Nobel Prizes in Literature
1901 - Sully Prudhomme
Born: 16 March 1839, Paris, France
Died: 7 September 1907, Châtenay, France
Residence at the time of the award: France
Prize motivation: “in special recognition of his poetic composition, which gives evidence of lofty idealism, artistic perfection and a rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect”
Language: French
Nobel Prizes in Literature
1902 - Theodor Mommsen
Born: 30 November 1817, Garding, Schleswig (now Germany)
Died: 1 November 1903, Charlottenburg, Germany
Residence at the time of the award: Germany
Prize motivation: “the greatest living master of the art of historical writing, with special reference to his monumental work, A history of Rome”
Language: German
Nobel Prizes in Literature
1903 - Bjørnstjerne Martinus Bjørnson
Born: 8 December 1832, Kvikne, Norway
Died: 26 April 1910, Paris, France
Residence at the time of the award: Norway
Prize motivation: “as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit”
Language: Norwegian
Nobel Prizes in Literature
1904 - José Echegaray (ex-aequo with Frédéric Mistral)
Born: 19 April 1832, Madrid, Spain
Died: 4 September 1916, Madrid, Spain
Residence at the time of the award: Spain
Prize motivation: “in recognition of the numerous and brilliant compositions which, in an individual and original manner, have revived the great traditions of the Spanish drama”
Language: Spanish
Nobel Prizes in Literature
1904 - Frédéric Mistral (ex-aequo with José Echegaray)
Born: 8 September 1830, Maillane, France
Died: 25 March 1914, Maillane, France
Residence at the time of the award: France
Prize motivation: “in recognition of the fresh originality and true inspiration of his poetic production, which faithfully reflects the natural scenery and native spirit of his people, and, in addition, his significant work as a Provençal philologist”
Language: Occitan
Nobel Prizes in Literature
1905 - Henrik Sienkiewicz
Born: 5 May 1846, Wola Okrzejska, Poland
Died: 15 November 1916, Vevey, Switzerland
Residence at the time of the award: Poland
Prize motivation: “because of his outstanding merits as an epic writer”
Language: Polish
Nobel Prizes in Literature
1906 - Giosué Carducci
Born: 27 July 1835, Val di Castello, Tuscany (now Italy)
Died: 16 February 1907, Bologna, Italy
Residence at the time of the award: Italy
Prize motivation: “not only in consideration of his deep learning and critical research, but above all as a tribute to the creative energy, freshness of style, and lyrical force which characterize his poetic masterpieces”
Language: Italian
Nobel Prizes in Literature
1907 - Rudyard Kipling
Born: 30 December 1865, Bombay, British India
Died: 18 January 1936, London, United Kingdom
Residence at the time of the award: United Kingdom
Prize motivation: “in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author”
Language: English
Nobel Prizes in Literature
1908 - Rudolf Eucken
Born: 5 January 1846, Aurich, East Friesland (now Germany)
Died: 14 September 1926, Jena, Germany
Residence at the time of the award: Germany
Prize motivation: “in recognition of his earnest search for truth, his penetrating power of thought, his wide range of vision, and the warmth and strength in presentation with which in his numerous works he has vindicated and developed an idealistic philosophy of life”
Language: German
Nobel Prizes in Literature
1909 - Selma Lagerlöf
Born: 20 November 1858, Mårbacka, Sweden
Died: 16 March 1940, Mårbacka, Sweden
Residence at the time of the award: Sweden
Prize motivation: “in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings”
Language: Swedish
