Nobel Prize in Literature: Odds Favorites Revealed by Swedish Betting Giant Betsson

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08 Oct, 2024, 06:39 GMT

TA' XBIEX, Malta, Oct. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This Thursday, October 10, the Swedish Academy will announce the winner of this year's Nobel Prize in Literature. According to Betsson Sweden, which has offered odds on the prize for over a decade, Australian author Gerald Murnane and Chinese author Can Xue are the current favourites, followed by Salman Rushdie. In the past two years, the winners have been among Betsson's top three picks.

This year's odds list features 26 contenders, with several authors frequently mentioned as potential laureates in the top. In addition to the previously mentioned names, the list includes American writer Jamaica Kincaid, long-time favourite Anne Carson, and 91-year-old South Korean poet Ko Un.

"In recent years, the winners have frequently aligned with our top predictions. Jon Fosse, for example, was the second favourite, and Annie Ernaux placed third. Even in 2020, Louise Glück was among the leading names ahead of the announcement. However, we've also seen major surprises, such as when the unexpected Bob Dylan won, or when Abdulrazak Gurnah, who wasn't even on our odds list, claimed the award," says Robin Olenius, Head of PR at Betsson.

Currently, the favourite is Gerald Murnane at 4.50 times the money, followed closely by Can Xue at 5.00. Salman Rushdie, perhaps the most well-known author on the list, ranks third with odds of 6.00.

For the second consecutive year, musician and Polar Music Prize winner Paul Simon also appears on the list, though as a major underdog. Together with horror and thriller author Stephen King, he offers a return of 50 times the stake.

Historically, France has had the most Nobel laureates in literature (16), followed by the USA and the United Kingdom, with 13 each. The average age of winners at the time of the announcement is 65 years. Since the prize was first awarded in 1901, 103 men and 17 women have received it. Of these, 46 winners had either a beard or mustache, and one, Jean-Paul Sartre, declined the award. Sweden ranks fifth in terms of total laureates, with eight winners.

Odds for the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature
Gerald Murnane: 4.5
Can Xue: 5.0
Salman Rushdie: 6.0
Jamaica Kincaid: 8.0
Alexis Wright: 8.0
Anne Carson: 10.0
Ko Un: 10.0
Ngugi wa Thiong'o: 12.0
Thomas Pynchon: 12.0
Mircea Cartarescu: 12.0
Yoko Tawada: 12.0
László Krasznahorkai: 12.0
Michel Houllebecq: 15.0
Raul Zurita: 15.0
Cesar Aira: 15.0
Haruki Muakami: 15.0
Pierre Michon: 15.0
Karl Ove Knausgård: 20.0
Helle Helle: 20.0
Ljudmila Ulitskaja: 30.0
Joyce Carol Oates: 30.0
Homero Aridjis: 30.0
Elena Poniatowska: 30.0
Margaret Atwood: 35.0
Stephen King: 50.0
Paul Simon: 50.0

For more information please contact:
Robin Olenius, Head of PR, Betsson
press@betssonab.com
+46 (0)761 80 55 43

About Betsson Group

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