1974 Nobel Prize in Literature#Reactions

File:Authors-from-across-the-country-arrive-at-Writers-meeting-142347119180.jpg, Annicka Jönsson, Harry Martinson and Gabriel Jönsson at a writers' meeting.]]

{{main|Eyvind Johnson}}

Individual, moral, societal, and political issues are the recurring themes in Eyvind Johnson's literary works. De fyra främlingarna ("The Four Strangers"), a collection of short stories, served as his literary debut in 1924. Romanen om Olof ("The Novel about Olof"), his four autobiographical novels that appeared between 1934 and 1937, is regarded as one of his most important works. In the trilogy about Krilon (1941–1943), in which the world is represented allegorically, he took a strong stand against fascism and nazism of his day.[https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1974/johnson/facts/ Eyvind Johnson – Facts] nobelprize.org His other famous works include Strändernas svall ("Return to Ithaca", 1946), Drömmar om rosor och eld ("Dreams of Roses and Fire", 1949), and Hans nådes tid ("The Days of His Grace", 1960).[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eyvind-Johnson Eyvind Johnson] britannica.com

{{main|Harry Martinson}}

The poetry and prose by Harry Martinson are both written in a unique and passionate style. His experiences as a young seaman and hobo, as well as his difficult and unloving childhood, are among the themes. He cares much about nature and is interested in science, which is reflected in his philosophical views and depictions of the natural world. Martinson's most well-known composition, the Aniara poetry collection from 1956, tells the story of a spaceship that departs from Earth following a horrific nuclear war but subsequently deviates from its intended path.[https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1974/martinson/facts/ Harry Martinson – Facts] nobelprize.org His other notable works include Kap Farväl ("Cape Farewell", 1933), Nässlorna blomma ("Flowering Nettle", 1935), and Vägen till Klockrike ("The Road", 1948).[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harry-Martinson Harry Martinson] britannica.com

Eyvind Johnson was first nominated for the prize in 1962 and then every year until 1971.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/archive/show_people.php?id=12669 |title=Eyvind Johnson Nomination archive |date=21 May 2024 |publisher=nobelprize.org }} During this period Johnson declined to be considered for the prize as he himself was a member of the Swedish Academy's Nobel committee (he resigned from the committee in 1972).{{Cite news| url=https://www.svd.se/a/14c0fd2f-756f-30dd-b6d4-91646038d2a4/eyvind-johnson-ville-inte-komma-i-fraga-for-nobelpriset |title=Eyvind Johnson ville inte komma i fråga för Nobelpriset |author=Kaj Schueler |date=2 January 2013 |newspaper= Svenska Dagbladet|lang=Swedish }}{{cite web|url=https://www.svenskaakademien.se/svenska-akademien/ledamotsregister |title=Ledamotsregister |publisher=Svenska Akademien }} Harry Martinson was first nominated in 1964, and had by 1973 been nominated twelve times by six different nominators.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/archive/show_people.php?id=5958 |title=Harry Martinson Nomination archive |date=21 May 2024 |publisher=nobelprize.org }}{{Cite book|title=Min egen elds kurir. Harry Martinsons författarliv |last=Svedjedal |first=Johan |year=2023 |publisher=Albert Bonniers förlag |lang=Swedish }}{{rp|p=628}}

In 1965, Nobel committee member Erik Lindegren suggested the idea of a shared prize to the two authors: "They are really the opposite of everything provinsional."{{rp|p=628}}

In the early 1970's Johnson and Martinson were nominated individually for the prize by their colleague in the Swedish Academy, the 1951 Nobel Prize laureate Pär Lagerkvist, and Nobel committee member Henry Olsson nominated them for a shared prize in 1970.{{rp|p=628}} In 1974 Johnson and Martinson were nominated by Academy members Johannes Edfelt and Pär Lagerkvist, and Johnson also by three other external nominators. Nobel committee member Artur Lundkvist however strongly opposed that the Academy should award the Nobel prize to its own members and had in 1972 stated that the Academy should "think very carefully" before awarding a Swedish author.{{Cite news| url=https://www.svd.se/a/WRm1dj/nobelpristagaren-heinrich-boll-ansags-stodja-baader-meinhof |title=Nobelpristagaren ansågs stödja terroristerna |author=Kaj Schueler |date=2 January 2023 |newspaper= Svenska Dagbladet|lang=Swedish }} In his memoirs, committee member Lars Gyllensten claimed that Johnson and Martinson had been proposed from outside the Academy and justified the decision to award them, arguing that "The consequence of principally excluding members of the Academy as prize candidates would mean that the Academy could only elect second rate authors."{{cite book|first=Lars|last=Gyllensten|title=Minnen, bara minnen|trans-title=Memories, just memories|location=Stockholm|publisher=Albert Bonniers förlag|date=2000|isbn=91-0-057140-7|language=sv|id={{LIBRIS|7150260}}}}{{rp|p=272}}

