In this episode, we welcome Dr. Eric Sandberg, Associate Professor at City University of Hong Kong and Docent at the University of Oulu, Finland. Dr. Sandberg's research interests range from modernism to the contemporary novel, with a particular interest in the borderlands between literary and popular fiction. He co-edited Adaptation, Awards Culture, and the Value of Prestige with Colleen Kennedy-Karpat in 2017 (Palgrave), and edited 100 Greatest Literary Detectives in 2018 (Rowman & Littlefield). His monograph on Virginia Woolf appeared in 2014, and he published a companion to the work of Dorothy L. Sayers in 2021 (McFarland). He has published essays in numerous edited collections and journals, and his latest monographs, Studying Crime in Fiction(Routledge) and Crime Fiction and the Holocaust (Palgrave Macmillan) came out in 2024 and 2025.

We discuss the broader cultural significance of the Nobel Prize in Literature, focusing on how literary awards, as explored in Dr. Sandberg’s research, facilitate adaptations and shape cultural prestige. Drawing on Sara Danius’ rationale for awarding Bob Dylan the Nobel for his poetic fusion of high and low literary traditions, we explore how Thomas Pynchon’s integration of pop culture mirrors this approach. Finally, we examine Pynchon’s novel Inherent Vice as a prime example of his ability to bridge high and low culture, blending detective fiction with literary depth.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Solomon Azumurana from the Department of English at the University of Lagos, whose research focuses on the comparative study of African and African American novels, gender studies with an emphasis on women’s creative writing, and the intersection of literary theories and fiction.

We dive into the debates surrounding Wole Soyinka’s 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, exploring the controversies that marked his historic win as the first African laureate. Dr. Azumurana sheds light on Soyinka’s play A Dance of the Forests, highlighted by the Swedish Academy during his Nobel ceremony, discussing its themes and significance. We also examine how the play’s dystopian portrayal of the past and present serves as a cautionary vision for the future. Finally, we explore Soyinka’s Nobel lecture, “The Past Must Address the Present,” where he critiques Western intellectual traditions for perpetuating racist ideologies, and discuss how his call to “sever that cord” of unjust traditions resonates with the dystopian themes in A Dance of the Forests.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Hanna Protasova, a Ukrainian literary scholar and journalist, who earned her Candidate of Sciences degree from Ukraine’s Taras Shevchenko Institute in 2021, specializing in Ukrainian literary modernism and émigré literature. Currently a PhD student in Comparative Literature at Western University, Canada, her dissertation examines Holocaust representation in Ukrainian fiction and non-fiction from the 1940s to 2020s.

We discuss whether Ukrainian writers, like Boris Pasternak or Jean-Paul Sartre, ever distanced themselves from Nobel Prize nominations due to political pressures, and what this reveals about the risks and responsibilities authors face under oppressive regimes. Dr. Protasova also explores the concept of “witness literature,” recognized by the Swedish Academy for its testimony to trauma, and considers whether both firsthand and imaginative accounts of the Holocaust in Ukrainian writing qualify as such. Finally, we delve into Iurii Klen’s haunting epic poem Ashes of Empires, focusing on its stark imagery, such as Jewish babies treated as footballs during the Holocaust, and its significance in Ukrainian literary history.U

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Karin Nykvist, Associate Professor in Comparative Literature at Lund University and a freelance literary critic for the Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan, where she has contributed book reviews for over 20 years and occasionally covered Nobel Prize announcements.

We explore the behind-the-scenes impact of Nobel announcement day on newsroom routines at Sydsvenskan, from rapid shifts in editorial priorities to the scramble for expert commentary. We also discuss why controversial laureates often dominate headlines more than beloved figures, unpacking the role of debate in amplifying literary discourse.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Mónika Dánél, Assistant Professor at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. Dr. Dánél, a lead investigator for the research project Space-ing Otherness: Cultural Images of Space, Contact Zones in Contemporary Hungarian and Romanian Film and Literature, specializes in comparative literature with a focus on multilingualism in East-Central European contexts.

