The Nobel Prize

By Naguib Mahfouz

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In less than a month, Sweden will be hosting the annual festivities in which the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature would be announced. I have noticed that as time goes by, some Nobel laureates gain stay in the limelight but others recede into the shadows. Few now recall, let alone read, French author Claude Simon, who won the Nobel Prize in the mid-1980s. Some may think that a writer who is not widely read was perhaps not worth the acknowledgement. But I think that the real reason is that the literary mood changes over time. Perhaps not all Nobel Prize winners are of the same stature or talent. But we have to acknowledge that literary preferences are somewhat fickle.

Readers may tire of a writer just because his work does not suit the literary tendencies of the moment. Writers come into literary favour for a while and then they become less popular. As time passes, they may become popular once again. This is why the best writers should focus on their art rather than chase after popularity. If you're good, your turn will come, if not in your time, perhaps later.

Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.