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17 Nov, 2016

First, he didn't acknowledge the honour for weeks; now, he says he won't come to pick up the prize.

Bob Dylan was already a contentious choice for this year's Nobel Prize for Literature — simply because he's known as a singer, not a writer and numerous commentators pointed out how writers themselves aren't honoured enough — and his response to the prize has been less than gracious.

The American singer-songwriter has officially communicated to the Swedish Academy that he won't be attending the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm.

The Academy said on its website that it had received a letter from Dylan explaining that due to "pre-existing commitments" he was unable to travel to Stockholm in December, reports Reuters.

In other words, he's busy.

Twitter's had a field day with this latest development in the Nobel Prize saga:

While Dylan won't attend the ceremony, he will have to deliver the Nobel Lecture — the only requirement for winners of the $870,000 prize. And he has a deadline: "within six months counting from December 10," the Academy said in a statement.

Let's see if he makes it to this one.

Comments

Sana Nov 17, 2016 04:33pm
Nobel has lost its value to me, long before it gave Obama the peace prize
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M. Emad Nov 17, 2016 04:49pm
Bob Dylan was a show at the 'Concert for Bangladesh' held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
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Masood Hussain Nov 17, 2016 07:05pm
Does he think himself greater than the Nobel prize.
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Osman Nov 17, 2016 08:45pm
Keep it for people who deserve it more.
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ADD Nov 17, 2016 10:10pm
Maybe he is busy unlike some of us who have too much time on our hand to criticize people we have no knowledge of whatsoever.
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Ben Nov 18, 2016 08:16am
Nobel awards are becoming a joke, thanks to political considerations by the awards committee. Dylan is commendable for not accepting the award in person. After all this award is constituted and named after someone whose biggest contribution to science, and humanity is dynamite.
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