[Archive 2016-10-20] Nobel Prize in Literature Committee abandons efforts to contact Bob Dylan

Historical archive — originally published 2016-10-20. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

On Monday, Sara Danius, permanent secretary of the Nobel Committee for Literature at the Swedish Academy, publicly announced during a radio program on Sveriges Radio in Sweden the committee, unable to reach Bob Dylan directly about winning the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, had abandoned its efforts to reach him.

Numerous news outlets reported Dylan remained silent about the prize at recent concerts in the United States, but several speculated the artist was offering a response by renditions of certain songs, such as "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Why Try to Change Me Now."

Regardless of the singer/songwriter's reticence about the prize, Danius stated, "if he doesn't want to come, he won't come. It will be a big party in any case and the honour belongs to him." ((sv))Swedish language: ‍vill han inte komma så vill han inte komma. Det blir en stor fest ändå och utmärkelsen är som sagt hans och det är det viktiga.

On Tuesday, BBC News reported the Nobel award was recognized in a post on Dylan's official Facebook page.

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