The Swedish Academy will crown two Nobel literature laureates on Thursday, after postponing last year's prize over a sexual harassment scandal.

Experts say the academy will seek to avoid ruffling any feathers with this year's choices as it bids to move on from the scandal that saw the husband of one of its members jailed for rape.

Ahead of the announcement at 1:00 pm, when it will reveal one winner for 2018 and one for 2019, some names creating a buzz are poet Anne Carson and novelist Margaret Atwood, both of Canada, as well as Kenyan writer Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, Polish writer and activist Olga Tokarczuk, and French Guadeloupean Maryse Conde, according to betting site Unibet.

Stockholm's literary circles have also speculated about Romanian poet and novelist Mircea Cartarescu, Polish writer Hanna Krall, Antiguan-American author Jamaica Kincaid, South Korean writer Han Kang and Joyce Carol Oates of the United States.

Dating back to 1786, the Swedish Academy is at pains to repair its reputation after the scandal exposed scheming, conflicts of interest, harassment and a culture of silence among its 18 members, long esteemed as the country's guardians of culture.

The revelations shook Sweden, a Lutheran nation that prides itself on transparency and consensual democracy and is intolerant of inequality.

Left in tatters by the debacle, the Academy, tasked with selecting the Nobel Literature laureate, postponed the 2018 prize until this year -- the first delay in 70 years.

Nobel sex scandal

Now revamped with new members and statutes, it is widely expected to pick writers who will not spark further controversy, and at least one is almost certain to be a woman, literary critics interviewed by AFP predicted.

Only 14 of the 114 literature laureates since 1901 have been women.&nbsp;

The Academy does not release a shortlist. While possible winners are always anyone's guess, the speculation is even more rampant this year given the many changes within the institution.

Among many other names cited as possible winners are Chinese fiction writer Can Xue, Japanese author Haruki Murakami and Russian novelist Lyudmila Ulitskaya.

The Academy's woes began in November 2017 when it disagreed about how to manage its close ties to Frenchman Jean-Claude Arnault, accused and later convicted of rape.

Arnault is married to Katarina Frostenson, a member of the Academy who later resigned over the scandal at the height of the #MeToo movement against harassment of women.

The pair also ran a cultural club in Stockholm that received funding from the body.

Ultimately, seven members quit the Academy, including then permanent secretary Sara Danius.

"From having been associated with literature of the highest order, the Nobel Prize is for many now associated with #MeToo... and a dysfunctional organisation," Swedish literary critic Madelaine Levy told AFP.

Reputational damage

The empty seats have since been filled, and literature professor Mats Malm took over as permanent secretary in June.

"The changes have been very productive and we are hopeful for the future," Malm told AFP in an interview just days before the prize announcement.

He acknowledged the affair had tainted the institution and said improvements were still needed.

"A lot of hard work remains, of that we are certain."

Retired publisher Svante Weyler said he thought the Academy's -- and prize's -- reputation could be repaired, "but only through wise choices of laureates."

Giving the nod to US singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in 2016 also led some to question the Academy's judgement.

Weyler expected the Academy would try hard to steer clear of controversy, and probably go for one author highly regarded in literary circles and one with broader appeal -- but "absolutely no one that can cause a controversial political discussion," he said.

New procedure

The Academy used to be the sole arbiter of who gets the Nobel Literature Prize.

But following demands of external oversight from the Nobel Foundation which manages the prize money, the selection committee has been altered to include five members from outside the body.

Given the stain on the Academy's reputation, Levy raised the possibility "that those given the award won't accept it" -- as French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre did in 1964.

This year's laureates -- especially if either is male -- can expect their work and personal life to come under great scrutiny, in particular for expressions of misogyny, Levy added.

The Swedish Academy will crown two Nobel literature laureates on Thursday, after postponing last year's prize over a sexual harassment scandal. Experts say the academy will seek to avoid ruffling any feathers with this year's choices as it bids to move on from the scandal that saw the husband of one of its members jailed for rape.

