Alfred Nobel's last will and testament is clear and concise:

"The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way. The capital shall be invested by my executors in safe securities and shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.

The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery or invention within the field of physics; one part to the person who shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvements; one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine; one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency; and one part to the person who shall have done the most or best work for fraternity among nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.

The prizes for physics and chemistry shall be awarded by the Swedish Academy of Sciences; that for physiological or medical works by the Caroline Institute in Stockholm; that for literature by the Academy in Stockholm; and that for champions of peace by a committee for five persons to be elected by the Norwegian Storting. It is my express wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration whatever shall be given to the nationality of the candidates, so that the most worthy shall receive the prize, whether he be a Scandinavian or not."

- Paris, November 27, 1895

Isn't it ironic that the man who invented dynamite and nitroglycerin would create a legacy that valued "peace," "fraternity," and "idealism"? Isn't it odd that the man who invented new ways to blow things up would give money to peace makers over a century later? Mr. Nobel must have had a clear vision of the destructive power of his inventions. It is that vision that has made his generosity ironic, yes, but also logical and necessary. It is also that vision that has made the Nobel Prize a symbol of mankind's most significant achievements.

The Nobel Prize for literature goes "to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work of an idealistic tendency." Nobel was not necessarily interested in artistic ability, political sensibility or style, though these qualities are presumably inherent in the annual awards. It is probably more enlightening to look at the ideals that the Swedish Academy values. For instance, why wasn't Tolstoy ever honored? Or any of thousands of other writers who reveal "idealistic tendencies"?

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The Nobel medal

Essential Sites

The official Website of the Nobel Foundation

The Official Alfred Nobel Site: A tremendous amount of insight into the man who thought that "good literature could play a dynamic role in an 'ideal direction.'"

The Swedish Academy Site: If you understand Swedish, this is a must-see site.

The Nobel Channel: This beautiful site has "exclusive access to the largest archive of Nobel materials in the world." There's even an interactive learning site. Warning: JAVA script galore.