How did the annual announcement of the Nobel Prize in Literature become the main event in world literature? Combining detailed historical knowledge with a unique helicopter view, Paul Tenngart's authoritative account is the first to fully map the Prize's astounding literary and cultural footprint. Expertly attuned to the Prize's Swedish and global contexts, this book is essential reading for all scholars of contemporary literature.

Pieter Vermeulen, Associate Professor of American and Comparative Literature, University of Leuven, Belgium

Myths about the Nobel Prize for literature have flourished for years, but solid knowledge has been in short supply. With his tremendously well-researched book, Paul Tenngart sets the record straight by examining the history – and future – of the prize from six different angles. Combining a privileged vantage point in Sweden with updated theoretical approaches to world literature and translation, Tenngart generously accounts for the ups and downs of the prize, and demonstrates how its relation to the 'world republic of letters' is more idiosyncratic than often assumed. Written with clarity and verve, <i>The Nobel Prize and the Formation of Contemporary World Literature</i> promises to be a standard reference for years to come.

Stefan Helgesson, Professor of English, Stockholm University, Sweden

The award of the prestigious literary Nobel Prize by the Swedish Academy is a crucial marker of contemporary developments in the assessment of literary production across the globe. In this highly informative yet also highly accessible book, Paul Tenngart convincingly chronicles how the Nobel Prize in Literature has shaped and continues to shape the world literature canon. Tenngart expertly details the different contexts in which the Nobel Prize Committee of the Swedish Academy operates and does not shy away from addressing recent controversies surrounding its workings. A must-read for anyone interested in world literature studies.

Helena Buescu, Professor Emerita of Comparative Literature, University of Lisbon, Portugal