So about the timing of the award: as I've mentioned, I was a bit surprised that the Swedish Academy decided to announce the Nobel Prize this Thursday.
True, it fits nicely in the whole Nobel week -- an award a day ! -- but that also means it isn't the 'star' of the week.
On top of that, a whole lot of other prizes and shortlists have been announced this week (just scroll through my reports of the past week below).
Sure, the fact that it comes during the Frankfurt Book Fair means publishers can take advantage of knowing who the Nobel winner is -- but on the other hand, there are also a lot of big (and real) book deals to attend to at Frankfurt, so it also isn't center stage.
And true, next week they announce the Man Booker Prize winner (on Tuesday) ... but a Nobel announcement on Thursday the 18th surely would have trumped that.
So why did they announce yesterday -- why, indeed, did they have no choice but to announce yesterday ?
Two words -- well, one name: Liao Yiwu.
As you should recall, Liao Yiwu was named the winner of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade earlier this year. And Liao Yiwu will receive the prize this Sunday, at the closing the Frankfurt Book Fair; he'll also give a speech.
Regardless of the merit of his work, Mo Yan has a bit of an ideological problem: simply put, he's seen as if not entirely sympathetic to so certainly too cozy for comfort with the Chinese regime. After a speech by Liao Yiwu that will be idealistic and critical -- in a way that Mo has chosen not to follow -- announcing Mo was the Nobel laureate would have left a very sour taste all around. In many places it would have been seen as the Swedish Academy offering a sop to China -- which wouldn't have been or looked good for anyone.
As is, with this scheduling, it's Liao Yiwu that is the follow-up act -- which works out nicely for everyone. The Chinese can bask in the satisfaction of one of their own having (finally) gotten the Nobel (never mind Gao and Buck ...), while those critical of the regime are pleased that Liao Yiwu gets his turn a few days later to remind everyone of what's actually going on over there.
So, in a way -- not in the selection, but in the timing -- this is the most political choice the Swedish Academy has made in decades.
So why did they announce yesterday -- why, indeed, did they have no choice but to announce yesterday ?
Two words -- well, one name: Liao Yiwu.
As you should recall, Liao Yiwu was named the winner of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade earlier this year. And Liao Yiwu will receive the prize this Sunday, at the closing the Frankfurt Book Fair; he'll also give a speech.
Regardless of the merit of his work, Mo Yan has a bit of an ideological problem: simply put, he's seen as if not entirely sympathetic to so certainly too cozy for comfort with the Chinese regime. After a speech by Liao Yiwu that will be idealistic and critical -- in a way that Mo has chosen not to follow -- announcing Mo was the Nobel laureate would have left a very sour taste all around. In many places it would have been seen as the Swedish Academy offering a sop to China -- which wouldn't have been or looked good for anyone.
As is, with this scheduling, it's Liao Yiwu that is the follow-up act -- which works out nicely for everyone. The Chinese can bask in the satisfaction of one of their own having (finally) gotten the Nobel (never mind Gao and Buck ...), while those critical of the regime are pleased that Liao Yiwu gets his turn a few days later to remind everyone of what's actually going on over there.
So, in a way -- not in the selection, but in the timing -- this is the most political choice the Swedish Academy has made in decades.