Bob Dylan Chosen as Favorite for Nobel Prize for Literature

An unexpected stream of last-minute votes has greatly increased Bob Dylan’s chances of winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. According to a report by NME, the sudden increase in bets on Dylan has shrunk the odds of the folk singer-songwriter winning to 10/1, down from 100/1 previously.

These new odds land Bob Dylan as the fourth place contestant for the prize. Syrian poet Adonis currently leads the runnings with odds of 4/1, followed by Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer with 7/1 odds and Japanese author Haruki Murakami with 8/1 odds. The official Nobel Prize ceremony will be held on Thursday.

This nomination continues Dylan’s rising trend as a contender in literary prizes. The Nobel Prize for Literature notwithstanding, Dylan was also a finalist for the Neustadt International Prize for Literature earlier in the summer.

Dylan is mainly receiving accolades for his prolific career as a songwriter, but he has also published books, including a memoir called Chronicles: Volume One, the first of a planned trilogy.

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