1971 Nobel Prize in Literature

The 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the Chilean politician and poet Pablo Neruda (1904–1973) "for a poetry that with the action of an elemental force brings alive a continent's destiny and dreams." Neruda became the second Chilean Nobel laureate in Literature after Gabriela Mistral in 1945.

Laureate

Pablo Neruda is known for his surrealist poems and historical epics which touches political, human and passionate themes. Among his well known works which are read throughout the world include Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada ("Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair", 1924), which established him as a prominent poet and an interpreter of love and erotica, and Cien Sonetos de Amor ("100 Sonnets of Love", 1959). A diplomat, his official journey in Asia affected him strongly, which is reflected in two volumes of poems titled Residencia en la tierra ("Residence on Earth", 1933 and 1935). Neruda's Communist sympathies reflect in his work Canto General (1939), an epic poem about the whole South American continent.Pablo Neruda – Facts nobelprize.orgPablo Neruda britannica.comPablo Neruda poetryfoundation.org

Deliberations Nominations In 1971, the Swedish Academy received 137 nominations for 91 writers. Neruda received 25 nominations since 1956 and received two nominations which eventually led to him being awarded the 1971 prize. Among the shortlist were Neruda, W. H. Auden, Patrick White (awarded in 1973), André Malraux and Eugenio Montale (awarded in 1975).

The most number of nominations were for Jorge Luis Borges and Montale, both receiving 6 nominations.Nomination archive – 1971 André Malraux was the nominee who had been nominated for most years (22 years) up to 1971. 25 of the nominees were nominated first-time, among them Elie Wiesel (awarded the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize), José García Villa, James Baldwin, Arno Schmidt, Georges Schéhadé, William Golding (awarded in 1983) and Richard E. Kim. The oldest nominee was Jacques Maritain (aged 89) while the youngest was Richard E. Kim (aged 39). Peruvian novelist José María Arguedas was nominated posthumously by the professor of Scandinavian languages, Elie Poulenard (1901–1985) from University of Strasbourg. Estonian poet Marie Under was the only female nominee.

The authors André Billy, C. D. Broad, Walter Van Tilburg Clark, Daniel de la Vega, Nels F. S. Ferré, Peter Fleming, Claude Gauvreau, Gaito Gazdanov, A. P. Herbert, Philippe Hériat, Raicho Hiratsuka, Anthony Ludovici, Ogden Nash, Allan Nevins, Reinhold Niebuhr, Naoya Shiga, Kenneth Slessor, Juhan Smuul, Aleksandr Tvardovsky, Frank Underhill, Charles Vildrac, Waldo Williams, and Philip Wylie died in 1971 without having been nominated for the prize. The Indian novelist Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay and Dutch writer Simon Vestdijk died months before the announcement.