The Swedish Academy will crown two Nobel literature laureates on Thursday, after postponing last year's prize over a sexual harassment scandal. Experts say the academy will seek to avoid ruffling any feathers with this year's choices as it bids to move on from the scandal that saw the husband of one of its members jailed for rape. Ahead of the announcement at 1:00 pm, when it will reveal one winner for 2018 and one for 2019, some names creating a buzz are poet Anne Carson and novelist Margaret Atwood, both of Canada, as well as Kenyan writer Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, Polish writer and activist Olga Tokarczuk, and French Guadeloupean Maryse Conde, according to betting site Unibet. Stockholm's literary circles have also speculated about Romanian poet and novelist Mircea Cartarescu, Polish writer Hanna Krall, Antiguan-American author Jamaica Kincaid, South Korean writer Han Kang and Joyce Carol Oates of the United States. Dating back to 1786, the Swedish Academy is at pains to repair its reputation after the scandal exposed scheming, conflicts of interest, harassment and a culture of silence among its 18 members, long esteemed as the country's guardians of culture. The revelations shook Sweden, a Lutheran nation that prides itself on transparency and consensual democracy and is intolerant of inequality. Left in tatters by the debacle, the Academy, tasked with selecting the Nobel Literature laureate, postponed the 2018 prize until this year -- the first delay in 70 years. Nobel sex scandal Now revamped with new members and statutes, it is widely expected to pick writers who will not spark further controversy, and at least one is almost certain to be a woman, literary critics interviewed by AFP predicted. Only 14 of the 114 literature laureates since 1901 have been women. The Academy does not release a shortlist. While possible winners are always anyone's guess, the speculation is even more rampant this year given the many changes within the institution. Among many other names cited as possible winners are Chinese fiction writer Can Xue, Japanese author Haruki Murakami and Russian novelist Lyudmila Ulitskaya. The Academy's woes began in November 2017 when it disagreed about how to manage its close ties to Frenchman Jean-Claude Arnault, accused and later convicted of rape. Arnault is married to Katarina Frostenson, a member of the Academy who later resigned over the scandal at the height of the #MeToo movement against harassment of women. The pair also ran a cultural club in Stockholm that received funding from the body. Ultimately, seven members quit the Academy, including then permanent secretary Sara Danius. "From having been associated with literature of the highest order, the Nobel Prize is for many now associated with #MeToo... and a dysfunctional organisation," Swedish literary critic Madelaine Levy told AFP. Reputational damage The empty seats have since been filled, and literature professor Mats Malm took over as permanent secretary in June. "The changes have been very productive and we are hopeful for the future," Malm told AFP in an interview just days before the prize announcement. He acknowledged the affair had tainted the institution and said improvements were still needed. "A lot of hard work remains, of that we are certain." Retired publisher Svante Weyler said he thought the Academy's -- and prize's -- reputation could be repaired, "but only through wise choices of laureates." Giving the nod to US singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in 2016 also led some to question the Academy's judgement. Weyler expected the Academy would try hard to steer clear of controversy, and probably go for one author highly regarded in literary circles and one with broader appeal -- but "absolutely no one that can cause a controversial political discussion," he said. New procedure The Academy used to be the sole arbiter of who gets the Nobel Literature Prize. But following demands of external oversight from the Nobel Foundation which manages the prize money, the selection committee has been altered to include five members from outside the body. Given the stain on the Academy's reputation, Levy raised the possibility "that those given the award won't accept it" -- as French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre did in 1964. This year's laureates -- especially if either is male -- can expect their work and personal life to come under great scrutiny, in particular for expressions of misogyny, Levy added.

Post-scandal Academy to award two Nobel Literature prizes

The Swedish body that awards the annual Nobel prize for literature will name two winners on Thursday (October 10), including one for 2018 when the ceremony was scuttled by a sexual assault scandal that prompted reforms by the long secretive organisation

Moving on from scandal, Swedish Academy to award two Nobel literature prizes

The Swedish academy will be allowed to award the 2018 and 2019 Nobel Prize for literature this year, the Nobel Foundation said on Tuesday, after a sex scandal forced a postponement of last year's prize.

