Nobel's in Lit (1 - 25)

1901 - France - First winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature - "in special recognition of his poetic composition, which gives evidence of lofty idealism, artistic perfection and a rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect."

1902 - Germany - Noted for nonfiction works, especially around Roman law - "the greatest living master of the art of historical writing, with special reference to his monumental work, A History of Rome."

1903 - Norway - A member of the Four Geats, a group of Norwegian writers and author of the Norwegian National Anthem - "as a tribute to his noble, magnificent and versatile poetry, which has always been distinguished by both the freshness of its inspiration and the rare purity of its spirit.

One of two winners in 1904 - France - Considered the leadinig author Occitan Literature (that is literature from the Occitan region of Southern France and in a language spoken in the region - "in recognition of the fresh originality and true inspiration of his poetic production, which faithfully reflects the natural scenery and native spirit of his people, and, in addition, his significant work as a Provençal philologist.

One of two winners in 1904 - Spain - His most notable play is El gran Galeoto. - "in recognition of the numerous and brilliant compositions which, in an individual and original manner, have revived the great traditions of the Spanish drama."

1905 - Poland - Noted for writing historical novels and his attempts (during the 19th century) of being correct to the time period in which he was writing in as many details as possible - "because of his outstanding merits as an epic writer."

1906 - Italy - Considered to be the national poet of Modern Italy - "not only in consideration of his deep learning and critical research, but above all as a tribute to the creative energy, freshness of style, and lyrical force which characterize his poetic masterpieces."

1907 - United Kingdom - Born in Bombay, Italy, he is noted for his children's stories and his tales of characters living in British India - "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author"

1908 - Germany - A philosopher noted for his ethical activism - "in recognition of his earnest search for truth, his penetrating power of thought, his wide range of vision, and the warmth and strength in presentation with which in his numerous works he has vindicated and developed an idealistic philosophy of life"

1909 - Sweden - First woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and is best known for her children's book The Wonderful Adventures of Nils - "in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings"

1910 - Germany - He contributed to almost all forms of literature - "as a tribute to the consummate artistry, permeated with idealism, which he has demonstrated during his long productive career as a lyric poet, dramatist, novelist and writer of world-renowned short stories"

1911 - Belgium - Noted for his works examining death and the meaning of life - "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations"

1912 - Germany - Most noted for his dramas - "primarily in recognition of his fruitful, varied and outstanding production in the realm of dramatic art"

1913 - India - An artist, writer, and mystic, he was noted for among other things, his Bengali poetry - "because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West"

1915 - France - He was a promoter of the "people's theatre" and was a pacifist - "as a tribute to the lofty idealism of his literary production and to the sympathy and love of truth with which he has described different types of human beings"