Articles have been swirling around the internet about Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize in literature. People say he transcends music and literature, others say the award was a joke. If you ask me, Dylan is a musician. Not a writer. And this comes from someone who has a bachelor of music in classical singing and a bachelor of arts in writing and literature. However, there is a bigger problem with the Nobel Prize in literature. The committee cannot recognise writers that aren’t white males. In fact, the award has been given to 88 white guys since it was founded. It brags that 14 women have won the award, which is more than any other categories for the Nobel Prizes. Thanks for the crumbs Sweden. How is it possible that Chinua Achebe or Margaret Atwood doesn’t have an award yet Winston Churchill does?! Do you know what Churchill wrote? He wrote speeches whilst in office and a really conflated long-winded autobiographical collection, which if it were written by anyone else would not even be published.

I have long lost my faith in the Nobel Prize in literature. Dylan winning it pushed me over the edge. The awards have proven time and time again that it only values certain types of literature. Thank god we have another award that honours white dudes, otherwise how would they know their worth?!

What do you think about the Nobel Prize in Literature? Should Dylan have won? Do you use literary awards to help you find what you want to read next? Remember, as always, to share the reading love.