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For the last 82 years, Swedens Nobel Academy has decided who willreceive the Nobel Prize in Literature, thereby determining who will beelevated from the great and the near great to the immortal. But today theAcademy is coming under heavy criticism both from the without and from within.Critics contend that the selection of the winners often has less to dowith true writing ability than with the peculiar internal politics of theAcademy and of Sweden itself. According to Ingmar Bjorksten, the culturaleditor for one of the countrys two major newspapers, the prize continuesto represent what people call a very Swedish exercise: reflecting Swedishtastes. The Academy has defended itself against such charges ofprovincialism in its selection by asserting that its physical distancefrom the great literary capitals of the world actually serves to protect theAcademy from outside influences. This may well betrue, but critics respond that this very distance may also be responsible for the Academys inability to perceive accurately authentic trends in the literary world. Regardless ofconcerns over the selection process, however, it seems that the prize will continue to survive both as an indicator of the literature thatwe most highly praise, and as an elusive goal that writers seek. If forno other reason, the prize will continue to be desirable for the financialrewards that accompany it; not only is the cash prize itself considerable,but it also dramatically increases sales of an authors books. | 