We explore her argument that multilingualism, rather than the nation, serves as a more effective lens for studying comparative literature in this region. Dr. Dánél discusses why this approach better captures the cultural and literary dynamics of East-Central Europe. We also delve into how a multilingual perspective reshapes our understanding of the Prize, often seen as a “literary Olympics,” and challenges traditional notions of literary canons by highlighting writers with multiple national and cultural identities.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Claire Gullander-Drolet, Assistant Professor in the Department of English at City University of Hong Kong. Dr Gullander-Drolet’s research focuses on literary translation and memory, and she is currently leading a Hong Kong Research Grants Committee-funded project on feminist translation studies approaches to world literatures in English.

We discuss the Swedish Academy’s recognition of Han Kang, the 2024 Nobel Prize laureate in Literature, and explore the poetic and historical dimensions of her work. Dr Gullander-Drolet sheds light on the controversies surrounding the English translation of The Vegetarian, offering insights into the cultural concept of “han” and the challenges it poses for Western audiences. Lastly, we delve into the translator’s role as both mediator and co-creator, and how The Vegetarian reflects the broader dynamics of world literature and South Korea’s efforts to promote its literary heritage globally.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Karl Ågerup, Senior Lecturer at Södertörn University (previously Head of the Humanities Division and Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Örebro). Dr Ågerup’s research focuses on the pedagogical and political dimensions of fictional discourse, and his latest book, Critical Responses to the Nobel Prize in Literature (2022), explores the varied critiques of this prestigious award.

We discuss the goals of the 196th Nobel Symposia and what inspired Dr Ågerup to study the criticism surrounding the Nobel Prize in Literature. He offers insights into why critics publicly engage with the Prize and breaks down the most common criticisms of its selections in the 21st century. Lastly, we explore how these critiques can serve as constructive forces in the broader struggles for autonomy and emancipation.

In this episode, we are joined by Professor Takashi Inoue, Professor of Japanese Literature at Shirayuri University. Prof. Inoue specializes in modern and contemporary literature and has published extensively on renowned authors Mishima Yukio and Oe Kenzaburo. His updated biography on Mishima was honored with the Yomiuri Prize for Literature in 2020, and his latest English-language work examines Japan's quest for the Nobel Prize in Literature through the narratives of “before” and “after” winning.

We discuss Prof. Inoue's aims for the 196th Nobel Symposia and the inspiration behind his exploration of Japan's literary aspirations. He shares insights drawn from archival material about the influence of diplomacy, Cold War politics, and translation techniques on Kawabata Yasunari's Nobel win. Additionally, we delve into the negative reception Oe Kenzaburo faced in Japan after his Nobel Prize and his responses to this backlash.

In this episode, we are joined by Paul Tenngart, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Lund University and an expert in Swedish and French poetry, literary translation, and climate fiction. His latest book, The Nobel Prize and the Formation of Contemporary World Literature (2023), explores how the Nobel Prize has shaped global literary aesthetics since its inception.

We discuss the aims of the 196th Nobel Symposia, the inspiration behind his research on the Nobel Prize, and what makes this prestigious award unique. Paul also introduces the concept of "canon formation from the side," highlighting the Prize’s cultural influence on literature. Finally, we dive into his thoughts on the Swedish Academy’s “culture of secrecy” in administering the Nobel Prize in Literature.

In this episode, we are joined by Prof Wojciech Kruszewski, a philologist and editor at The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland. Prof Kruszewski is the Head of the Chair of Textology and Edition and has been leading the Philomath's Archive - Digital Edition research group since 2019. His notable editorial work includes a four-volume selection of Polish poet Anna Kamieńska’s works (2020) and a critical edition of Adam Mickiewicz's drama Dziady (2022).

We delve into the field of textology, exploring how it relates to genetic criticism and how both can enhance our understanding of major authors and their creative processes. Prof Kruszewski shares insights on how these methods can influence the way we evaluate literary works and prizes, such as the Nobel Prize in Literature. We also discuss whether textology and genetic criticism can assess the fairness of literary awards and how these fields might contribute to studying the Nobel’s focus on an author’s “genius” and lifetime achievement.