The Nobel Prize in Literature 1949
Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.
William Faulkner
Prize share: 1/1
The Nobel Prize in Literature 1949 was awarded to William Faulkner "for his powerful and artistically unique contribution to the modern American novel"William Faulkner received his Nobel Prize one year later, in 1950. During the selection process in 1949, the Nobel Committee for Literature decided that none of the year's nominations met the criteria as outlined in the will of Alfred Nobel. According to the Nobel Foundation's statutes, the Nobel Prize can in such a case be reserved until the following year, and this statute was then applied. William Faulkner therefore received his Nobel Prize for 1949 one year later, in 1950.
Nobel Prizes and laureates
Six prizes were awarded for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The 12 laureates' work and discoveries range from proteins' structures and machine learning to fighting for a world free of nuclear weapons.
See them all presented here.
Explore prizes and laureates
Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize.
