, Sweden
Presented bySwedish Academy
First awarded1901
WebsiteOfficial website
← 1972 · Nobel Prize in Literature · 1974 →

The 1973 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the Australian writer Patrick White (1912–1990) "for an epic and psychological narrative art which has introduced a new continent into literature."[1][2] He is the first and the only Australian recipient of the prize.[3][4][5]

Laureate

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Main article: Patrick White

The historical themes of Patrick White's novels and plays focus on his own Australia and its people. During his lifetime, he enjoyed greater acclaim abroad than he did at home, where his critical gaze was occasionally misunderstood. In 1939, he released Happy Valley, his debut novel. The Tree of Man (1955), a book about a farmer and his wife struggling to build a future in rural Australia, was his major literary success. Modern humanity's sense of loneliness and emptiness is a recurrent topic in his literary works. His other well-known works include The Vivisector (1970) and The Eye of the Storm (1973).[3][6]

Deliberations

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Nominations

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In 1973, the Nobel Committee collected 101 writers for their deliberations – the second highest number of nominations revealed so far after 1969.[7] White was first introduced for nomination in 1968 by Muriel Clara Bradbook, professor of English at Cambridge University. Henceforth, he became an annual nominee until he was subsequently awarded with the prize.[8] In 1973, he was endorsed by academics and professors from Australia, New Zealand and Finland.

Eighteen authors were first-time nominees such as Vicente Aleixandre (awarded in 1977), Conrad Aiken, Miodrag Bulatović, Chiang Yee, Albert Cohen, Adolfo Costa du Rels, Eugen Jebeleanu, Yaşar Kemal, Zenta Mauriņa, Henry Miller, John Crowe Ransom, Isaac Bashevis Singer (awarded in 1978), Martin Wickramasinghe and Xu Xu. The highest number of nominations was for Jewish author Elie Wiesel (awarded the 1988 Nobel Peace Prize). The oldest nominee was Estonian poet Marie Under (aged 90) and the youngest was Finnish writer Hannu Salama (aged 37). Six of the nominees were women namely Simone de Beauvoir, Indira Devi Dhanrajgir, Nadine Gordimer (awarded in 1991), Doris Lessing (awarded in 2007), Zenta Mauriņa and Marie Under.[7] The Indian novelist Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay, who died in 1971, was included posthumously by the Nobel Committee.[7]

The authors Samuel Nathaniel Behrman, Arna Bontemps, Faruk Nafiz Çamlıbel, Noël Coward, John Creasey, Roland Dorgelès, Neil Miller Gunn, Egon Hostovský, Benn Levy, Warren Lewis, Lucy Beatrice Malleson (known as Anthony Gilbert), Nancy Mitford, Elma Napier, Robert C. O'Brien, Jirō Osaragi, Vera Panova, William Plomer, Brigitte Reimann, Sergio Tofano, Margaret Wilson and Nobuko Yoshiya died in 1973 without having been nominated for the prize while the American author Conrad Aiken died before the only chance to be awarded.

