The 1921 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the French author Anatole France "in recognition of his brilliant literary achievements, characterized as they are by a nobility of style, a profound human sympathy, grace, and a true Gallic temperament".
Laureate
Anatole France (pseudonym for Jacques-Anatole-François Thibault, 1844-1924) started writing poems in the classical tradition, but became known for his prose works. His stories and novels are noted for wit and irony, scepticism, social preoccupations and clarity in the classical tradition. Notable works include the four volume novel sequence collected under the title L’Histoire contemporaine (1897–1901).
Nominations
Anatole France was nominatad 13 times since 1904 before he was awarded. In 1921 three nominations for him was submitted to the Nobel committee. Other nominated authors in 1921 included Arno Holz, Arne Garborg, Stefan Zeromski, Émile Boutroux, Gunnar Gunnarsson, H. G. Wells, Jacinto Benavente (awarded in 1922), W. B. Yeats (awarded in 1923), George Bernard Shaw (awarded in 1925), Grazia Deledda (awarded in 1926), Henri Bergson (awarded in 1927) and John Galsworthy (awarded in 1932).