New Academy Prize in Literature

New Academy Prize in Literature
Name	New Academy Prize in Literature
Awarded for	Literary achievement
Country	Sweden
Year	2018

New Academy Prize in Literature The New Academy Prize in Literature was a one-time international literary prize established in 2018 in Stockholm as an alternative to the Nobel Prize in Literature. It emerged amid controversy surrounding the Swedish Academy and sought to honor contemporary authors while engaging institutions such as the Public Library of Stockholm and civic actors like the Culture Committee (Stockholm). The initiative involved a rapid nomination and voting process, attracting attention from writers, publishers, critics and media outlets across Europe and the Americas.

History and Inception

The prize was created in the wake of the 2018 scandal that engulfed the Swedish Academy after accusations involving Jean-Claude Arnault, internal disputes connected to figures such as Sara Danius and interventions by cultural bodies like the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In response, cultural entrepreneurs, librarians affiliated with the Stockholm Public Library, journalists from outlets including Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet, and civil society representatives coordinated a parallel prize. Organizers reached out to international actors—publishers like Penguin Books and HarperCollins, translators represented by unions akin to the Society of Authors (UK), and prominent literary festivals such as the Hay Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival—to legitimize a hastily assembled alternative.

Organization and Selection Process

Administration of the prize involved a temporary board comprising figures from the Swedish Writers' Union, librarians from institutions like the Royal Library (Sweden), and cultural commentators affiliated with broadcasters such as Sveriges Television. The nomination phase invited the public and professionals connected to organizations like the International Publishers Association and the European Council of Literary Translators' Associations to propose candidates. A longlist was compiled by committees with members drawn from networks including the International PEN, the Authors Guild (US), and national academies such as the Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature. Shortlisting and final voting combined online ballots facilitated by partners like Spotify-style platforms for cultural polling, and in-person deliberation modeled on procedures used by awards such as the Booker Prize and the Pulitzer Prize.

Eligibility and Criteria

Eligibility mirrored broad cosmopolitan standards used by prizes such as the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Man Booker International Prize, focusing on lifetime achievement, oeuvre breadth, and influence in translation and readership. Criteria emphasized published works recognized by publishers including Random House and Simon & Schuster, translations handled by houses like Archipelago Books, and critical acclaim documented in periodicals such as The New York Review of Books, The Guardian, and Le Monde. Consideration extended to authors associated with movements represented by journals like Granta and prizes like the International Dublin Literary Award, while excluding candidates directly tied to decisions within the Swedish Academy at the time.

Laureates and Shortlists

The New Academy Prize shortlists featured internationally known authors connected to publishers and institutions such as Bloomsbury, Gallimard, Faber and Faber, and Seix Barral. The final recipient selection reflected cross-cultural choices comparable to prior honorees of the Nobel Prize in Literature and included authors celebrated at festivals like Berlin International Literature Festival and Festival Internacional de Poesía de Medellín. Laureates and shortlisted writers were also often the subjects of academic study at universities such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, Sorbonne University, and University of Tokyo, and had their works reviewed in outlets including The New Yorker, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and El País.

Reception and Impact

Media responses ranged from enthusiastic coverage by The New York Times and The Washington Post to critical commentary in Le Monde and Der Spiegel. Literary organizations—PEN America, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and national translation bodies—debated the prize's legitimacy and democratic method, comparing it to mechanisms used by prizes such as the Costa Book Awards and the Hugo Award. Publishers reported short-term boosts in sales and translations via partnerships with distributors like Ingram Content Group and retailers including Amazon (company), while academic conferences at institutions such as the Modern Language Association discussed implications for canon formation and the role of institutions like the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in cultural prestige.

Controversies and Criticism

Critics invoked parallels with prior literary disputes involving the Nobel Committee and controversies surrounding authors associated with the Soviet Writers' Union and debates over awards such as the Man Booker Prize controversies. Commentators from outlets like The Atlantic and Slate (magazine) questioned the haste of the process, the influence of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook on voting, and potential biases favoring anglophone markets represented by firms like Hachette Book Group. Accusations of populism echoed earlier critiques of prize politics seen in episodes linked to the Prix Goncourt and the National Book Awards. Defenders argued the prize underscored demands for transparency similar to reforms sought within the Swedish Academy and advocated by cultural figures associated with the Nobel Foundation and international literary networks.

Category:Literary awards