Civil sacred: The nobel and the laureate position in cultural space

This essay situates the Nobel's institutional charisma within the laureate position, an older but still relevant socio-institutional formation that frames literature as a higher good (as distinct, say, from mere entertainment). The first three sections place the Nobel within the landscape of literary prizes, discussing its particular currency of value (strong rather than weak), its relation to different frames of value (consumerist, democratic, charismatic) and sites of consecration (the literary field vs. the civil-sphere). The next three sections sketch the Nobel's historical background - the laureate position - from the early modern period through the present, looking at how differing regimes (vocation, trade, singularity, communality) can form a good match depending on time and place. The final two sections explore how the Nobel deals with the prize system's internal tensions between respect and esteem (when identitarian expressivism clashes with notions of craft or intellectual mastery), as well as with tensions between competing agents of consecration (exploring how Handke's Nobel crystallizes a conflict between the more scholastic curation cultures of the laureate position and the media and problem brokers of the civil sphere).

Automated summary

This essay examines the institutional charisma of the Nobel Prize within the laureate position, discussing its unique value and significance in the landscape of literary prizes. It also explores the historical background of the Nobel Prize and its relationship to different regimes and consecration sites. Furthermore, the essay analyzes how the Nobel Prize handles internal tensions and conflicts between different agents of consecration.