Photo: Press
It was a shock to a great many when grouchy US singer-songwriter Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature this year, his nomination and award was the first to a songwriter and it did cause tidal waves in the world of literature.
There were also further rumblings when Dylan seemed un-willing to respond to the £740,000 award and acknowledge it.
It took two weeks before the legendary singer spoke out publicly about the astounding award and what it means to a songwriter.
Aged 75 Dylan is as he has been for decades one of the most prolific and renowned musicians in the world. He has a style all his own and approaches music writing in his own way.
The Nobel ceremony (in Stockholm) was minus the singer, but he did have a US ambassador there to accept the award and had prepared a speech.
Said speech alluded to the fact that a singer should not be worthy of such an award.
The artist then said (via a letter) that he was like English playwright William Shakespeare. He went on to say that when Shakespeare wrote Hamlet he was probably thinking more about the actors to be used than the story and its creative influence on generations. He even said that the bard was more than likely trying to source a human skull than hone his work.
“I am sure the farthest thing from his mind was, is this literature? I focus on mundane matters, such as recording in the right key and not whether my songs are literature.”
The award announcement was a shock to us all and even some of the committee involved were very vocal when Dylan took so long to respond to its placement at his feet. One even called him ‘impolite and arrogant’.
His non-appearance at the ceremony will not help those ill-feelings.
