2025 Nobel Literature Prize: Key information and Q&A

The 2025 Nobel Literature Prize winner will be announced by the Swedish Academy at around 1 p.m. local time (8 p.m. in Korea) on October 9. Following last year’s award to South Korean author Han Kang, the first Korean and first Asian woman to win, the spotlight is on this year’s recipient. Key information and discussion points are summarized below.

Has the winner been decided?

Based on precedent, the process to narrow the five final summer candidates to a single winner is likely underway. The Nobel Literature Committee reviews the works of these candidates from June through August. In September, members discuss each contender’s literary contributions and strengths. The final vote generally occurs in early October, and the candidate who receives a majority is confirmed as the laureate.

How are the final five candidates chosen?

After each announcement, the Academy sends letters requesting nominations for the next year. Hundreds of individuals, including past laureates, literature and linguistics professors, and heads of writers’ associations, submit recommendations. It is assumed last year’s winner also participated. From these nominations, the committee selects five candidates. Self-nominations are not allowed, and the candidate list remains confidential for 50 years.

Who are considered strong contenders this year?

International betting sites track potential Nobel Literature winners annually. Currently, Australian writer Gerald Murnane is listed first, Hungarian novelist László Krasznahorkai second, and Japanese literary icon Haruki Murakami fourth. However, last year’s Korean winner was not a top contender in betting markets, so these rankings serve only as a reference.

Are there recent trends or notable characteristics in the prize?

In 2018, the award was canceled following a sexual misconduct scandal within the Swedish Academy. Since then, the Academy has increased female membership and strengthened transparency. The current Literature Committee consists of two men and three women. Among the six laureates from 2019 to 2024, three were women, exactly half. The gender order alternated consistently: male, female, male, female, male, female.

Do nationality or political considerations influence the selection?

Alfred Nobel’s will stated that the prize should go to the person considered most worthy, regardless of nationality. Yet political and national factors have occasionally influenced decisions. Reports released after the 50-year confidentiality period show the prize was sometimes adjusted to avoid appearing to favor a particular country. For example, after French poet Sully Prudhomme won in 1901, the committee hesitated to award the 1902 prize to another French writer, Frédéric Mistral. In 1948, Winston Churchill’s nomination was rejected because it was deemed politically rather than literarily motivated.

Is the Nobel Literature Prize a reward for achievement or encouragement for lesser-known authors?

This question is often debated within the committee. In 1947, members hesitated over awarding Ernest Hemingway, with one noting that his success might make the prize largely symbolic. Hemingway ultimately received the Nobel in 1954, two years after publishing The Old Man and the Sea.


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