"It will again be possible to award the Nobel prize in literature and this autumn laureates for both 2018 and 2019 will be selected," it said in a statement.

The Nobel Foundation last year stopped the Academy from awarding the prize after a string of sexual misconduct allegations against the husband of one of the members effectively paralysed the literary body.

The Swedish academy will be allowed to award the 2018 and 2019 Nobel Prize for literature this year, the Nobel Foundation said on Tuesday, after a sex scandal forced a postponement of last year's prize.

The Swedish academy will be allowed to award the 2018 and 2019 Nobel Prize for literature this year, the Nobel Foundation said on Tuesday, after a sex scandal forced a postponement of last year's prize. "It will again be possible to award the Nobel prize in literature and this autumn laureates for both 2018 and 2019 will be selected," it said in a statement. The Nobel Foundation last year stopped the Academy from awarding the prize after a string of sexual misconduct allegations against the husband of one of the members effectively paralysed the literary body.

Nobel Foundation says two literature prizes to be awarded this year

A Swedish court found Jean-Claude Arnault, at the centre of a scandal that has rocked the body that awards the Nobel literature prize, guilty of rape and sentenced him to two years' jail on Monday.

Arnault, 72, had been charged with two counts of rape in Stockholm. The court acquitted him of one.

The crisis forced the Swedish Academy to cancel this year's literature prize, which would have been announced this month, and prompted some of its 18 members to quit.

Arnault's lawyer, Bjorn Hurtig, was not immediately available for comment, but he has said Arnault denies all allegations.

Arnault is married to a member of the Swedish Academy. He has been at the centre of a scandal that has thrown the Swedish Academy into its worst crisis since its founding more than 200 years ago by the Swedish king.

The verdict coincides with this year's Nobel Prize announcements.

A Swedish court found Jean-Claude Arnault, at the centre of a scandal that has rocked the body that awards the Nobel literature prize, guilty of rape and sentenced him to two years' jail on Monday.

A Swedish court found Jean-Claude Arnault, at the centre of a scandal that has rocked the body that awards the Nobel literature prize, guilty of rape and sentenced him to two years' jail on Monday. Arnault, 72, had been charged with two counts of rape in Stockholm. The court acquitted him of one. The crisis forced the Swedish Academy to cancel this year's literature prize, which would have been announced this month, and prompted some of its 18 members to quit. Arnault's lawyer, Bjorn Hurtig, was not immediately available for comment, but he has said Arnault denies all allegations. Arnault is married to a member of the Swedish Academy. He has been at the centre of a scandal that has thrown the Swedish Academy into its worst crisis since its founding more than 200 years ago by the Swedish king. The verdict coincides with this year's Nobel Prize announcements.

Swedish court finds Arnault at centre of Nobel prize scandal guilty of rape

The remaining members of the Swedish Academy met for their regular meeting on Thursday (May 3), to decide whether or not to postpone awarding the Nobel Prize for Literature this year following a controversy over alleged sexual misconduct.

The allegations have seen a string of board members leave the institution.

The decision will be announced on Friday (May 4) around 0900 (CET).

Arriving at the meeting, poet and Academy member Kristina Lugn said she was of the "firm opinion" that the prize should be awarded as usual.

After the meeting, which lasted for about an hour and a half, linguist and Academy member Goran Malmqvist left saying there would be "good news tomorrow", without elaborating.

It is very rare for the award of Nobel prizes to be cancelled or postponed. The last time the literature prize was not awarded was in 1943, at the height of World War Two.

The Swedish Academy has been dealing with the fallout of allegations of sexual misconduct by the husband of one of its members and leaks of names of some prize-winners ahead of the formal announcements.

