We'll find out sometime today whether or not the Nobel Prize in Literature will be announced on Thursday -- the Swedish Academy will either announce that it will or, if they keep mum, that means it will likely be announced the following Thursday, the 18th.
(The date of the announcement is not without significance: a delay would suggest they're having a harder time settling on a winner, an announcement on the 11th suggests they had a relatively easy time coming to a consensus (suggesting also a less controversial choice).)
The widely- and closely-watched (probably too widely and closely ...) Ladbrokes odds had Murakami Haruki a 2/1 favorite early this morning, followed by Mo Yan and Nádas Péter at 8/1. Given that Unibet still offers much more bang for your Murakami-betting-buck it's hard to take the Ladbrokes frontrunner's odds too seriously (it means the betting is strictly amateur: a serious punter would play the better odds); the surging Nádas (who started at 33/1 and was at 14/1 just a few days ago (see my previous mention)) is an intriguing mover, but after recent eastern European wins still has to be considered a longshot.
Meanwhile, the Chinese press has noted that Mo Yan is one of the bookies' favorites, leading to quite a variety of commentary:
- Sun Xiaobo reports that Chinese writer best bet for Nobel Prize in the Global Times
- On the other hand, John Kennedy finds Appal at Nobel literature prize rumour in the South China Morning Post, as:
- Finally, Yu Jincui tries to dampen expectations, arguing Let's be realistic about Nobel Prize prospects in the Global Times -- though it's a pretty ugly argument he makes:
The widely- and closely-watched (probably too widely and closely ...) Ladbrokes odds had Murakami Haruki a 2/1 favorite early this morning, followed by Mo Yan and Nádas Péter at 8/1. Given that Unibet still offers much more bang for your Murakami-betting-buck it's hard to take the Ladbrokes frontrunner's odds too seriously (it means the betting is strictly amateur: a serious punter would play the better odds); the surging Nádas (who started at 33/1 and was at 14/1 just a few days ago (see my previous mention)) is an intriguing mover, but after recent eastern European wins still has to be considered a longshot.
Meanwhile, the Chinese press has noted that Mo Yan is one of the bookies' favorites, leading to quite a variety of commentary:
- Sun Xiaobo reports that Chinese writer best bet for Nobel Prize in the Global Times
- On the other hand, John Kennedy finds Appal at Nobel literature prize rumour in the South China Morning Post, as:
News that Chinese author Mo Yan may have been shortlisted for this year's Nobel Prize in Literature, the winner of which will be revealed sometime this month, has been met with hope but also strong opposition. Critics say little about the merit of his literary works, pointing instead to other aspects of his career.Always great to see the focus on "other aspects" rather than the only thing that counts: the written works.
- Finally, Yu Jincui tries to dampen expectations, arguing Let's be realistic about Nobel Prize prospects in the Global Times -- though it's a pretty ugly argument he makes:
Chinese should be aware that by selecting the winning author the Nobel Prize in Literature has a strong influence over the political and cultural life of one country, as elements such as values, aesthetic and moral standards and national spirit are the core of the works.The 'mainstream Chinese values' he seems to be arguing for don't sound all that appealing -- good for the Swedish Academy if they entirely ignore them.
As the other Chinese winners have demonstrated, mainstream Chinese values are hardly compatible with the choices of the Nobel Prize committee.