In total, the Nobel Committee received nominations for 101 writers, same amount of nominees as the preceding year.{{cite web|url=https://sa-admin.lb.se/assets/f10fee04-71ae-457b-b5f3-639423dd1956.pdf/F%C3%B6rslagslista%201974.pdf|title=Nobelarkivet–1974|date=January 2025|access-date=3 January 2025|website=svenskaakademien|language=Swedish}} Twenty-two authors were first-time nominees, among them Rafael Alberti, Gwen Bristow, Kamala Surayya-Das, Ralph Ellison, Armand Gatti, Uwe Johnson, Herbert Marcuse, Czesław Miłosz (awarded in 1980), R. K. Narayan, Octavio Paz (awarded in 1990), Francis Ponge, Kenzaburō Ōe (awarded in 1994), Harold Pinter (awarded in 2005), Stephen Spender, Antonio Buero Vallejo and Louise Weiss. The highest number of nominations was for Jewish author Elie Wiesel (awarded the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize). The oldest nominee was Estonian poet Marie Under (aged 91). Ten of the nominees were women namely Gwen Bristow, Chen Min-hwa, Kamala Surayya-Das, Argentina Diaz Lozano, Nadine Gordimer (awarded in 1991), Doris Lessing (awarded in 2007), Astrid Lindgren, Victoria Ocampo, Marie Under and Louise Weiss – the highest number of female contenders in a year.

The authors Martin Armstrong, Herbert Ernest Bates, Buddhadeva Bose, Emma L. Brock, Carl Jacob Burckhardt, Arthur J. Burks, Rosario Castellanos, Cyril Connolly, Julius Evola, Marieluise Fleißer, Georgette Heyer, David Jones, Margaret Leech, Lois Lenski, Eric Linklater, Walter Lippmann, Sigurður Nordal, Howard Pease, Olive Higgins Prouty, Maria Ossowska, Anne Sexton, Jacqueline Susann, Jan Tschichold, Herman Van Breda and Victor E. van Vriesland died in 1974 without having been nominated for the prize.

The previous year, the Swedish Academy had discussed if it was suitable for the Academy to award Swedish authors, following the proposals of Johnson, Martinson and novelist Vilhelm Moberg (1898-1973) as candidates for the prize. Concerns had been raised that awarding a Swedish author would harm the international reputation of the Nobel prize and the Swedish Academy's prestige. In a report dated 5 June 1973, Nobel committee chairman Karl Ragnar Gierow wrote on the matter that Johnson, Martinson and Moberg were all worthy recipients of the prize and of the same literary class as the shortlisted candidates for the 1973 prize. Gierow argued that excluding Swedish persons from being awarded the Nobel prize had no support in the statues of the Nobel Foundation and that Alfred Nobel in his will had specifically written that no regard of nationality should be taken, but that the worthiest candidate should be awarded. Gierow said that an unprejudiced examination of the candidates individual merits should be the first and essential basis of the decision and left it to the Academy to further deliberate on a prize to the Swedish candidates.{{Cite web|url=https://sa-admin.lb.se/assets/9d6c24b7-0007-4701-9890-b3f7dd7d3ecf.pdf/S%C3%A4rskilt%20yttrande%20KRG%201973.pdf |title=Särskilt yttrande av Nobelkommiténs ordförande 1973 (pdf) |publisher=Svenska Akademien |lang=Swedish }}

In 1974, a shared prize to Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson was proposed by Johannes Edfelt, a member of the Swedish Academy. Johnson and Martinson were also nominated individually by Pär Lagerkvist of the Swedish Academy and Johnson individually by three external nominators. As three members of the Swedish Academy had recently died in 1974, and Johnson and Martinson themselves did not take any part in the deliberations, the prize decision for the 1974 Nobel Prize in Literature was taken by at most thirteen individuals. Member Anders Österling revealed that the prize decision was "very unanimous".{{rp|pp=610–612}}

