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1963 Nobel Prize in Literature

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1963 Nobel Prize in Literature
Giorgos Seferis
"for his eminent lyrical writing, inspired by a deep feeling for the Hellenic world of culture."
Date
  • 24 October 1963 (announcement)
  • 10 December 1963
    (ceremony)
LocationStockholm, Sweden
Presented bySwedish Academy
First awarded1901
WebsiteOfficial website
← 1962 · Nobel Prize in Literature · 1964 →

The 1963 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded the Greek poet and diplomat Giorgos Seferis (1900–1971) "for his eminent lyrical writing, inspired by a deep feeling for the Hellenic world of culture."[1] He is the first Greek laureate to win the Nobel Prize (followed later by Odysseas Elytis in 1979).

Laureate

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Main article: Giorgos Seferis

Giorgos Seferis was born in Smyrna (present day Izmir, Turkey). When his family moved to France in 1918, he studied law at the University of Paris and became interested in literature. He then went to Athens in 1925 and began a long diplomatic career. During World War II, Seferis accompanied the Free Greek Government in exile and returned to liberated Athens in 1944. Many of his, which are replete with themes of alienation, traveling, and death, are set against the backdrop of his extensive travels as a diplomat. Turning Point, his debut book of poems, was released in 1931. In his later poetry, Seferis frequently weaves together modern speech and experience with Homeric myth, notably in works like Mythistorema (1935) and Imerologio Katastromatos I-III (1940-1955).[2][3]

Deliberations

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Nominations

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Seferis was first nominated in 1955 by Romilly Jenkins (1907–1969), an English professor in Byzantine and Modern Greek literature, and was followed by nominations from T. S. Eliot, C. A. Trypanis and Eyvind Johnson until he was eventually awarded. He only received 5 nominations.[4]

In total, the Nobel Committee of the Swedish Academy received 121 nominations for 81 distinguished authors such as Jorge Luis Borges, Jean-Paul Sartre (awarded in 1964), Martin Buber, E. M. Forster, Graham Greene, Salvador de Madariaga, André Malraux, and Ramón Menéndez Pidal. The highest number of nominations (with 8 nominations) was for the American poet Robert Frost.[a] 22 of the nominees were nominated for the first time like Marcel Jouhandeau, Vladimir Nabokov, Michel Butor, Yukio Mishima, Jean Cocteau, André Breton, Nelly Sachs (awarded in 1966), René Étiemble, and Yevgeny Yevtushenko. Five of the nominees were women, namely Ingeborg Bachmann, Juana de Ibarbourou, Gertrud von le Fort, Kate Roberts, and Nelly Sachs. Surprisingly, two heads of state and government were nominated: French president Charles de Gaulle and Senegalese president Léopold Sédar Senghor.[5][6]

The authors Ion Agârbiceanu, Herbert Asbury, Luis Cernuda, W. E. B. Du Bois, Pola Gojawiczyńska, Edith Hamilton, Christopher Hassall, Nâzım Hikmet, Ernst Kantorowicz, C. S. Lewis, Marie Linde, Brinsley MacNamara, Louis MacNeice, Margaret Murray, Clifford Odets, Yōko Ōta, Sylvia Plath, Theodore Roethke, Kay Sage, Tristan Tzara, Hilda Vīka, William Carlos Williams, and Stark Young died in 1963 without having been nominated for the prize. The American poet Robert Frost died months before the announcement.

