Nobel Prizes
Ahead of the announcement of the 2025 Nobel Prize for literature we present a selection of readings from Nobel Prize for Literature Laureates alongside music inspired by their work
The Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded 117 times to 121 Nobel Prize laureates since 1901. Ahead of the announcement of the 118th Laureate we present a selection of readings by those awarded the prize, from the first winner, Sully Prudhomme, to 2024's - Han Kang. We have poetry from Gabriela Mistral and WB Yeats, drama from George Bernard Shaw and Harold Pinter, Svetlana Alexievich's polyphonic reportage as well as speeches from those accepting - and refusing the award. The readers are Samuel West and Jasmine Hyde.
Readings:
Ernest Hemingway 鈥� Novel Prize Acceptance Speech
Sully Prudhomme 鈥� The Broken Vase
Han Kang 鈥� The Vegetarian
John Galsworthy 鈥� The Forsyte Saga
Rudyard Kipling 鈥� The Way Through The Woods
Tomas Transtr枚mer 鈥� Allegro
Gabriela Mistral 鈥� Give me Your Hand
Wole Soyinka - You Must Set Forth At Dawn
Olga Tokarczuk 鈥� Flights
Rabindreth Tagore - Song Offerings - Gitanjali 35
Toni Morrison- Beloved
George Bernard Shaw -Pygmalion
Selma Lagerl枚f - The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
Svetlana Alexievich鈥疞ast Witnesses - Unchildlike Stories
Seamus Heaney鈥� - Sloe Gin
Louise Gluck - Wild Iris
Jean-Paul Sartre 鈥� Statement to the Swedish Press
Producer in Salford: Jessica Treen
Last on
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
-
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00:01Otto Lindblad
Kungss氓ngen (The Royal Anthem of Sweden)
Composer: Carl Wilhelm. Composer: August Strindberg. Performer: Swedish Radio Choir. Performer: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Performer: Stig Westerberg.- The Swedish Choir聽.
- Naxos Sweden.
- 37.
-
Ernest Hemmingway
Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
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00:03Michael Daugherty
Tales of Hemingway: III. The Old Man and the Sea (Live)
Performer: Zuill Bailey. Orchestra: Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Giancarlo Guerrero.- Michael Daugherty: Tales of Hemingway, American Gothic & Once upon a Castle (Liv.
- Naxos.
- 3.
Sully Prudhomme
The Broken Vase
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00:05Unsuk Chin
Etude No. 5 Toccata
Performer: George Fu.- Platoon.
- Tr06.
Han Kang
The Vegetarian
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00:08Edward Elgar
Nimrod [Enigma Variations, Op.36], vers for piano
Performer: Lang Lang.- Piano Book (Deluxe Edition).
- DG.
- 39.
John Galsworthy
The Forsyte Saga
Rudyard Kipling
The Way Through The Woods
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00:13Kazuo Ishiguro
Postcard Lovers
Composer: Jim Tomlinson. Performer: Stacey Kent.- Postcard Lovers.
- Believe International.
- 1.
Tomas Transtromer
Allegro
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00:18Joseph Haydn
Piano sonata in E flat major H.16.52 (3rd mvt. Presto)
Performer: Paul Lewis.- Joseph Haydn: Piano Sonatas Nos. 20, 34, 51 & 52.
- Harmonia Mundi.
- 6.
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00:23Gabriel Faur茅
Pell茅as et M茅lisande Suite, Op. 80: III. Sicilienne
Performer: RT脡 National Symphony Orchestra.- Faur茅: Pell茅as et M茅lisande Suite, Op. 80 & Other Works.
- Naxos.
- 103.
Gabriela Mistral
Give Me Your Hand
![]()
00:26Sofia Rei
La Otra
Performer: Sofia Rei.- Cascabelera.
- Tr2.
![]()
00:27Fela Sowande
2 Preludes on Yoruba Sacred Folk Melodies: No. 1, K'A Mura
Performer: Rebeca Omordia.- SOMM Recordings.
- Tr13.
Wole Soyinka
You Must Set Forth At Dawn
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00:29Gra偶yna Bacewicz
Stained-glass window for violin and piano
Performer: Johan Dalene.- Stained Glass.
- Bis.
- 109.
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00:31Florence Price
Honeysuckle (A Southern Sky)
Performer: Kirsten Johnson.- Florence Price 鈥� Piano Music.
- Guild.
- 14.
Olga Tokarczuk
Flights
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00:33Mikl贸s R贸zsa
Marcus & Lygia
Performer: Mikl贸s R贸zsa.- Quo Vadis (O.S.T - 1951).
- Vintage Music.
- 2.
Rabindreth Tagore
Song Offerings - Gitanjali 35
Toni Morrison
Beloved
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00:43Charles Gounod
Mireille - O legere Hirondelle, messagere Fidele
Performer: Mikl贸s R贸zsa.- Les bijoux, French arias: Sumi Jo/English Chamber Orchestra/Carella.
- Erato.
- 7.
George Bernard Shaw
Pygmalion
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00:47Frederick Loewe
My Fair Lady: Just You Wait
Performer: Original London Cast of My Fair Lady Orchestra. Performer: Original London Cast of My Fair Lady Ensemble.- My Fair Lady (Original London Cast Recording).
- Masterworks Broadway.
- 6.
Selma Lagerl枚f
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
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00:51Frederick Loewe
Nils Holgerssons underbara resa (Suite): I. Inledning
Orchestra: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Torbj枚rn Iwan Lundquist.- Lundquist: Suites for Orchestra.
- sterling records.
- 6.
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00:52Thomas Dunhill
The Cloths of Heaven for voice and piano
Performer: Ian Bostridge.- EMI.
- Tr4.
![]()
00:55Sergey Prokofiev
Piano Sonata No. 8 in B flat major, Op. 84 - II. Andante sognando
Performer: Steven Osborne.- Hyperion.
- Tr9.
Svetlana Alexievich鈥�
Last Witnesses - Unchildlike Stories
Seamus Heaney鈥�
Sloe Gin
![]()
00:57Bob Dylan
Visions of Johanna
Performer: Bob Dylan.- Columbia.
- Tr3.
Louise Gluck
Wild Iris
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01:03Richard Strauss
4 Letzte Lieder AV.150 for voice and orchestra: Beim Schlafengehen
Performer: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.- Icon: Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.
- Warner Classics.
- 3.
Jean-Paul Sartre
Statement to the Swedish Press
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01:07Benjamin Britten
4 Death in Venice - suite: Conclusion
Performer: English Chamber Orchestra.- Chandos.
- Tr4.
Broadcast
- Sun 5 Oct 2025 18:00蜜芽传媒 Radio 3
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