For the 1974 prize, the Nobel committee shortlisted eight authors in six proposals, including three proposals for a shared prize.{{cite web|url=https://sa-admin.lb.se/assets/99062333-4fba-456c-91e3-2166facbde6c.pdf/S%C3%A4rskilt%20yttrande%20av%20herr%20Gierow%201974.pdf |title=Särskilt yttrande av herr Gierow (pdf) |date=6 June 1974 |publisher=Svenska Akademien |lang=Swedish }} The Nobel committee proposed that the 1974 Nobel Prize in Literature should be awarded jointly to Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson. The committee's second proposal was a shared prize to Nadine Gordimer (subsequently awarded in 1991) and Doris Lessing (awarded in 2007). Their third proposal was Saul Bellow (awarded in 1976), either awarded alone or shared with Norman Mailer, and their fourth proposal was Eugenio Montale (awarded in 1975).{{cite web|url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/a/wgb3n4/sekretessen-lyfts-om-priset-som-forstorde-allt |title=Sekretessen lyfts om priset "som förstörde allt" |date=2 January 2025 |publisher=Aftonbladet }} Graham Greene, who had for many years been a candidate for the prize, were again also proposed by the committee.

Committee chair Karl Ragnar Gierow listed Johnson and Martinson as his first proposal and argued that the two authors "from a strictly literary perspective are equal or ahead of several of those, who are now considered for a Nobel prize or have already received it", and again noted that denying authors from being awarded the Nobel prize because they are Swedish or members of the Swedish Academy had no support at all in the statutes of the Nobel Foundation. Gierow's second proposal was Graham Greene, citing Greene's recent novel The Honorary Consul as a work that had strengthed his long standing candidacy, and Montale his third proposal.

Committee member Artur Lundkvist strongly opposed that the Swedish Academy should award the Nobel Prize to its own members and urged Johnson and Martinson to not accept the prize, thinking it would make them unhappy. Lundkvist later said he thought the award brought the authors to a too early death.{{cite news |author=Peter Lennon |title=Why Graham Greene Hasn't Won A Nobel Prize and Solzhenitsyn Has |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/1980/12/28/why-graham-greene-hasnt-won-a-nobel-prize-and-solzhenitsyn-has/bc8f6405-5154-4f99-b896-52d71a9a514c/ |newspaper=Washington Post |date=28 December 1980 }} Lundkvist advocated a shared prize to Gordimer and Lessing. No other objections against the proposal to award Johnson and Martinson the prize was noted within the Academy.

The joint selection of Eyvind Johnson and Martinson for the Nobel Prize was very controversial as both were members of the Swedish Academy, the institution that awards the Nobel Prize in Literature.Örjan Lindberger Människan i tiden: Eyvind Johnsons liv och författarskap 1938–1976 Albert Bonniers förlag 1990{{rp|pp=445–447}} Graham Greene, Jorge Luis Borges, Saul Bellow (awarded in 1976) and Vladimir Nabokov were favourites to win the award that year.{{cite web|author=Raúl Fain Binda BBC Mundo |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/noticias/2012/08/120807_lalo_londres_2012_cuartos_2.shtml |title=BBC Mundo – Noticias – Londres 2012: el cruel destino del atleta que llega cuarto |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=1 January 1970 |access-date=13 August 2012}}

The choice of Johnson and Martinson was heavily criticised by the press in their home country, mainly because the Swedish Academy awarded two of their own members. The most fierce critic, Sven Delblanc in Expressen, called it "a catastrophic decision" and said that the little credibility of the Nobel Prize in Literature that was left "would be wiped out with mockery, rolling around the world". He thought awarding the two academy members was a case of corruption: “There exists no strong international opinion advocating these authors. The choice reflects a lack of judgment by the academy. And lack of judgment in a serious context like this can only too easily be interpreted as corruption through camaraderie. Mutual admiration is one thing, but this smells almost like embezzlement.”{{rp|pp=455–457}} The choices were also attacked by some other younger literature figures, saying the authors had written their best works too far back in time and that neither had won any international reputation.{{rp|p=455}}

According to research of press clips and letters sent to the Swedish Academy and Johan Svedjedal's 2023 biography of Harry Martinson, the negative reactions to the prize decision has however proved to have been exaggerated with one-sided focus on Delblanc's article and the negative reactions of Olof Lagercrantz. The contemporary reactions were rather mixed with several positive reactions both in Sweden and internationally.{{cite web|url=https://www.svenskaakademien.se/svenska-akademien/akademiens-arkiv/digitala-utstallningar/johnson-martinsonutstallning/mottagandet |title=Populärt val - men principiellt fel? |date=4 October 1974 |publisher=Svenska Dagbladet |lang=Swedish }}{{cite book|title=Min egen elds kurir. Harry Martinsons författarliv |last=Svedjedal |first=Johan |chapter=Nobelpriset (1974) |publisher=Albert Bonniers förlag |year=2023 |lang=Swedish }} In a survey in Svenska Dagbladet, a majority of the literary professors and authors called it an excellent choice. Literature professor Thure Stenström said: "It is a triumph for all cultures good forces when an authorship such as Eyvind Johnson's is awarded. Harry Martinson is also an extraordinary worthy candidate. (...) Aniara alone would of course count as a merit enough for the Nobel prize." Literature professor Gunnar Brandell said that the prize decision was likely to be criticized internationally; "But one can take that calmly. Those who know these prospected Nobel prize laureates works of course know that they each in their own way measure up well." Swedish author and critic Karl Vennberg also favoured the prize and was quoted saying in the New York Times: “I find that if I myself had a Nobel Prize to give, I would have been prepared to give Harry Martinson one as far back as 1932.”