Official list of nominees and their nominators for the prize No. Nominee Country Genre(s) Nominator(s)1Edward Albee (1928–2016)dramaDieter Schaller (1929–2003)2Jorge Amado (1912–2001)novel, short storyLaurent Versini (1932–2021)3Jerzy Andrzejewski (1909–1983)novel, short storyEeva Kilpi (1928–)4Louis Aragon (1897–1982)novel, short story, poetry, essaysJean Gaudon (1926–2019)5José María Arguedas (1911–1969)(posthumous nomination)novel, short story, poetry, essaysElie Poulenard (1901–1985)6Wystan Hugh Auden (1907–1973)poetry, essays, screenplay7Riccardo Bacchelli (1891–1985)novel, drama, essays8James Baldwin (1924–1987)novel, short story, essays, poetry, dramaJacob Louis Mey (1926–2023)9Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay (1898–1971)novel, short story, drama, essays, autobiography, songwritingKrishna Kripalani (1907–1992)10Mykola Bazhan (1904–1983)poetry, essaysOmeljan Pritsak (1919–2006)11Saul Bellow (1915–2005)novel, short story, memoir, essaysJara Ribnikar (1912–2007)12Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986)poetry, essays, translation, short story13Jawad Boulos (1900–1982)history, essaysCamille Aboussouan (1919–2013)14Heinrich Böll (1917–1985)novel, short story15Michel Butor (1926–2016)poetry, novel, essays, translationKarl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982)16Elias Canetti (1905–1994)novel, drama, memoir, essaysKeith Spalding (1913–2002)17Alejo Carpentier (1904–1980)novel, short story, essaysHenri Peyre (1901–1988)18Lord David Cecil (1902–1986)biography, history, essaysLeslie Poles Hartley (1895–1972)19Aimé Césaire (1913–2008)poetry, drama, essaysKarl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982)20André Chamson (1900–1983)novel, essays21Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca (1914–2008)poetryYaşar Nabi Nayır (1908–1981)22Tsendiin Damdinsüren (1908–1986)poetry, essays, novel, translationWalther Heissig (1913–2005)23Salvador de Madariaga (1886–1978)essays, history, law, novelKázmér Géza Werner (1900–1985)24Henry de Montherlant (1895–1972)essays, novel, dramaAnders Österling (1884–1981)25Paul Demiéville (1894–1979)essays, translationMartin Gimm (1930–)26Lawrence Durrell (1912–1990)novel, short story, poetry, drama, essaysHaydn Trevor Mason (1929–2018)27Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)drama, novel, short story, essays28Rabbe Enckell (1903–1974)short story, poetry29Salvador Espriu (1913–1985)drama, novel, poetry30Romain Gary (1914–1980)novel, essays, literary criticism, screenplayWalther Hinz (1906–1992)31Maurice Genevoix (1890–1980)novel, essaysYves Gandon (1899–1975)32William Golding (1911–1993)novel, poetry, drama, essays33Günter Grass (1927–2015)novel, drama, poetry, essays34Graham Greene (1904–1991)novel, short story, autobiography, essaysMary Renault (1905–1983)35Jorge Guillén (1893–1984)poetry, literary criticism36Paavo Haavikko (1931–2008)poetry, drama, essaysEeva Kilpi (1928–)37William Heinesen (1900–1991)poetry, short story, novel38Vladimír Holan (1905–1980)poetry, essaysEyvind Johnson (1900–1976)39Eugène Ionesco (1909–1994)drama, essaysKarl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982)40Roman Jakobson (1896–1982)essaysJean Dubois (1920–2015)41Eyvind Johnson (1900–1976)novel, short story Pär Lagerkvist (1891–1974)42Younghill Kang (1898–1972)novel, memoir, dramaRobert Payne (1911–1983)43Erich Kästner (1899–1974)poetry, screenplay, autobiographyKázmér Géza Werner (1900–1985)44Richard Eun Kook Kim (1932–2009)novel, short storyBaek Cheol (1908–1985)45Arthur Koestler (1905–1983)novel, autobiography, essaysGeorges Matoré (1908–1998)46Miroslav Krleža (1893–1981)poetry, drama, short story, novel, essaysGunnar Jacobsson (1918–2001)47Karl Krolow (1915–1999)poetry, essays, translationEmil Ernst Ploss (1925–1972)48Philip Larkin (1922–1985)poetry, novel, essaysJørgen Læssøe (1924–1993)49Siegfried Lenz (1926–2014)novel, short story, essays, dramaKarl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982)50Väinö Linna (1920–1992)novel51Compton Mackenzie (1883–1972) novel, short story, drama, poetry, history, biography, essays, literary criticism, memoirMagne Oftedal (1921–1985)52Archibald MacLeish (1892–1982)poetry, essays, drama, lawWilliam Scovil Anderson (1927–2022)53Hugh MacLennan (1907–1990)novel, essaysLawrence Lande (1906–1998)54André Malraux (1901–1976) novel, essays, literary criticism55Jacques Maritain (1882–1973)philosophyCharles Dédéyan (1910–2003)56Harry Martinson (1904–1978)poetry, novel, drama, essaysArthur Arnholtz (1901–1973)57Miquel Melendres i Rué (1905–1974)essays, theology, poetry, memoirAntoni Griera (1887–1973)58Arthur Miller (1915–2005)drama, screenplay, essays59Vilhelm Moberg (1898–1973)novel, drama, historyAnders Österling (1884–1981)60Eugenio Montale (1896–1981)poetry, translation61Alberto Moravia (1907–1990)novel, literary criticism, essays, drama62Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)novel, short story, poetry, drama, translation, literary criticism, memoir63Mikhail Naimy (1889–1988)poetry, drama, short story, novel, autobiography, literary criticism64Pablo Neruda (1904–1973)poetry65Fritiof Nilsson Piraten (1895–1972)short story, novel, essays, lawBertil Ejder (1916–2005)66Ezra Pound (1885–1972)poetry, essaysHans Galinsky (1909–1991)67Evaristo Ribera Chevremont (1890–1976) poetryErnesto Juan Fonfrías (1909–1990)68Yannis Ritsos (1909–1990)poetry, songwriting69Alain Robbe-Grillet (1922–2008)novel, short story, essays, screenplaysHenry Olsson (1896–1985)70Tadeusz Rózewicz (1921–2014)poetry, drama, translationGunnar Jacobsson (1918–2001)71Hans Ruin (1891–1980)philosophyArthur Arnholtz (1901–1973)72Georges Schéhadé (1905–1989)poetry, drama, novelCamille Aboussouan (1919–2013)73Arno Schmidt (1914–1979)novel, short story, biography, essaysLars Gyllensten (1921–2006)74Léopold Sédar Senghor (1906–2001)poetry, essaysKarl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982)75Robert Shih [Shi Jieyun] (1926–1983)essaysÉtienne Lamotte (1903–1983)76Claude Simon (1913–2005)novel, essaysHenry Olsson (1896–1985)77Charles Percy Snow (1905–1980)novel, essaysSylvère Monod (1921–2006)78Zaharia Stancu (1902–1974)poetry, novel, philosophy, essaysKarl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982)79Marie Under (1883–1980)poetryAlgirdas Landsbergis (1924–2004)80Simon Vestdijk (1898–1971)novel, poetry, essays, translationKarl Ragnar Gierow (1904–1982)81José García Villa (1908–1997)poetry, essays82Gerard Walschap (1898–1989)novel, drama, essays83Mika Waltari (1908–1979)short story, novel, poetry, drama, essays, screenplayInna Koskenniemi (1923–1995)84Sándor Weöres (1913–1989)poetry, translationÁron Kibédi Varga (1930–2018)85Patrick White (1912–1990) novel, short story, drama, poetry, autobiography86Elie Wiesel (1928–2016)memoir, essays, novel, dramaGerd Høst-Heyerdahl (1915–2007)87Thornton Wilder (1897–1975)drama, novel, short story88Tennessee Williams (1911–1983)drama, novel, screenplay, short story, poetryKázmér Géza Werner (1900–1985)89Henry Williamson (1895–1977)novel, short storyPetronella O'Flanagan (–)90Angus Wilson (1913–1991)novel, short story, essaysGerhard Nickel (1928–2015)91Carl Zuckmayer (1896–1977)drama, screenplay