Official list of nominees and their nominators for the prize
No. Nominee Country Genre(s) Nominator(s)
1 Conrad Aiken (1889–1973)  United States poetry, novel, short story, literary criticism, autobiography Samuel Frederick Johnson (1918–2005)
2 Vicente Aleixandre (1898–1984)  Spain poetry Dámaso Alonso (1898–1990)
3 Jorge Amado (1912–2001)  Brazil novel, short story Antônio Olinto (1919–2009)
4 Antonio Aniante (1900–1973)  Italy drama Vittorio Vettori (1920–2004)
5 Wystan Hugh Auden (1907–1973)  United Kingdom
 United States 		poetry, essays, screenplay
6 Riccardo Bacchelli (1891–1985)  Italy novel, drama, essays
7 Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay (1898–1971)
(posthumous nomination) 		 India novel, short story, drama, essays, autobiography, songwriting Nobel Committee
8 Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986)  France novel, drama, memoir, philosophy, essays, short story Walter Ralph Johnson (born 1933)
9 Saul Bellow (1915–2005)  Canada
 United States 		novel, short story, memoir, essays Roger Asselineau (1915–2002)
10 Louis Paul Boon (1912–1979)  Belgium novel, essays, short story, poetry
11 Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986)  Argentina poetry, essays, translation, short story
12 Miodrag Bulatović (1930–1991)  Yugoslavia novel, short story, drama, essays Allan Philip (1927–2004)
13 Anthony Burgess (1917–1993)  United Kingdom novel, poetry, drama, screenplay, autobiography, biography, essays, literary criticism, translation Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991)
14 Michel Butor (1926–2016)  France poetry, novel, essays, translation Leon Samuel Roudiez (1917–2004)
15 Elias Canetti (1905–1994)  Bulgaria
 United Kingdom 		novel, drama, memoir, essays
  • Manfred Durzak (born 1938)
  • Keith Spalding (1913–2002)
  • Dorothea Zeemann (1909–1993)
16 Camilo José Cela (1916–2002)  Spain novel, short story, essay, poetry, drama, memoir
17 André Chamson (1900–1983)  France novel, essays
  • Yannis Koutsocheras (1904–1994)
  • Yves Gandon (1899–1975)
  • Armand Lunel (1892–1977)
  • Guy Nairay (1914–1999)
  • Gunnar Tilander (1894–1973)
18 René Char (1907–1988)  France poetry
19 Suniti Kumar Chatterji (1890–1977)  India essays, pedagogy, literary criticism Nobel Committee
20 Chiang Yee (1903–1977)  China memoir, poetry, essays Lo Hsiang-lin (1906–1978)
21 Sri Chinmoy (1931–2007)  India
 United States 		poetry, drama, short story, essays, songwriting
  • Joseph Axelrod (1910–1974)
  • Karl Kroeber (1926–2009)
  • Peter Pitzele (born 1942)
22 Albert Cohen (1895–1981)   Switzerland novel, drama, essays Joseph Kessel (1898–1979)
23 Adolfo Costa du Rels (1891–1980)  Bolivia novel, short story, drama, poetry, essays Humberto Palza (1900–1975)
24 Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca (1914–2008)  Turkey poetry Yaşar Nabi Nayır (1908–1981)
25 Indira Devi Dhanrajgir (born 1930)  India poetry, essays Krishna Srinivas (1913–2007)
26 Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)   Switzerland drama, novel, short story, essays Werner Betz (1912–1980)
27 Odysseas Elytis (1911–1996)  Greece poetry, essays, translation Nobel Committee
28 Rabbe Enckell (1903–1974)  Finland short story, poetry Eeva Kilpi (born 1928)
29 Salvador Espriu (1913–1985)  Spain drama, novel, poetry Antoni Comas i Pujol (1931–1981)
30 James Thomas Farrell (1904–1979)  United Kingdom novel, short story, poetry Duane Schneider (1937–2012)
31 José Maria Ferreira de Castro (1898–1978)  Portugal novel Antônio Olinto (1919–2009)
32 Max Frisch (1911–1991)   Switzerland novel, drama Wolfram Naumann (1921–2021)
33 Romain Gary (1914–1980)  Lithuania
 France 		novel, essays, literary criticism, screenplay Walther Hinz (1906–1992)
34 William Golding (1911–1993)  United Kingdom novel, poetry, drama, essays Erik Frykman (1919–2010)
35 Nadine Gordimer (1923–2014)  South Africa novel, short story, essay, drama Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991)
36 Julien Gracq (1910–2007)  France novel, drama, poetry, essays Georges Matoré (1908–1998)
37 Günter Grass (1927–2015)  Germany novel, drama, poetry, essays Manfred Windfuhr (born 1930)
