CWLC members received the exciting news of the 2025-2026 program theme at the winter Holiday Party, and it’s time to announce the theme to all.

The topic of “Nobel Prize Winning Authors” has been chosen a number of times throughout our history. When I was compiling the complete list of programs, I wanted to include the year that the author won the prize, and that’s when I discovered authors we assume had won had not done so. Some of these authors include HG Wells, Aldous Huxley, Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekov, James Joyce, Henrik Ibsen, and Marcel Proust. As a result, an interesting topic presented itself: “Nominees for the Nobel Prize in Literature Who Never Won.”      

The Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded annually since 1901, is not without controversy. While nominators are kept secret for fifty years–presumably to avoid controversy and biases–rumours often circulate about who has been nominated. The awarding institution, the Swedish Academy, has four times awarded the prize to its own members. The committee is often criticized for being white, male, Euro-centric, and being prejudice against writers whose political views are in direct opposition to theirs. Three writers have declined the prize. In 2018, three members of the committee resigned in response to a sexual misconduct investigation involving two board members, and no laureate was chosen.

Despite the controversy, the Nobel Prize in Literature is still regarded as an important achievement in an author’s life and a recognition of the significance of a full body of work. We look forward to hearing from our members about their chosen authors.  

To view the 2025-2026 Program schedule, please go to the PROGRAM section of the website.

Written by Sandra E., Program Chair