The Nobel Prize was postponed in 2018 in light of a scandal that exposed harassment, infighting and conflicts of interest among the 18-members of the Swedish Academy, founded in 1786. In 2019, two literature prizes were announced. Polish author Olga, Tokarczuk for 2018 and Peter Handke for 2019.
“The present decision was arrived at in view of the currently diminished academy and the reduced public confidence in the Academy,” the academy’s press release read.
The group’s permanent secretary, Anders Olsson, said: “We find it necessary to commit time to recovering public confidence in the academy before the next laureate can be announced.”
He added that the cultural institution also made the decision to delay the 2018 award “out of respect for previous and future literature laureates, the Nobel Foundation and the general public.”
The academy said it intended to bestow the 2018 literature award in 2019.
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