38 Robert Graves (1895–1985)  United Kingdom history, novel, poetry, literary criticism, essays Ellsworth Mason (1917–2013)
39 Julien Green (1900–1998)  France novel, autobiography, essays
40 Graham Greene (1904–1991)  United Kingdom novel, short story, autobiography, essays
  • Heinrich Böll (1917–1985)
  • Sylvère Monod (1921–2006)
  • Herbert Morgan Waidson (1916–1988)
41 Jorge Guillén (1893–1984)  Spain poetry, literary criticism Kasimir Geza Werner (1900–1985)
42 Paavo Haavikko (1931–2008)  Finland poetry, drama, essays Eeva Kilpi (born 1928)
43 William Heinesen (1900–1991)  Faroe Islands poetry, short story, novel
44 Vladimír Holan (1905–1980)  Czechoslovakia poetry, essays Nobel Committee
45 Taha Hussein (1889–1973)  Egypt novel, short story, poetry, translation Ibrāhīm Madkūr (1902–1995)
46 Gyula Illyés (1902–1983)  Hungary poetry, novel, drama, essays
47 Eugen Jebeleanu (1911–1991)  Romania poetry, essays, translation
48 Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976)  Sweden novel, short story
49 Ferenc Juhász (1928–2015)  Hungary poetry Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991)
50 Yaşar Kemal (1923–2015)  Turkey novel, essays
51 Erich Kästner (1899–1974)  Germany poetry, screenplay, autobiography Hermann Kesten (1900–1996)
52 Miroslav Krleža (1893–1981)  Croatia
 Yugoslavia 		poetry, drama, short story, novel, essays Nobel Committee
53 Manbohdan Lal (?)  India
54 Frank Raymond Leavis (1895–1978)  United Kingdom literary criticism, essays Mary Renault (1905–1983)
55 Doris Lessing (1919–2013)  United Kingdom novel, short story, memoirs, drama, poetry, essays Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991)
56 Lin Yutang (1895–1976)  China novel, philosophy, essays, translation José María Acosta Acosta (?)
57 Väinö Linna (1920–1992)  Finland novel Eeva Kilpi (born 1928)
58 Robert Lowell (1917–1977)  United States poetry, translation Hans Galinsky (1909–1991)
59 Salvador de Madariaga (1886–1978)  Spain essays, history, law, novel Julián Gorkin (1901–1987)
60 Norman Mailer (1923–2007)  United States novel, short story, poetry, essays, biography, drama, screenplay
61 Bernard Malamud (1914–1986)  United States novel, short story Nobel Committee
62 André Malraux (1901–1976)  France novel, essays, literary criticism
  • Henning Fenger (1921–1985)
  • Maurice Genevoix (1890–1980)
  • Jan Kott (1914–2001)
  • Maija Lehtonen (1924–2015)
  • Henri Peyre (1901–1988)
  • John Henry Raleigh (1920–2001)
  • Carl Stief (1914–1998)
  • Laurent Versini (1932–2021)
63 Frederick Manfred (1912–1994)  United States novel, essays
  • Robert G. Athearn (1914-1983)
  • Joseph M. Flora (born 1934)
  • Wayne Knutson (1926–2015)
  • Robert W. Lewis (1930–2013)
64 Gustave Lucien Martin-Saint-René (1888–1973)  France poetry, novel, essays, literary criticism, drama, songwriting, short story Henri Guiter (1909–1994)
65 Harry Martinson (1904–1978)  Sweden poetry, novel, drama, essays
66 Zenta Mauriņa (1897–1978)  Latvia short story, autobiography, essays, translation, philology Mārtiņš Zīverts (1903–1990)
67 László Mécs (1895–1978)  Hungary poetry, essays
  • József Fülöp (1927–1994)
  • Károly Wojatsek (1916–2008)
  • Anthony Etele (1911–2010)
  • Nándor Dreisziger (born 1940)
  • Bennett Kovrig (born 1940)
  • Leslie Duska (?)
  • János Miska (1932–2022)
  • Alexander Kristóf (?)
  • Pál Nyiregyházy (?)
  • András László (1919–1988)
  • Watson Kirkconnell (1895–1977)
  • Bela Talbot Kardos (?)
  • György Nagy (1939–2023)
68 Veijo Meri (1928–2015)  Finland novel, short story, poetry, essays Nobel Committee
69 Henri Michaux (1899–1984)  Belgium
 France 		poetry, essays Lars Forssell (1928–2007)
70 Arthur Miller (1915–2005)  United States drama, screenplay, essays Andri Peer (1921–1985)
71 Henry Miller (1891–1980)  United States novel, short story, memoir, essays Allan Philip (1927–2004)
72 Vilhelm Moberg (1898–1973)  Sweden novel, drama, history Gunnar Tilander (1894–1973)
73 Eugenio Montale (1896–1981)  Italy poetry, translation
  • Uberto Limentani (1913–1989)
  • Andri Peer (1921–1985)
  • Luciano Rebay (1928–2014)
