Nobel Prize Speculation

It’s that time of year again. As always, the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature will be announced on a Thursday in October. There are five possible dates to choose from: Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, or 29. Last year, the announcement came on October 9th. But, since the Academy doesn’t begin deliberations until October, we can likely rule out October 1 and even October 8th is optimistic. I’m guessing we’ll get the announcement on the 15th or the 22nd.

The British bookies are already offering odds:

• Amos Oz 4/1
• Assia Djebar 5/1
• Luis Goytisola 6/1
• Joyce Carol Oates 7/1
• Philip Roth 7/1
• Adonis 8/1
• Antoni Tabucchi 9/1
• Claudio Magris 9/1
• Haruki Murakami 9/1
• Thomas Pynchon 9/1

Last year's winner, J.M.G. Le Clézio, started out at with odds around 14/1. Magris, Oz, Oates, and Roth were also favorites last year.

For more details, see Literary Saloon.