Who will receive the Nobel Prize in Literature? Favorites and predictions

This year, the winner will receive not only prestige, but also a record amount of money. Will the Academy choose a recognized name or will it surprise the world by choosing a lesser-known author?

In recent years, the award went to a woman and a man alternately. If this informal rule continues, we should expect a Nobel Prize winner this year.

Chinese dissident at the forefront

The most frequently mentioned favorite is Can Xue (her real name is Deng Xiaohua). She is an author with a unique, defiant voice who is considered a dissident in China.

The 73-year-old writer has been at the top of the Nobel rankings for years. Her world-appreciated work consists of over 120 short stories and 50 novellas.

In Poland, readers may know her "Ulica Żółtego Błota" and "Mystery Train".

New names on the list of favorites

This year, Cristina Rivera Garza from Mexico, author of the famous, Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Liliana's Unbreakable Summer", is also highly rated. Her moving story about a family tragedy won critical acclaim around the world.

Also among the candidates is Australia's Gerald Murnane, called by the New York Times "the greatest living English-language writer most people have never heard of." His novel "Plains" has only recently hit Polish bookstores, but it has already gained a group of loyal readers.

Great returns and non-obvious choices

Salman Rushdie, the author of "The Satanic Verses", who has been at the center of literary and political controversies for years, could not be missing from the list of Nobel nominees. After a dramatic attack in New York and years of living in hiding, Rushdie is still cited as one of the most distinguished contemporary writers.

The chances of Mircea Cărtărescu from Romania, author of "Solenoid", as well as Margaret Atwood - a Canadian writer whose "The Handmaid's Tale" has become an icon of feminist literature and pop culture, are also highly rated.

The Academy likes to surprise

The Swedish Academy is famous for its unpredictable decisions. In recent years, she has awarded non-mainstream artists, such as Abdulrazak Gurnah and Louise Glück.

This year's candidates also include such names as Haruki Murakami, Thomas Pynchon, Anne Carson, Michel Houellebecq and Karl Ove Knausgård.

There is also no shortage of exotic candidates. Among them are: the Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, the Kurdish author Salim Barakat and the Syrian poet Adonis.

How is the winner selected?

The selection is decided by the Swedish Academy, composed of 18 members - outstanding writers, poets, philologists and historians. The nominations are secret and revealed only after 50 years.

The Nobel Committee, chaired by Anders Olsson, analyzes entries from all over the world throughout the year to select the single most distinguished creator.