Bob Dylan wins the Nobel Prize in Literature

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 13 October 2016

The Swedish Academy awarded singer-songwriter Bob Dylan the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. In a statement, the Academy wrote that Dylan was awarded the honors "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."

Dylan had been rumored as a candidate for the Literature Nobel since at least 2013, although the award is still something of a shock for the literary community as he is the first musician to ever win. In addition to a catalog that includes 36 studio albums and songs like "Blowin' in the Wind," "The Times They Are A-Changin," and "Desolation Row," Dylan has also written a memoir, Chronicles, and been awarded the French Legion of Honor, a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.