These were the words Shaw wrote to the Nobel Prize administrators in a letter dated Nov. 18 1926. A transcript of the letter can be read in Vol. 4 of Dan H Laurence's Bernard Shaw Collected Letters (p. 34). He considered that the award was a great honor, but the prize was quite a different thing. In his own words,
My readers and audiences provide me with more
than sufficient money for my needs; and as to my renown it is greater than is
good for my spiritual health.
That is why he ventured "to propose to you that the
money which accompanies the award be funded by the Royal Academy or by the
Swedish Minister in London and the annual proceeds be used to encourage
intercourse and understanding in literature and art between Sweden and the
British Isles."
As we all know, this initial idea is what led to the instauration of The Bernard Shaw Prize for Swedish Translations. Although no award was given this year, you can find a list of past winners here.
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