Five things to know about the Nobel Literature Prize

The Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Literature Prize , has been in turmoil ever since an influential cultural figure — the husband of one of its 18 members — was accused of sex crimes during last year’ s # MeToo campaign .

The institution said Friday it was postponing this year’ s prize due to reduced public confidence in the academy after several members resigned over the scandal .

Here are five things to know about the Nobel Literature Prize .

Most prestigious award

Each year, the Swedish Academy awards 16 prizes, the most famous and prestigious being the Nobel Literature Prize .

In his 1895 last will and testament , Swedish scientist and philanthropist Alfred Nobel tasked the institution with awarding the Nobel Literature Prize each year.

Since 1901 , four or five of the Academy ’ s 18 members have been elected to serve on its Nobel Committee for a three - year term , designated to sort through the nominations and provide the rest of the Academy with a shortlist of possible winners .

The nominees ’ bodies of work are then studied and discussed by the entire Academy. The members hold a vote in October to choose the winner — the laureate must obtain more than half of the votes cast .

350 nominees a year

The Academy’ s archives are bursting with letters from the world ’ s most renowned literary figures nominating candidates .

Each year, the institution receives around 350 nominations submitted by those eligible to do so : former Nobel literature laureates, members of other countries ’ equivalent academies , literature professors , and the heads of national writers ’ associations.

Each one vaunts the talents of their candidate , some going so far as to slip in a little gift for Academy members … a gesture they typically frown upon .

To be valid , nominations must be presented or renewed each year, and must be received by the Academy by January 31 at the latest .

To qualify , nominees must still be alive, and, according to the strict rules laid out by Alfred Nobel , must have published a piece of work within the past year , though the Academy has occasionally strayed from that requirement .

Seven reserved years , two refusals

A total of 114 people have won the Nobel Literature Prize . The prize has been awarded on 110 occasions , with two people sharing the prize on four occasions. It has also been declined twice: In 1958 Russian author Boris Pasternak accepted the prize but was later forced by Soviet authorities to decline it, and in 1964 , French philosopher Jean - Paul Sartre turned it down .

The institution , founded in 1786 , has on seven previous occasions chosen to reserve the prize : in 1915 , 1919 , 1925 , 1926 , 1927 , 1936 and 1949 .

On five of those occasions, the prize was delayed then awarded at the same time as the following year’ s prize . The most recent such case was when William Faulkner was awarded the 1949 prize in 1950 , the same year Bertrand Russell was honoured .

France tops list of laureates

France takes the gold medal for the most Nobel Literature Prizes with 15 laureates , including the first one ever awarded , to Sully Prudhomme in 1901 .

Tied in second place are the United States and Britain with 12 laureates each, including last year’ s winner , Japanese - born British author Kazuo Ishiguro , author of “ Remains of the Day ” and “Never Let Me Go” .

In terms of languages , however, laureates writing in Moliere’ s tongue find themselves outnumbered by those writing in Shakespeare ’ s , with 29 anglophone authors honoured since 1901 .

The Salman Rushdie affair

In the name of the “independence of literature”, the Swedish Academy refused to condemn a 1989 fatwa against British author Salman Rushdie following the publication of his novel , “ The Satanic Verses . ”

Academy members were divided about whether to stand as neutral guarantors of the arts , or as supporters of their fellow author .

Three members angered by the Academy’ s chosen path of silence left their seats , though technically they were appointed for life and could not resign .

It was not until 27 years later — in 2016 — that the Academy finally condemned the fatwa against Rushdie.