A Few Thoughts on the Nobel Prize for Literature
Not necessarily “terribly important” thoughts, but when I posted Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison’s quote on Saturday, I visited the Nobel Prize website.
The visual context of the site struck me in quite a profound way. Across the top is a header, which reads:
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Physics … Chemistry … Medicine … Literature … Peace … Economics
The fact that Literature was there was “the thing” that struck me—not because I think it is in any way out of place, but because the impression one gets in discussions of higher education funding in our modern world is that the humanities are definitely seen as a third or even fourth class citizen to sciences, engineering and commerce.
Yet Alfred Nobel, who according to the site was a “Swedish chemist, inventor of dynamite, engineer, armaments manufacturer, [and] business man” endowed one of his 5 original prizes to Literature, alongside Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Peace. (The Economics Prize was endowed later by the Sveriges Riksbank.) In Nobel’s eyes at least, therefore, Literature was perceived as both First Class, and equal…
Perhaps, in our contemporary consideration of what has value in societal and learning terms, we need to ask ourselves why Nobel might have given Literature that standing.
Or perhaps the answer comes from the citation for the very first Nobel Prize for Literature, awarded to the French poet and philosopher Sully Prudhomme, who in his poetry showed the “rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect”.
Heart and intellect—and offering us a lens perhaps, through which to examine ourselves…
Literature, a pursuit of equal value with Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Peace.
Who’d have thought?
hi there Well I am glad you did think… and share with us, because i like you think that is interesting that literature has it’s rightful place and how and when did it fall from favour??? Our school system is very worrisome or is it our government?? Anyway too late in the evening but I glad you posted this thought.
PS i have been following a wee friends blog (she is 12 years old) and has read and enjoyed Thornspell. I told her about you as a writer and she was inspired to write her stories on her blog… Very good little writer –if you ever have time have a wee peek at Ariane Turton’s Blog.
Thank you Helen you may not realise how far/or where your influence travels…
Megan, I’m glad the post resonated for you. And I shall checkout Ariane’s blog and her stories…
PS I have occasionally been surprised–and gratified–to find out who is reading my blog.:) But whether near of far, if I and the blog are adding to the sum of the world’s positives then that is a Good Thing (imho.)
Hi! I’m Ariane! I just wanted to say how much I loved you books and I’d love you to look at my stories on my blog and review them! I know you must be busy though, so its okay if you dont. What book are you working on right now?
Hi Ariane–welcome to “…on ANything, Really.” 🙂 I’m glad you’ve been enjoying my books so far—and right now I’m working on Daughter of Blood, The Wall of Night, Book Three. Do you have a blog link I can go to? (I realized after I replied to Megan’s post that she hadn’t left one either.)
Hi! Well, I don’t have a link, but if you go to google and type in “blogger ariane turton” then it is called Arianes Blog. 🙂
Well, I found this link, Ariane: http://ariane.blogspot.co.nz/ But there’s no content?
However, I also found this, which looks more promising: http://arianesblog7.blogspot.co.nz/2012_08_01_archive.html Shall take a peek when get a breather–may not be before Xmas though now:)
Thats ok, the bottom one is the one im pretty sure……….. sorry for any inconvinience. I just started a book called “Yo. My mum is mother nature.” Its about a girl called Claire who finds out her real mother is Mother Nature, all her siblings are spirits of air, water, fire etc, but she was born a normal girl. Does it sound alright? By the way, thanks so much for even talking to me, I know its a busy life for a writer, I’m writing 18 books at once right now!!!!!!
Ariane