Nobel Prize in <br />Literature Awards <br />Stir Controversy.<br />The awards for 2018 and <br />2019 were awarded to Central <br />European writers, Olga Tokarczuk <br />and Peter Handke, respectively.<br />Out of the 116 Nobel laureates <br />for literature, Tokarczuk is the <br />15th woman to receive the prize.<br />The Nobel committee's naming <br />of Peter Handke stirred controversy <br />in both the literary and European political worlds.<br />He is an outspoken, right-leaning <br />writer, known for delivering the eulogy for <br />former Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic.<br />Milosevic was charged with <br />crimes against humanity for <br />his role in the genocide committed <br />during the Yugoslav Wars.<br />We are dumbfounded by the selection of a writer who has used his public voice to undercut historical truth and offer public succor to perpetrators of genocide, Jennifer Egan, PEN America, via 'The New York Times'.<br />The committee <br />responded to the controversy.<br />It is not in the Academy’s mandate to balance literary quality against political considerations, Nobel Committee statement, via 'The New York Times'.<br />Olga Tokarczuk <br />expressed joy at being <br />recognized alongside Handke.<br />I am also very happy that Peter Handke has received the award with me, I value him very much, Olga Tokarczuk, Nobel Laureate, via 'The New York Times'
