(STOCKHOLM) — The 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.”
The Nobel Committee’s permanent secretary Sara Danius said Dylan, 75, “is a great poet in the English-speaking tradition.” She drew parallels between his work and that of ancient Greek poets Homer and Sappho.
He may be viewed by some as an unconventional winner since he is not in the established canon of literary writers.
Dylan is the 108th winner of the most prestigious literature award in the world.
In May, Dylan released his 37th studio album, Fallen Angels.
Born May 24, 1941, in Duluth, Minn., as Robert Allen Zimmerman, Dylan broke on the music scene in New York City in the early 60’s. He eventually won 10 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for his participation in “The Concert For Bangladesh. He also has received a Golden Globe and an Oscar.