The remaining members of the Swedish Academy met for their regular meeting on Thursday, to decide whether or not to postpone awarding the Nobel Prize for Literature this year following a controversy over alleged sexual misconduct

The remaining members of the Swedish Academy met for their regular meeting on Thursday (May 3), to decide whether or not to postpone awarding the Nobel Prize for Literature this year following a controversy over alleged sexual misconduct. The allegations have seen a string of board members leave the institution. The decision will be announced on Friday (May 4) around 0900 (CET). Arriving at the meeting, poet and Academy member Kristina Lugn said she was of the "firm opinion" that the prize should be awarded as usual. After the meeting, which lasted for about an hour and a half, linguist and Academy member Goran Malmqvist left saying there would be "good news tomorrow", without elaborating. It is very rare for the award of Nobel prizes to be cancelled or postponed. The last time the literature prize was not awarded was in 1943, at the height of World War Two. The Swedish Academy has been dealing with the fallout of allegations of sexual misconduct by the husband of one of its members and leaks of names of some prize-winners ahead of the formal announcements.

Decision on Nobel Literature Prize postponement today evening

&quot;Whoever it is that listens to my songs owes me nothing,&quot; Bob Dylan said in a 1966 interview, half a century before winning the Nobel Literature Prize last year.&nbsp;

These words come as an ironic reminder for the Swedish Academy, which awards the prestigious prize.

The rock enigma snubbed the Nobel ceremony in December because of &quot;pre-existing commitments&quot;, and has given no indication of whether he plans to deliver a traditional Nobel lecture by the June 10 deadline.&nbsp;

The lecture is the only requirement to receive the eight million kronor (839,000 euros, $870,000) that comes with the prize.

It can take nearly any form including a short speech, a performance, a video broadcast or even a song, but must be held within six months of December 10, the date of the Nobel prize ceremony and the anniversary of the death of the prize&#39;s founder Alfred Nobel.

Dylan is set to perform in Stockholm on April 1-2 and in the southern city of Lund on April 9.

Speculation has mounted that he may hold his lecture during his visit to the Scandinavian country, though the Academy has repeatedly said it has not heard a word from Dylan.&nbsp;

&quot;No phone conversation has taken place with Bob Dylan these last months,&quot; Sara Danius, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, said in a blog post on Monday, adding Dylan knows he has until June 10 to deliver the lecture.&nbsp;&quot;What he decides to do is his own business,&quot; Danius said.

Dylan will however remain the 2016 Nobel literature laureate regardless of whether he holds his lecture or receives the money.

&quot;As far as the Swedish Academy is concerned, it&#39;s clear in any event that the 2016 Nobel laureate in literature is Bob Dylan and no one else,&quot; Danius stressed.

&nbsp;

&#39;Are my songs literature?&#39;

When the 75-year-old, who kept silent for weeks after he was announced as the Nobel literature laureate in October, was asked at the time why he did not respond to the Academy&#39;s calls, he told the Daily Telegraph: &quot;Well, I&#39;m right here.&quot;

The first songwriter to receive the prize later sent a thank-you speech that was read aloud during the ceremony in Stockholm, but he didn&#39;t choose a person to accept the award in his place.&nbsp;

In an exceptionally humble speech, Dylan apologised for not being able to attend the event and expressed surprise over being chosen as a laureate in the league of authors like Ernest Hemingway and Albert Camus.

&quot;Not once have I ever had the time to ask myself, &#39;Are my songs literature?&#39;&quot; his speech read.&nbsp;

&quot;If someone had ever told me that I had the slightest chance of winning the Nobel Prize, I would have to think that I&#39;d have about the same odds as standing on the moon,&quot; his speech added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&#39;Not Dylan&#39;s cup of tea&#39;

According to Maria Schottenius, a literary critic and columnist at Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, Dylan&#39;s silence and distance from the Nobel prize has hurt the Swedish Academy&#39;s pride.&nbsp;

&quot;It was surely a miscalculation...even if the Swedish Academy doesn&#39;t select award winners based on how well they perform in royal environments,&quot; she told AFP.&nbsp;

But Dylan does care about the Nobel, Schottenius believes. It&#39;s the glitziness of the ceremony, attended by Swedish royal family and politicians, that intimidated the rock star.&nbsp;

&quot;(A) prize from the king&#39;s hand, tailcoat, the world&#39;s finest party with a long lavish televised dinner...not his cup of tea,&quot; she said. &nbsp;

