Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953. According to the official wording, it was awarded to him "for high skill in works of a historical and biographical nature, as well as for brilliant oratory in upholding lofty human values."
An example of the favoritism of the Nobel Committee
It is widely believed that the Winston Churchill Prize for Literature is one example of the Nobel Committee. In 1953, the Nobel trustees were eager to give one of their prizes to the then Prime Minister of Great Britain. But what kind of prize should be given to this outstanding politician?
Unfortunately, there is no Nobel Prize for statesmanship. Usually politicians are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, Churchill would hardly have agreed to accept it. After all, he always aspired to where the war is going: to Cuba, to India, Sudan, to South Africa. And on the world stage, as one of the greatest leaders of nations, he showed himself during the period of global wars.
Probably fearing the rejection of the peace prize, the members of the Nobel Committee decided to honor the master of politics with a prize for literature. Moreover, Churchill was a famous writer, and his name was repeatedly listed among the possible candidates for the award. True, the first report on the candidate, written by the former permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy Per Hellström back in 1946, was rather negative in its conclusions.
Hellstrom found no literary merit in the adventure novel Savrola, which the young Lieutenant Churchill wrote to ease the boredom of garrison life in India. Two years later, the professor at the Swedish Academy, Nils Ahnlund, prepared a second, more favorable report.
He stressed the great importance of Churchill's work in documenting the events of the First World War. Yet the professor concluded that Churchill's historical work could not justify the Nobel Prize award. Therefore, it was decided to add to Churchill's literary reputation his work as an orator.
Award presentation
The competition for the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature was unusually broad. Among the twenty-five other applicants were the American Ernest Hemingway, the Icelandic writer Halldor Laxness and the Spaniard Juan Ramon Jimenez. All three received the award in the following years.
A few days before the end of the counting of votes, the Nobel Committee, through diplomatic channels, asked Churchill whether he would be inclined to accept the prize for literature. The Prime Minister, without hesitation, replied that it would be a great honor for him. He would be happy to come to Stockholm to personally thank the members of the committee, to admire the beauty of the city - the only European capital that he has never visited before. He will of course be present at the traditional dinner given by the king.
Much to the disappointment of the Swedes, the planned program was not implemented. Churchill lingered at an international conference in Bermuda, where he discussed with the American and French presidents topical issues of European and world politics that arose after Stalin's death. Lady Clementine Churchill went to Sweden with her youngest daughter Mary Soames to represent the famous husband at the celebrations during the Nobel Prize.
