TIL: The Nobel literature prize will not be awarded this year because of a sex–abuse corruption scandal. But never fear! Swedish journalist Alexandra Pascalidou has organized a one-off New Academy Prize in Literature to be awarded October 14. According to The New Academy website, the non-profit organization was formed not only to ensure that an international literary prize would be awarded in 2018 “but also as a reminder that literature should be associated with democracy, openness, empathy and respect.” The award will be presented at a banquet on December 10, 2018, and The New Academy will self-destruct (“dissolve” in legal parlance) the following day, December 11, 2018.
Unlike the Nobel, this will not be an elitist prize. The general public can vote on the 46 nominees vying for inclusion in the final judging. Cast your vote on The New Academy website here. Voting closes August 14. Let your literary voices be heard!
J.E.M. Wildfire 