Several other literature prize winners have skipped the Nobel ceremony in the past for various reasons. Nobel laureate Doris Lessing (2007) did not attend because of her advanced age, Harold Pinter (2005) because he was hospitalised and Elfriede Jelinek (2004) due to her social phobia.&nbsp;

Each of these winners performed their lectures that were either delivered to Stockholm or read aloud abroad.&nbsp;

WATCH:&nbsp;Soloist Patti Smith performs a moving rendition of Bob Dylan&rsquo;s A Hard Rain&rsquo;s A-Gonna Fall at the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony at Stockholm Concert Hall.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/941PHEJHCwU" width="560"></iframe>

(AFP)

Giving the lecture is the only requirement to win the $870,000 prize, but there's a deadline

"Whoever it is that listens to my songs owes me nothing," Bob Dylan said in a 1966 interview, half a century before winning the Nobel Literature Prize last year. These words come as an ironic reminder for the Swedish Academy, which awards the prestigious prize. The rock enigma snubbed the Nobel ceremony in December because of "pre-existing commitments", and has given no indication of whether he plans to deliver a traditional Nobel lecture by the June 10 deadline. The lecture is the only requirement to receive the eight million kronor (839,000 euros, $870,000) that comes with the prize. It can take nearly any form including a short speech, a performance, a video broadcast or even a song, but must be held within six months of December 10, the date of the Nobel prize ceremony and the anniversary of the death of the prize's founder Alfred Nobel. Dylan is set to perform in Stockholm on April 1-2 and in the southern city of Lund on April 9. Speculation has mounted that he may hold his lecture during his visit to the Scandinavian country, though the Academy has repeatedly said it has not heard a word from Dylan. "No phone conversation has taken place with Bob Dylan these last months," Sara Danius, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, said in a blog post on Monday, adding Dylan knows he has until June 10 to deliver the lecture. "What he decides to do is his own business," Danius said. Dylan will however remain the 2016 Nobel literature laureate regardless of whether he holds his lecture or receives the money. "As far as the Swedish Academy is concerned, it's clear in any event that the 2016 Nobel laureate in literature is Bob Dylan and no one else," Danius stressed. 'Are my songs literature?' When the 75-year-old, who kept silent for weeks after he was announced as the Nobel literature laureate in October, was asked at the time why he did not respond to the Academy's calls, he told the Daily Telegraph: "Well, I'm right here." The first songwriter to receive the prize later sent a thank-you speech that was read aloud during the ceremony in Stockholm, but he didn't choose a person to accept the award in his place. In an exceptionally humble speech, Dylan apologised for not being able to attend the event and expressed surprise over being chosen as a laureate in the league of authors like Ernest Hemingway and Albert Camus. "Not once have I ever had the time to ask myself, 'Are my songs literature?'" his speech read. "If someone had ever told me that I had the slightest chance of winning the Nobel Prize, I would have to think that I'd have about the same odds as standing on the moon," his speech added. 'Not Dylan's cup of tea' According to Maria Schottenius, a literary critic and columnist at Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, Dylan's silence and distance from the Nobel prize has hurt the Swedish Academy's pride. "It was surely a miscalculation...even if the Swedish Academy doesn't select award winners based on how well they perform in royal environments," she told AFP. But Dylan does care about the Nobel, Schottenius believes. It's the glitziness of the ceremony, attended by Swedish royal family and politicians, that intimidated the rock star. "(A) prize from the king's hand, tailcoat, the world's finest party with a long lavish televised dinner...not his cup of tea," she said. Several other literature prize winners have skipped the Nobel ceremony in the past for various reasons. Nobel laureate Doris Lessing (2007) did not attend because of her advanced age, Harold Pinter (2005) because he was hospitalised and Elfriede Jelinek (2004) due to her social phobia. Each of these winners performed their lectures that were either delivered to Stockholm or read aloud abroad. WATCH: Soloist Patti Smith performs a moving rendition of Bob Dylan’s A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall at the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony at Stockholm Concert Hall. (AFP)

Will Dylan give lecture to claim Nobel? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind

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