Sara Danius: "The 2018 Nobel Prize should not have been reinstated"

This article was published in connection with Danius participation in SVT's Babel in March 2019

After five stormy months, Sara Danius left the job as permanent secretary. It was April 12 last year. Since then, she has been in limbo between formal resignation and the opportunity to return as a member of chair number seven.

On February 26, she formally left the institution, after six years, three of which as the Swedish Academy's first female permanent secretary.

The Swedish Academy commented on the message that it was possible to agree on "a reasonable agreement", and took the opportunity to apologize to Danius for her part in the "impact-laden polemic" that arose when she stepped down as permanent secretary.

In an exclusive interview in Sunday's Babel, Sara Danius talks about the decision to leave the Academy.

- I really weighed the alternatives against each other and it was almost physically difficult. I came to the conclusion that it is better that I leave the Academy. In addition, it turned out that the Swedish Academy was not interested in me returning as a permanent secretary, she says.

When Sara Danius formally left the Academy, she told TT News Agency:

- I think it would have been a big win for the Academy if they had taken me back as permanent secretary. But they probably had other plans and that is just to respect it. I'm moving on in my life and it's no bad decision either.

That Sara Danius should have received no thanks from the Academy when she offered to resume her job as permanent secretary, was rejected by the current holder of the office, Anders Olsson:

"It is extremely surprising and peculiar, it has never reached my ears," he said.

Sara Danius received no questions about Anders Olsson's criticism of Babel, but says about the hope of returning to the secretary role:

- I had started something, and I would have liked to finish it. But there is a great world outside.

She goes on to say that she does not regret anything during the time as a permanent secretary during the Swedish Academy's biggest crisis ever.

- On the whole, I think I acted right, I thought so and I still think so. One of my good qualities is that I have a very strong sense of justice, I thought it was obvious that the Swedish Academy must act, she says.

Last year, the Nobel Prize in Literature was canceled because of the crisis in the Academy. Therefore, there will be two awards this year. But Sara Danius had rather seen that no prize was awarded in 2018.

- It is a great compliment to the Swedish Academy that you consider that you can award a Nobel Prize in 2019. But the 2018 award I do not think you would have reinstated, out of respect for the women who became victims, she says and continues:

- Then it would have been possible to keep in mind that something happened. Like a notch in the disc.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Academy member Horace Engdahl will not be a member of this year's Nobel Committee, which appoints the Literature Prize winner for 2018 and 2019. A decision that Sara Danius considers necessary.

- It was a good initiative, she says.