On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament,
giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes, the Nobel
Prizes. As described in Nobel's will one part was dedicated to “the
person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most
outstanding work in an ideal direction”.
106 Nobel Prizes in Literature have been awarded since 1901.
It was not awarded on seven occasions: in 1914, 1918, 1935, 1940, 1941,
1942, and 1943.Why were the Literature Prizes not awarded in those years? In
the statutes of the Nobel Foundation it says: "If none of the works
under consideration is found to be of the importance indicated in the
first paragraph, the prize money shall be reserved until the following
year. If, even then, the prize cannot be awarded, the amount shall be
added to the Foundation's restricted funds." During World War I and II,
fewer Nobel Prizes were awarded.
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