#Sweden Nobel Prize Ceremony

[tiaramania]

TIARA ALERT: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden wore Crown Princess Margaret's Connaught Tiara for the King's Dinner for Nobel Laureates at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on 11 December 2023.

[charlotte-of-wales]

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden attends the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony 2023 at Stockholm Concert Hall | December 10, 2023

[ifreakingloveroyals]

10 December 2012 | A detail of Princess Victoria of Sweden's dress and shoes as she attends the 2012 Nobel Prize Award Ceremony at Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden. (c) Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

[theroyalsandi]

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia of Sweden as they attend the Nobel Prize award ceremony which takes place at the Stockholm Concert Hall, Sweden | December 10, 2022

[coochiequeens]

Good News for women in literature

CNN — 

The 2024 Nobel Prize in literature has been awarded to Han Kang, a South Korean author, for her “intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.”

Han, 53, began her career with a group of poems in a South Korean magazine, before making her prose debut in 1995 with a short story collection.

She later began writing longer prose works, most notably “The Vegetarian,” one of her first books to be translated into English. The novel, which won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016, charts a young woman’s attempt to live a more “plant-like” existence after suffering macabre nightmares about human cruelty.

Han is the first South Korean author to win the literature prize, and just the 18th woman out of the 117 prizes awarded since 1901. The prize, announced in Sweden on Thursday, carries a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million).

In a statement posted to Facebook on Thursday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol described Han’s win as “a great achievement in the history of Korean literature” and a “national occasion.” He added: “Han has turned the painful scars of our modern history into great literature.”

Much of Han’s work poses the question, voiced by a character in her 2019 novel “Europa,” whose protagonist is wracked by nightmares: “If you were able to live as you desire, what would you do with your life?”

Although many of Han’s protagonists are women, her prose works are often narrated from the perspective of men.

“Before my wife turned vegetarian, I’d always thought of her as completely unremarkable in every way,” her novel “The Vegetarian” begins. “However, if there wasn’t any special attraction, nor did any particular drawbacks present themselves, and therefore there was no reason for the two of us not to get married.”

A selection of Han Kang's books on display at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm. Jessica Gow/AP

Originally written and published in Korean, “The Vegetarian” was translated by Deborah Smith, who was 28 at the time. Smith, by her own admission, was “monolingual until the age of 21,” and only chose to pursue Korean due to a lack of English-Korean translators.

The Swedish Academy lauded Han’s work for her “unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead.” Through her “poetic and experimental style,” the Academy said, Han “has become an innovator in contemporary prose.”

Anna-Karin Palm, a member of the Nobel Committee for literature, said readers unfamiliar with Han’s work should begin with “Human Acts,” a 2014 novel reflecting on the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, when more than 100 civilians were killed during pro-democracy demonstrations led by students in the South Korean city.

“Human Acts” shows how “the living and the dead are always intertwined and how these kinds of traumas stay in a population for generations,” Palm said at Thursday’s announcement ceremony.

But Han’s “intense, lyrical” writing almost acts as consolation in the face of this historical violence, Palm added. “Her very tender, precise prose in itself almost becomes a counterforce to the brutal noisiness of power,” she said.

Han’s novels rocketed up South Korea’s bestseller lists following the announcement. As of Friday morning, her books occupied all of the top 10 spots in popular online retailer Yes24’s chart for Korean titles. The bookseller told CNN over the phone that three of them — “Human Acts,” “The Vegetarian” and “I Do Not Bid Farewell” — had racked up combined sales of 70,000 units during the 14 hours immediately following the news.

At the Seoul flagship of bookstore chain Kyobo Book Centre, shoppers welcomed Han’s win. “I’m very proud of her,” high-school teacher Choi Ji-hye told CNN, adding that she had been “shocked” to hear the news.

For engineering student Kim Jee-heon, meanwhile, the announcement sparked a newfound interest in the author’s work. “This is my first time hearing about her, but… I was really amazed to hear that a Korean woman writer had won the prize, so I came here to look for her books.”

Elsewhere, several high-profile figures paid tribute to the novelist via social media, including musicians RM and V, members of the K-pop group BTS. “I read ‘Human Acts’ in the army,” the latter wrote on Instagram Stories. “Congratulations!”

Before the announcement, Ellen Mattson, another member of the committee, detailed how the judging panel sets about selecting each year’s literature laureate.

“We start with a very long list of around 220 names,” Mattson said. “Then we have to navigate through this enormous mass of names – and there we need the help of experts from different parts of the world.”

