The Nobel Prize for Literature: Famous faces and just a few surprises

For more than 100 years, the Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to a writer for "the most outstanding work in the field of literature" according to the will of founder Alfred Nobel. The Swedish Academy, i.e. its 18 members - a motley crew of writers, literary theorists and others - decides who to award. Past winners include Alice Munro, Orhan Pamuk, Winston Churchill... and last year's surprise, Bob Dylan. He joined the hallowed ranks of literary superstars for, as explained, "creating new poetic expressions in the great tradition of American poetry." And while the confusion that arose after the announcement of the winner's name is still ongoing - many wondered if Dylan really deserved the most prestigious prize for literature, and he was silent on the matter for almost a year - people began to bet on the winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature .year.

Two major British bookmakers, Ladbrokes and NicerOdds, have been including literary prizes in their online offer for years. In addition to the Nobel, Ladbrokes deals with the Booker Prize.

In accordance with the Nobel tradition, it was announced that the name of the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature will be known on Thursday, at 13 pm. The permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, Sara Danius, will then address the world.

The problem with Ladbrokes literary Nobel odds is that they are not particularly accurate. The favorite has won the award only once so far - it was Orhan Pamuk in 2006.

And, if you want to live dangerously while waiting for the news on Thursday, you can bet on six whose odds are 100 to 1: Karl Uwe Knausgaard, author of the monumental autobiographical six-book book, which begins with "My Struggle", Kamau Brathwaite, James Kelman, Booker winner for 2012 Hilary Mantel, Filipino F. Sioni Jose, Scottish poet Don Patterson and AS Bayat.

And the list of the first five, except for two long-time favorites, contains surprises. Kenyan writer and playwright Ngugi Wa Tiongo has the most chances to win the Nobel Prize for Literature this year with odds of 4/1. Tiongo (79), apart from his native Gikuyu language, wrote in English, which he once renounced as a "symbol of colonial oppression". He is the author of novels, plays, short stories, essays... His novel from 1964, "Don't Cry, Child" is considered the first novel of East African literature. This novel, also translated into our language, is the story of a Kikuyu family caught up in the maelstrom of the struggle for Kenya's independence, within the Mau-Mau movement. The book "The Devil on the Cross" was written by Tiongo on toilet paper in prison, where he was for the performance of his play "I'll Marry When I Want", which is critical of Kenyan society. Ngugi wa Tiongo was also one of the favorites in 2010, when the Nobel Prize was awarded to Mario Vargas Llosa.

He is followed, at odds of 5/1 on Ladbrokes, by crowd favorite and bookmaker Haruki Murakami, a prolific Japanese writer whose work has been translated into more than 50 languages ​​and who, as the media has dubbed him, is the "Leonardo diCaprio of the Nobel Prize for Literature". Since the publication of his first book in 1979, Murakami has published 13 novels, three collections of short stories and an illustrated novella. This list does not include his occasional excursions outside of fine literature.

Unexpectedly, the Canadian author Margaret Atwood came in third place, with odds of 6/1, far better placed than in previous years. The author of the dystopian "The Handmaid's Tale", whose Hollywood film adaptation made her known to the widest audience, is famous both for her subtle prose, as well as for her environmental activism and support for the Canadian writing community.

Amos Oz, Claudio Magris and Javier Marías have odds of 10/1. Oz is the most famous contemporary Israeli writer, the author of the novels "Judas", "The Black Box", "Stories of Love and Darkness", a supporter of peace and an advocate of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine situation. Claudio Magris is an Italian writer, translator and scholar, whose essays and columns have been published in numerous European newspapers. Javier Marías is Spain's golden boy, one of the most outstanding representatives of contemporary prose in his language. The works of this novelist and translator have been translated into 42 languages.

There is no broad or narrow choice for the literary Nobel, no bombastic announcements by jury members, no campaigns for any of the nominees. The Academy never gives any indication of who the favorite is until the moment the name of the winner is announced, and the shortlist is revealed after 50 years.