74 Alberto Moravia (1907–1990)  Italy novel, literary criticism, essays, drama Jacques Robichez (1914–1999)
75 Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)  Russia
 United States 		novel, short story, poetry, drama, translation, literary criticism, memoir
76 V. S. Naipaul (1932–2018)  Trinidad and Tobago
 United Kingdom 		novel, short story, essays Artur Lundkvist (1906–1991)
77 José María Pemán (1897–1981)  Spain poetry, drama, novel, essays, screenplay Manuel Halcón (1900–1989)
78 Zayn al-ʻĀbidīn Rahnamā (1894–1990)  Iran history, essays, translation Manouchehr Eghbal (1909–1977)
79 John Crowe Ransom (1888–1974)  United States poetry, essays, literary criticism Samuel Frederick Johnson (1918–2005)
80 Evaristo Ribera Chevremont (1890–1976)  Puerto Rico poetry Ernesto Juan Fonfrías (1909–1990)
81 Yannis Ritsos (1909–1990)  Greece poetry, songwriting Nobel Committee
82 Tadeusz Rózewicz (1921–2014)  Poland poetry, drama, translation Józef Trypućko (1910–1983)
83 Hans Ruin (1891–1980)  Finland
 Sweden 		philosophy Arthur Arnholtz (1901–1973)
84 Hannu Salama (born 1936)  Finland novel, short story, poetry Magnus von Platen (1920–2020)
85 Léopold Sédar Senghor (1906–2001)  Senegal poetry, essays Roger Asselineau (1915–2002)
86 Claude Simon (1913–2005)  France novel, essays
87 Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902–1991)  Poland
 United States 		novel, short story, autobiography, essays Moshe Starkman (1906–1975)
88 Zaharia Stancu (1902–1974)  Romania poetry, novel, philosophy, essays
  • Miguel Ángel Asturias (1899–1974)
  • Alf Lombard (1902–1996)
  • Andri Peer (1921–1985)
  • Virgil Teodorescu (1909–1987)
89 Pratap Narayan Tandon (?)  India novel, short story Brij Behari Nayak (?)
90 Marie Under (1883–1980)  Estonia poetry
  • Algirdas Landsbergis (1924–2004)
  • Ants Oras (1900–1982)
91 José García Villa (1908–1997)  Philippines
 United States 		poetry, essays Purita Kalaw Ledesma (1914–2005)
92 Paul Voivenel (1880–1975)  France memoir, essays Roland Dorgelès (1885–1973)
93 Gerard Walschap (1898–1989)  Belgium novel, drama, essays
94 Sándor Weöres (1913–1989)  Hungary poetry, translation Áron Kibédi Varga (1930–2018)
95 Patrick White (1912–1990)  Australia novel, short story, drama, poetry, autobiography
96 Martin Wickramasinghe (1890–1976)  Sri Lanka novel, short story, drama, literary criticism, essays, philosophy, autobiography, biography, history Ediriweera Sarachchandra (1914–1996)
97 Elie Wiesel (1928–2016)  Romania
 United States 		memoir, essays, novel, drama
98 Thornton Wilder (1897–1975)  United States drama, novel, short story Wolfgang Clemen (1909–1990)
99 Xu Xu (1908–1980)  China
 Hong Kong 		novel, poetry, drama, essays, literary criticism Lee Chiu-seng (?)
100 Amado Yuzon (1906–1979)  Philippines poetry, essays Emeterio Barcelon Barcelo-Soriano (1897-1978)
101 Carl Zuckmayer (1896–1977)  Germany drama, screenplay Erich Ruprecht (1965–1972)

Prize Decision

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Nobel Committee chair, Karl Ragnar Gierow, expressed that setting the shortlist "the committee agreed on Patrick White, Saul Bellow also had five votes, Yiannis Ritsos got four, Anthony Burgess, William Golding and Eugenio Montale each got three."[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Nobel Prize in Literature 1973". nobelprize.org.
  2. ^ "Australian Nobel Prize Winners". Whitehat.com.au. 2 December 2006. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b Patrick White britannica.com
  4. ^ "Australia's only Nobel Laureate for Literature, Patrick White". The Hub for Just Kids' Lit. 19 August 2020.
  5. ^ J. M. Coetzee won the award in 2003 as a South African citizen, before he became an Australian citizen in 2006.
  6. ^ Patrick White – Facts nobelprize.org
  7. ^ a b c "Nobelarkivet-1973" (PDF). svenskaakademien.se. 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  8. ^ Nomination archive – Patrick White nobelprize.org
  9. ^ Kaj Schueler (2 January 2024). "Whites nobelpris – lugnet före stormen". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 3 January 2024.
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