Nobel Prize from Sweden

[Pamela Moberg]

Your Nobel Prize reporter is back - this time from Stockholm.

Before telling you about the events of this evening I will just say a few words about the ceremony in Norway earlier today. President Obama's lecture has been very widely acclaimed here and he is very much admired.

The evening ceremony in Stockholm was magnificent, glittering and as usual extremely well organised. I expect that you will see at least bits and pieces of it on American TV channels as there were so many American laureates.

The three Royal ladies were absolutely stunning in their evening gowns, jewelry and tiaras. Rather sad, though, that the fiance of the Crown Princess had been advised not to attend. He has recently had an operation and with all those germs about he would be ill advised to go. Yet, Crown Princess Victoria looked absolutely stunning.

After the actual award ceremony which takes place in the concert hall there is a big banquet in the town hall. After the supper all the laureates are supposed to give a short speech. (In the olden days they could go on for hours, but these days they should be brief). Mostly they talk of their advances in their discoveries of molecular biology or something of the sort, and then thanks the Nobel committe profusely. As a rule it is hardly riveting...

But tonight when Herta Muller, the literature prize winner, gave her speech hardly an eye was dry. It was evocative, humble, yet proud and just wonderful. She got as much applause as President Obama. I have just one complaint here: She spoke in German and was then translated into English. OK, most Swedes understand at least some English, but I fear that a great many people could not fathom the depth of what she said.

[dirac]

Great post, Pamela, thank you.