Bob Dylan has yet to make a public statement about his recent Nobel Prize win, or even respond to the Swedish Academy itself. (The Swedish Academy is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden, and is responsible for bestowing the Nobel Prize in Literature.)
Last week, Dylan was awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”
According to The Guardian, the Swedish Academy’s permanent secretary Sara Danius spoke on the Swedish state radio station SR and said she has not heard from Dylan since making the announcement. “Right now we are doing nothing. I have called and sent emails to his closest collaborator and received very friendly replies. For now, that is certainly enough.”
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The Like a Rolling Stone singer has made no indication whether he would attend the ceremony and gala on Dec. 10, where winners customarily give a speech.
Danius says she’s “not worried,” and thinks “he will show up.” She also said that the event would proceed with or without Dylan.
“If he doesn’t want to come, he won’t come,” she said. “It will be a big party in any case, and the honour belongs to him.”
Dylan made no mention of his win over the weekend while onstage in Las Vegas. The audience chanted for more songs on Thursday night, and Dylan gave a brief encore.
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Awarding the Nobel Prize in Literature to Dylan sparked a lot of controversy around the topic. The award was celebrated by President Obama and author Stephen King, but some authors took to Twitter to express their displeasure.
Other authors joked that literature stars should be able to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or be nominated for a Grammy.
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Other recording artists have reacted to Dylan’s win, including Tom Waits, who said, “No voice is greater.”
Leonard Cohen said giving Dylan the Nobel Prize “is like pinning a medal on Mount Everest for being the highest mountain,” and Tim Heidecker even impersonated Dylan in a song called Talkin’ Nobel Prize.
Dylan is the first musician ever to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, and is currently on tour until Nov. 23.
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