Official list of nominees and their nominators for the prize
No. Nominee Country Genre(s) Nominator(s)
1 Stefan Andres (1906–1970)  Germany novel, short story Friedrich von der Leyen (1873–1966)
2 Jean Anouilh (1910–1987)  France drama, screenplay, translation Henry Olsson (1896–1985)
3 Louis Aragon (1897–1982)  France novel, short story, poetry, essays
  • Michel Décaudin (1919–2004)
  • Pierre Grappin (1915–1997)
  • Jean Martin (1926–2007)
4 Wystan Hugh Auden (1907–1973)  United Kingdom
 United States 		poetry, essays, screenplay
5 Ingeborg Bachmann (1926–1973)  Austria poetry, drama, novel, short story, essays Harald Patzer (1910–2005)
6 Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)  Ireland novel, drama, poetry Johannes Edfelt (1904–1997)
7 Werner Bergengruen (1892–1964)  Germany novel, short story, poetry Friedrich von der Leyen (1873–1966)
8 Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986)  Argentina poetry, essays, translation, short story Henry Olsson (1896–1985)
9 André Breton (1896–1966)  France history, poetry, essays Gabriel Germain (1903–1978)
10 Martin Buber (1878–1965)  Austria
 Israel 		philosophy André Neher (1914–1988)
11 Michel Butor (1926–2016)  France poetry, novel, essays, translation Jean Humbert (1901–1980)
12 Heinrich Böll (1917–1985)  Germany novel, short story Gustav Korlén (1915–2014)
13 Josep Carner (1884–1970)  Spain poetry, drama, translation
14 Emilio Cecchi (1884–1966)  Italy literary criticism, screenplay Howard Rosario Marraro (1897–1972)
15 René Char (1907–1988)  France poetry
  • M. Parent (?)
  • Georges Blin (1917–2005)
16 Jean Cocteau (1889–1963)  France novel, poetry, drama, screenplay, essays Léon Cellier (1911–1976)
17 Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970)  France memoir, essays
  • Jacques Robichez (1914–1999)
  • Jean Ricci (1933–2011)
18 Lawrence Durrell (1912–1990)  United Kingdom novel, short story, poetry, drama, essays
  • Erich Burck (1901–1994)
  • Paul Verniére (1916–1997)
19 Ingemar Düring (1903–1984)  Sweden philology, biography, translation Franz Dirlmeier (1904–1977)
20 Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)   Switzerland drama, novel, short story, essays
  • John V. Hagopian (?)
  • Friedrich Sengle (1909–1994)
21 René Étiemble (1909–2002)  France novel, literary criticism, essays Auguste Haury (1910–2002)
22 Edward Morgan Forster (1879–1970)  United Kingdom novel, short story, drama, essays, biography, literary criticism
  • Carl Becker (1925–1973)
  • Simeon Potter (1898–1976)
  • Kenneth Muir (1907–1996)
23 Max Frisch (1911–1991)   Switzerland novel, drama
24 Robert Frost (1874–1963)  United States poetry, drama
25 Rómulo Gallegos (1884–1969)  Venezuela novel, short story
26 Jean Giono (1895–1970)  France novel, short story, essays, poetry, drama
27 Robert Graves (1895–1985)  United Kingdom history, novel, poetry, literary criticism, essays Douglas Grant (1885–1951)
28 Graham Greene (1904–1991)  United Kingdom novel, short story, autobiography, essays
29 Jean Guéhenno (1890–1978)  France essays, literary criticism Edmond Jarno (1905–1985)
30 Jorge Guillén (1893–1984)  Spain poetry, literary criticism Henri Peyre (1901–1988)
31 Taha Hussein (1889–1973)  Egypt novel, short story, poetry, translation Charles Pellat (1914–1992)
32 Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)  United Kingdom novel, short story, essays, poetry, screenplay, drama, philosophy
  • Heinrich Donner (1735–1805)
  • José Axelrad (1915–1969)
33 Juana de Ibarbourou (1892–1979)  Uruguay poetry, essays Academia Nacional de Letras
34 Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (1894–1980)  Poland poetry, essays, drama, translation, short story, novel Jean Fabre (1904–1975)
35 Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976)  Sweden novel, short story
  • Frédéric Durand (1920–2002)
  • Carl-Eric Thors (1920–1986)
36 Marcel Jouhandeau (1888–1979)  France short story, novel Jean Gaulmier (1905–1997)
37 Yasunari Kawabata (1899–1972)  Japan novel, short story Henry Olsson (1896–1985)
38 Miroslav Krleža (1893–1981)  Yugoslavia
 Croatia 		poetry, drama, short story, novel, essays Association of Writers of Yugoslavia
39 Gertrud von Le Fort (1876–1971)  Germany novel, short story, essays, poetry Friedrich von der Leyen (1873–1966)
40 Väinö Linna (1920–1992)  Finland novel
41 Karl Löwith (1897–1973)  Germany philosophy Franz Dirlmeier (1904–1977)
42 Salvador de Madariaga (1886–1978)  Spain essays, history, law, novel Jean Camp (1891–1968)
43 André Malraux (1901–1976)  France novel, essays, literary criticism
  • Michel Décaudin (1919–2004)
  • Yves Le Hir (1919–2005)
  • Pierre Jonin (1912–1997)
  • Léon Cellier (1911–1976)
44 Ramón Menéndez Pidal (1869–1968)  Spain philology, history
45 Yukio Mishima (1925–1970)  Japan novel, short story, drama, literary criticism Johannes Rahder (1898–1988)
46 Vilhelm Moberg (1898–1973)  Sweden novel, drama, history Gösta Bergman (1894–1984)
47 Henry de Montherlant (1895–1972)  France essays, novel, drama Louis Moulinier (1904–1971)
48 Alberto Moravia (1907–1990)  Italy novel, literary criticism, essays, drama
49 Stratis Myrivilis (1890–1969)  Greece novel, short story The Greek Authors' Union
50 Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)  Russia
 United States 		novel, short story, poetry, drama, translation, literary criticism, memoir Robert Martin Adams (1915–1996)
51 Pablo Neruda (1904–1973)  Chile poetry
52 Junzaburō Nishiwaki (1894–1982)  Japan poetry, literary criticism Japan Academy
53 Seán O'Casey (1880–1964)  Ireland drama, memoir The English PEN-Club
54 Rudolf Pfeiffer (1889–1979)  Germany philology, essays Will Richter (1910–1984)
55 Ezra Pound (1885–1972)  United States poetry, essays Rudolf Sühnel (1907–2007)
56 Vasco Pratolini (1931–1991)  Italy novel, short story Paul Renucci (1915–1976)
57 Henri Queffélec (1910–1992)  France novel, short story, screenplay Barthélémy-Antonin Taladoire (1907–1976)
58 Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888–1975)  India philosophy, essays, law
59 Kate Roberts (1891–1985)  United Kingdom novel, short story, essays Idris Foster (1911–1984)
60 Jules Romains (1885–1972)  France poetry, drama, screenplay Gilbert Highet (1906–1978)
61 Nelly Sachs (1891–1970)  Germany
 Sweden 		poetry, drama
62 Aksel Sandemose (1899–1965)  Denmark
 Norway 		novel, essays Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976)
63 Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980)  France philosophy, novel, drama, essays, screenplay
  • Lennart Breitholtz (1909–1998)
  • Sergey Konovalov (1899–1982)
  • Henry Bardon (1910–2003)
  • Robert-Léon Wagner (1905–1982)
64 Giorgos Seferis (1900–1971)  Greece poetry, memoir, essays Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976)
65 Ramón José Sender (1901–1982)  Spain novel, essays Erik Lindegren (1910–1968)
66 Léopold Sédar Senghor (1906–2001)  Senegal poetry, law, essays Robert Schilling (1913–2004)
67 Ignazio Silone (1900–1978)  Italy novel, short story, essays, drama Elias Wessén (1889–1981)
68 Georges Simenon (1903–1989)  Belgium novel, short story, memoir Justin O'Brien (1906–1968)
69 Charles Percy Snow (1905–1980)  United Kingdom novel, essays Friedrich Schubel (1904–1991)
70 Mikhail Sholokhov (1905–1984)  Russia novel Jack Posin (1900–1995)
71 Jun'ichirō Tanizaki (1886–1965)  Japan novel, short story Donald Keene (1922–019)
72 Gustave Thibon (1903–2001)  France philosophy Édouard Delebecque (1910–1990)
73 Lionel Trilling (1905–1975)  United States essays, literary criticism, short story Charles Warren Everett (1895–1983)
74 Pietro Ubaldi (1886–1972)  Italy philosophy, essays Academia Santista de Letras
75 Mika Waltari (1908–1979)  Finland short story, novel, poetry, drama, essays, screenplay Aapeli Saarisalo (1896–1986)
76 Elias Venezis (1904–1973)  Greece novel, short story The Greek Authors' Union
77 Erico Verissimo (1905–1975)  Brazil novel, short story, autobiography, essays, translation Jean Roche (1901–1992)
78 Tarjei Vesaas (1897–1970)  Norway poetry, novel
  • Sigmund Skard (1903–1995)
  • Johannes Andreasson Dale (1898–1975)
79 Thornton Wilder (1897–1975)  United States drama, novel, short story
  • Hans Peter Wapnewski (1922–2012)
  • Arthur Henkel (1915–2005)
80 Edmund Wilson (1895–1972)  United States essays, literary criticism, short story, drama Joseph Anthony Mazzeo (1923–1998)
81 Yevgeny Yevtushenko (1932–2017)  Russia poetry, novel, short story, drama, screenplay, essays Konrad Bittner (1890–1967)

