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What do you do when the Nobel Prize for Literature this year, the most prestigious award in the world, is postponed because of a sexual assault scandal?
You create your own reward.
More than 100 Swedish intellectuals have the Swedish association, which selects the Nobel laureates, has been plunged into crisis because of its long-standing ties with a man accused of assaulting several women
. "Bias, arrogance and sexism", according to its founders The New Academy, whose members include writers, artists and journalists.
It aims to "remind people that literature and culture should promote democracy, transparency, empathy and respect." 107 intellectuals wrote in a joint statement
While the movement # MeToo has made waves on a global scale, the Swedish Academy fell into turmoil in November, when local media publishes The testimonies of 18 women claiming to have been raped, sexually assaulted or harassed by a cultural personality influential French who has long been linked to the institution.
The revelations led the Academy to announce in May that there would be no Nobel Prize for Literature.This year , disagreements over how to handle the scandal sowed discord among his 18 members and led six to resign – including the first woman permanent secretary Sara Danius.
But for some the lack Nobel Prize for the first "Sweden is one of the most democratic, transparent and equal countries in the world … it needs a great literary prize," wrote the Swedish columnist and l & # 39; One of the founders of the new prize, Alexandra Pascalidou, told AFP . 19659002 19459007 Open and inclusive
Members of the Swedish Academy were appointed for life before his protector, King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf, was forced to change the statutes, which allowed members of the
Member resigned Kjell Espmark told the newspaper Dagens Nyheter that the institution had "succumbed to nepotism, attempted to camouflage serious violations, macho-defamatory values and arrogant intimidation"
. ] Regarded as the holder of high culture, the Swedish Academy, founded in 1786, is traditionally known for its integrity and discretion, with meetings and decisions on prices held secret.
But the New Academy plans to do its awarding process "We want to create something that is open and inclusive and allows people to contribute," said Pascalidou.
The new literary prize – which carries a prize of one million crowns (about $ 97,000,000, $ 113,000) from crowdfunding and donations – will be awarded at a ceremony on 10 December, the same day as the Nobel banquet.
Swedish librarians have been invited to nominate up to two authors, with a fixed deadline The authors who have received the highest number of candidatures will then receive online votes from the public in Sweden and abroad .
Based on the nominations and voting results, a jury composed of editors, teachers of literature, cultural journalists and critics – two men and two women – and make the final choice
The winner, who can come from anywhere in the world and must have published at least one literary work in the last 10 years, will be announced on October 14, in the same month as the Nobel Prize for Literature would have been announced .
Skepticism, Warnings
But some observers are skeptical as to whether the New Academy can compare itself to the Nobel Prize for Literature's history of distinguished author recognition including Ernest Hemingway, Albert Camus, Boris Pasternak, Alice Munro and Doris Lessing, among others.
For Asa Linderborg, editor of daily culture Aftonbladet it is "deeply provocative" of the New Academy to use literature to promote moral values and even "the The most disturbing ideas "can become a quality literature.
"The art should be free.You can not label it according to righteousness or evil.The new academy is after total purity … total kindness," said Ms. Linderborg AFP .
She warned that the public, who may not have a deep understanding of languages and books from different parts of the world, to vote for an author may turn the price in favor of "predictable and translated into the West" literature .
Meanwhile, others are indifferent to the initiative. "They are free to do what they want," said Per Wastberg, member of the Swedish Academy AFP
The New Literary Award is the last prize to be called the Alternative to the Nobel, joining the Swedish right. Award of livelihoods in the honor of those who work for the improvement of the planet, and the Millennium Technology Prize of Finland
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