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Murakami Withdraws from the Alternative Nobel Prize in Literature

Japanese author Haruki Murakami withdraws his nomination from The New Academy Prize in Literature, also known as the alternative Nobel Prize in Literature.

Erika Harlitz-Kern

Staff Writer

Erika Harlitz-Kern holds a doctorate from a Swedish university and can't get enough of history, books, and music. Her earliest memories involve a comic book and a Dutch troubadour. She has travelled South Asia on a shoestring, although nowadays she spends most of her vacations in the Mississippi Delta. Lives with her husband in South Florida, because sooner or later they would've ended up there anyway. Blog: The Boomerang Twitter: EH_Kern

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Sep 17, 2018

Japanese author Haruki Murakami has asked to withdraw his nomination as one of the four finalists for The New Academy Prize in Literature, also known as the alternative Nobel Prize in Literature.

Haruki Murakami | The New Academy Prize in Literature | Book Riot

According to The New Academy’s press release, Murakami is deeply honored by the nomination; however, he wishes to withdraw to focus on his writing and avoid the distraction that the media attention will bring. The jury of The New Academy will continue its work to appoint a winner from the remaining three finalists–Maryse Condé, Neil Gaiman, and Kim Thúy, who all have expressed their enthusiasm over being nominated. The winner of The New Academy Prize in Literature will be announced on October 12, 2018 at the Stockholm Public Library. The New Academy is a Swedish non-profit organization founded in the spring of 2018 in response to the Swedish Academy postponing the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature because of the many scandals that erupted earlier this year. The New Academy is not affiliated with either the Swedish Academy or the Nobel Foundation. For more information on The New Academy Prize in Literature, please visit their website.

Curious to know how we got here? Check out these Book Riot posts on the developments surrounding the Nobel Prize in Literature.

A Closer Look at the Alternative Nobel Prize in Literature Longlist. The New Academy Releases the Alternate Nobel Longlist. Alternative Nobel Prize in Literature Announced. The Nobel Prize in Literature. Where Do We Go From Here? The Nobel Prize in Literature Cancelled in the Wake of #MeToo. The Swedish Academy Collapses. Two Additional Members Have Resigned. The Disintegration of the Swedish Academy. Is This the End for the Nobel Prize in Literature?