Prize decision

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The Nobel committee of the Swedish Academy was unanimous to propose that the prize should be awarded to Giorgos Seferis. Seferis was one of the final three candidates for the prize along with W.H. Auden and Pablo Neruda (awarded in 1971). The permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy and chairman of the Nobel committee Anders Österling felt "that there now was an opportunity to pay a beautiful tribute to modern Hellas, a language area that so far had been waiting too long [to be] honored in this context". The candidacies of Samuel Beckett (awarded in 1969) and Vladimir Nabokov were dismissed by Österling arguing that neither author lived up to the Nobel prize's "ideal intentions". Österling was also hesitant to award Pablo Neruda and the long time candidate Mikhail Sholokhov for political reasons, but both of them were subsequently awarded the prize. Nelly Sachs was nominated for the first time by committee member Karl Ragnar Gierow. While the committee felt that it was too early for her candidacy, Gierow proposed that the poet should be taken into consideration and Sachs was eventually awarded the prize in 1966.[7][5]

Notes

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  1. ^ Robert Frost died on the 29th of January 1963, of complications from prostate surgery. Therefore, the eight nominations were for him to be posthumously awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature but since the Nobel Committee's regulations states that the prize may only be awarded posthumously if the decision has been made prior to the prizewinner's death, his case was not considered.

References

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  1. ^ Nobel Prize in Literature 1963 nobelprize.org
  2. ^ Giorgos Seferis – Facts nobelprize.org
  3. ^ George Seferis britannica.com
  4. ^ Nomination archive – Giorgos Seferis nobelprize.org
  5. ^ a b Alison Flood (8 January 2014). "Charles de Gaulle revealed as surprise contender for Nobel literature prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  6. ^ Nomination archive – 1963 nobelprize.org
  7. ^ Kaj Schueler (2 January 2014). "Svenska Akademien ratade både Beckett och Nabokov". Svenska Dagbladet.
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