One surprise for me in the Nobels 1955 to 1961 was the successful diplomats who wrote: Perse (St Leger), Andric, and even in a way Camus.
I doubt diplomatic institutions today can provide a home for a writer who would win a Nobel Prize. But diplomacy does need good writers. And many great writers were diplomats.
Who is your favourite writer who was also a diplomat?
My favourite wasn't a Nobel prize winner, but he was a diplomat / poet, Chaucer, and my second choice is Giovanni Boccaccio. However, I am very interested in Saint-John Perse, and would like to read more of his work. However, that also applies to a lot of Jeff's listing of non-diplomats who won the literary prize. It is quite surprising the long list of diplomats that were literary, except I think the two occupations are related and feed into eachother.
Neruda who succeeded Mistral as consul to Madrid.
Great choice! He is coming up in a couple of weeks as the 1971 Nobel winner
My favourite wasn't a Nobel prize winner, but he was a diplomat / poet, Chaucer, and my second choice is Giovanni Boccaccio. However, I am very interested in Saint-John Perse, and would like to read more of his work. However, that also applies to a lot of Jeff's listing of non-diplomats who won the literary prize. It is quite surprising the long list of diplomats that were literary, except I think the two occupations are related and feed into eachother.