Prize Decision In 1971, the Nobel committee shortlisted Patrick White (awarded in 1973), W.H. Auden, André Malraux and Eugenio Montale (awarded in 1975) along with Pablo Neruda. The academy's archives later revealed in 2022 that Neruda was almost denied the Nobel Prize because of his "communist tendencies" and odes to Stalin. While Anders Österling of the Nobel committee praised Neruda's "poetic natural power and dynamic vitality", he questioned whether the increasingly dominant communist tendency in his poetry is compatible with the purpose of the Nobel prize. In the archives, Österling wrote that "a writer's way of thinking – whether Marxist, syndicalist, anarchist or something else – belongs to his free right. However, Neruda is fully politically involved, including through his hymns to Stalin and other purely propagandistic achievements. On that basis, I have reservations about his candidacy, without, however, wanting to firmly reject it in advance..." Österling had previously spoken out against the candidacy both of Ezra Pound and Samuel Beckett, but was eventually persuaded with Neruda's and Beckett's merits later awarded them the prize, but not Pound.

Committee members Lars Gyllensten, Henry Olsson and Artur Lundkvist all recommended Neruda and Patrick White as the main contenders for the prize. Karl Ragnar Gierow listed Neruda as his first proposal and W.H. Auden as his second proposal, noting a "little marked difference" between the order of the proposals. Österling found Auden to be the most recommendable among the candidates, followed by Montale and Patrick White. André Malraux's candidacy was dismissed by the committee as his best work was thought to be too far back in time. Following their meeting on 16 September 1971 the Nobel committee reported that Neruda had the strongest support in the committee, followed by Auden and White with an equal number of votes.

Reactions Pablo Neruda had been one of the favourites to be awarded the Nobel prize in Literature in 1971. Other possible winners speculated about in the media included Graham Greene, Henry Miller and Lawrence Durrell.