Winners of the Nobel Prize in literature since 1960

October 8th, 2009 Herta Mueller wins 2009 Nobel literature prizeSTOCKHOLM — Romanian-born German writer Herta Mueller has the won the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature. The Swedish Academy, which has picked the winner annually since 1901, said Thursday that Mueller "who with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed." The prize includes a 10 million kronor ($1.4 million) prize and will be handed out Dec.

October 7th, 2009 Oz and Oates top Nobel literature buzzSTOCKHOLM — Americans Joyce Carol Oates and Philip Roth join Israel's Amos Oz at the top of the buzz surrounding the Nobel Prize in literature, especially after the most prominent judge broke from his predecessor and said U.S. writers are worthy of the coveted award.

October 6th, 2009 6 finalists await Booker Prize announcementLONDON — A tale of political intrigue set during the reign of King Henry VIII was the bookies' favorite to take the prestigious Man Booker prize for fiction Tuesday. Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" was odds-on to win the 50,000-pound ($80,000) prize.

October 6th, 2009 Nobel literature judge: award 'too Eurocentric'STOCKHOLM — The new frontman of the Nobel literature prize jury believes the secretive panel has been too "Eurocentric" in picking winners and says there are plenty of American writers who would qualify for the award. Peter Englund's comments Tuesday come two days before the prize announcement.

October 6th, 2009 Judge: Nobel literature prizes 'too Eurocentric'STOCKHOLM — American authors, you may be back in the Nobel running. The most prominent member of the Nobel literature prize jury believes the secretive panel has been too "Eurocentric" in picking winners and said Tuesday there are many American writers who would qualify for the coveted award.

October 6th, 2009 Ian Frazier wins Thurber PrizeNEW YORK — Ian Frazier is a funny man. Officially. The author and frequent New Yorker contributor won the Thurber Prize for American Humor for his lighthearted book on parental guidance, "Lamentations of the Father." Frazier, who in 1997 received the inaugural Thurber award, will receive $5,000, prize organizers said Monday.

October 4th, 2009 Stem cell pioneers among Nobel Prize candidatesSTOCKHOLM, Sweden — Two Canadian scientists whose discovery of stem cells has paved the way for controversial research could be candidates for the 2009 Nobel Prize in medicine, the winners of which will be announced Monday. Ernest McCulloch and James Till won the prestigious Lasker Award in 2005 and experts say they could also be among the front-runners for a Nobel for their early 1970's identification of the regenerative cells.

October 2nd, 2009 Facts about next week's Nobel Prize announcementsThe winners of the 2009 Nobel Prizes will be announced in the next two weeks, starting with the medicine prize on Monday. Here are some brief explanations of how the award winners are picked and announced.

September 30th, 2009 Will and Jada Pinkett Smith to host Nobel concertOSLO, Norway — American rap artist and actor Will Smith and his wife, the actress Jada Pinkett Smith, will co-host this year's Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, organizers said Wednesday. The Dec. 11 show — a day after the award ceremony — will feature performances by Wyclef Jean, Toby Keith, Donna Summer, Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi as well as Amadou & Mariam, a blues and jazz duet from Mali.

September 16th, 2009 German writer Enzensberger wins Danish prizeCOPENHAGEN — German writer Hans Magnus Enzensberger was awarded Denmark's 2010 Sonning Prize on Wednesday, which honors work that benefits European culture. The University of Copenhagen said Enzensberger, 79, will receive the prize and 1 million kroner (about $200,000) during a ceremony in February.

September 8th, 2009 Byatt, Coetzee on Booker Prize shortlistLONDON — Previous winners A.S. Byatt and J.M.

July 28th, 2009 LONDON - Michael Jackson's fans want their idol to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Devout followers of the King of Pop have launched an online petition seeking the nomination for the late star who died aged 50 on June 25.

June 22nd, 2009 Historian wins $100,000 military prizeNEW YORK — Historian Gerhard L. Weinberg has received a $100,000 lifetime achievement prize for excellence in military writing.

June 18th, 2009 Italian author to receive German literary prizeBERLIN — Italian author Claudio Magris will receive the top award of the Frankfurt Book Fair this fall, the jury announced Thursday. The jury that selects the winner of the annual Frankfurt Booksellers Peace Prize praised Magris' unique engagement with "the cohabitation and cooperation between different cultures." Magris, 70, often considered a contender for the Nobel prize in literature, is best known for his works "Danube" and "Microcosms." Born in the Italian port town of Trieste, he has written extensively about Germany, central Europe and his native Italy.

June 10th, 2009 Mexican university wins Spanish awardMADRID — A nearly 100-year-old Mexican university was awarded Spain's Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities on Wednesday in recognition of its role in providing Latin America with outstanding intellectuals and scientists. The National Autonomous University of Mexico, which has nearly 300,000 students and more than 34,000 professors and researchers, had received more than 1,500 letters of support for the award, including ones from world famous authors Carlos Fuentes and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the award foundation said.