COML 3474

The Nobel Prize in Literature: Prestige and Politics

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2026-2027 Catalog.

This course examines the Nobel Prize in Literature as one of the most influential—and contested—institutions in global culture. Moving beyond the laureates themselves, we investigate how the prize has shaped, and been shaped by, the politics of literary prestige. Through studies of prizes spanning continents, students explore the criteria behind the award, the cultural and geopolitical forces that influence selection, and the debates surrounding inclusion, exclusion, and controversy. Readings include works by selected laureates alongside critical scholarship on the prize, canon formation, and cultural diplomacy. By the end of the course, students will be able to analyze the Nobel Prize as a symbolic global arbiter of literary value, critique its role in constructing an international canon, and evaluate how power, ideology, and institutional authority inform what counts as “great literature.”

Distribution Requirements (ALC-AS)

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