International reactions generally focused on the fact that Johnson and Martinson were little known outside their home country, and were sometimes negatively or neutrally reported. Some of the international reactions were however much less negative than the Swedish reactions. The French newspaper La Nouvelle République said that Johnson and Martinson were "remarkable representatives of the modern Swedish literature and their work undoubtly deserve to be much known".{{cite web|url=https://www.svenskaakademien.se/svenska-akademien/akademiens-arkiv/digitala-utstallningar/johnson-martinsonutstallning/mottagandet |title=Mottagandet |publisher=Svenska Akademien }} Positive reactions were also noted in Denmark, Norway, Finland, England and the USA. A writer in Times Literary Supplement wrote "That Martinson and Johnson are worthy recipients of the prize, few acquinted with their work would deny." In the same publication, the Swedish criticism was described as driven by envy of the same kind that had beset several other successful Swedish people.{{rp|p=622}}

According to academy member Lars Gyllensten, both authors were badly affected by the negativity and criticism following the award. The sensitive Martinson found it hard to cope with the criticism following his award, and died on 11{{nbsp}}February 1978 at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm after cutting his stomach open with a pair of scissors in what has been described as a "hara-kiri-like manner".{{cite web|last1=Hansson|first1=Anita|title=Martinson begick harakiri|trans-title=Martinson committed hara-kiri|url=http://wwwc.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/0008/31/harakiri.html|website=wwwc.aftonbladet.se|date=31 August 2000|publisher=Aftonbladet|access-date=21 December 2015}}

At the award ceremony on 10 December 1974 in Stockholm Concert Hall Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson received their awards. At the ceremony Alexander Solzhenitsyn also received his 1970 Nobel Prize in Literature, after finally having been allowed to leave the Soviet Union. Solzhenitsyn's presence was much noticed in the Swedish press.{{cite web|url=https://www.svenskaakademien.se/en/node/4313 |title=Solzjenitsyn på besök i Stockholm 1974 |publisher=Svenska Akademien }}

In his memoirs, published in 2000, former secretary of the Swedish Academy and Nobel committee member Lars Gyllensten justified the prize decision and claimed that it was well received by the Swedish public. The negative reactions in the Swedish press Gyllensten described as driven by envy and the Law of Jante. In the book Gyllensten claimed that Martinson's suicide in 1978 was a direct result of the heavy criticism led by Sven Delblanc in Expressen and Olof Lagercrantz in Dagens Nyheter.{{rp|pp=272–275}}

In September 2024, Sveriges Television premiered the one hour documentary Harry och Eyvind - Nobelpriset som förstörde allt ("Harry and Eyvind - The Nobel Prize that ruined everything") by Hanna Cedergren and Anders Lundgren, including archive footage and interviews with David Lagercrantz, (son of Olof Lagercrantz), and Harry Martinson's biographer Johan Svedjedal, among others.{{cite web|url=https://www.svtplay.se/video/KZm2Nox/harry-och-eyvind-nobelpriset-som-forstorde-allt |title=Harry och Eyvind - Nobelpriset som förstörde allt |publisher=SVT Play |lang=Swedish }} In his 2023 Harry Martinson biography, Svedjedal devoted over twenty pages to the 1974 Nobel Prize in literature. Svedjedal concluded: "In the longer perspective the Nobel prize helped to further bring Harry Martinson and Eyvind Johnson to the world literature. But in the short and half-long perspective the prize was rather a pain for especially Harry. Even if many reactions [among the public] were positive he felt the negative so strong that nearly all happiness was ruined."{{rp|p=630}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1974/ceremony-speech/ Award Ceremony speech] nobelprize.org
• [https://www.svtplay.se/video/KZm2Nox/harry-och-eyvind-nobelpriset-som-forstorde-allt Harry och Eyvind - Nobelpriset som förstörde allt] Documentary on SVT Play, available worldwide until 2 April 2025

{{Nobel Prize in Literature}}

1974

Category:Harry Martinson

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Nobel