Eventually, the committee reaches a collection of “about 20 names,” which is then narrowed down to a shortlist of five authors. “That’s where the real work starts,” Mattson said.

Each committee member then has to “read everything by these five writers” as they begin to home in on a single winner.

Announcing the award, Mats Malm, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, said Han was “having an ordinary day” and had “just finished supper with her son” when he phoned to congratulate her.

“She wasn’t really prepared for this, but we have begun to discuss preparations for December,” he said. The Nobel Prize award ceremony takes place in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896.

[bethaven]

#2 The Big Bang Theory

(Spoiler alert)

Plot: Four nerdy scientists try to navigate social life in Pasadena, sometimes with great difficulty. Leonard, Sheldon, Raj and Howard all share some or other neurotic trait but also the longing for a less lonesome life. Everything changes one day when Penny moves in nextdoor to Leonard and Sheldon...

Years: 2007-2019

Seasons: 12

My story: One of my best friends in high school loved this series and we spent the good part of a weekend back in 2010 watching the first seasons. I've always been drawn to nerds and geeks so this spoke to me right away.

Teachable moments: TBBT developed a lot over the years, not the least the characters developed and challanged themselves more and more. I think it mostly thaught me that you can be yourself and still find love and friendship. And also, a few random science facts that can be helpfull at quizes.

Best character: This might be a random choice, but I've always had a soft spot for Stuart, the neurotic and depressed owner of the comic book store the gang visits frequently. He seems like a small role at the beginning, but he hangs on all 12 seasons and actually does quite a journey himself. I'm so happy he gets a happy ending.

Best episode: This might be the simple choice, but I really love the last episode; "The Stockholm syndrome". This because of several reasons. One, last episodes rarely are as good as they need to be, but this one is. Two, it takes place in Sweden, which always is fun if you're from here yourself. Three, it takes place on my birthday (the Nobel Prize ceremony always takes place on Alfred Nobel day December 10 th). So, basically, that episode was made for me!

Best quote: "I was under a misapprehension that my accomplishments were mine alone. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have been encouraged, sustained, inspired, and tolerated not only by my wife, but by the greatest group of friends anyone ever had." Sheldon Cooper in his Nobel Prize acceptance speach.

Fun fact: Penny's last (maiden) name is never revealed at any time through the years. Only time she is mentioned with a last name is after she married Leonard and taken his name.

If you like this you might also like: The spinoff Young Sheldon, where we follow Sheldon as a wunderkind in East Texas in the 90's, is a given for any TBBT fan. Also, other ensamble cast sitcoms like Friends, New Girl, How I met your mother and Modern Family.

[royal-hair]

2023 Nobel Prize award ceremony

Here's the stream for the ceremony in Stockholm, it will start in 30 minutes!

[skamenglishsubs]

Nobel Prizes and more Actual Royals

Today is December 10th, which means it's time for the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm. (and Oslo) The Nobel prizes are the most prestigious awards in physics, chemistry, medicine, and literature (and peace), and each laureate gets a nice diploma, an actual gold medal, and about a million dollars in prize money. Oh, and the prizes are awarded by the actual King of Sweden! (and Norway)

The prizes are awarded in memory of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who got filthy rich after having invented dynamite in the 1800's and who founded Sweden's largest weapons manufacturer, Bofors. He didn't have any children, and he may have developed a wee bit of a guilty conscience after that, so in his will he bequeathed his entire fortune to a foundation and tasked them with awarding prizes every year to the persons who "have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind", which they've been doing for over 120 years now.

Each year's winners are selected by the Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Karolinska Institute, and the Swedish Academy. (and the Norwegian parliament) The reason the Swedish Academy doesn't say what it's the academy of, is because they're the OG literature snobs, modelled after the original French Academy. The Swedish one was instituted in the 1700's by Gustaf III, you know the gay king I wrote about who got murdered at a masquerade and who Wilhelm sort of dresses up as at the Valentine's ball. Yeah, that guy.

The award ceremony and banquet is the most prestigious party in Sweden all year, the entire royal family is there, so if you want to spy some actual Swedish royals, you can check out the award ceremony here, it starts at 4pm today:

Later tonight it's time for the Nobel banquet at the Stockholm City Hall, and you can watch that here:

Best dressed? Worst dressed? Most boring speech? Most diamonds in their tiara? 👑 Let me know in the comments and don't forget to like this video, subscribe to my channel, and hit the bell! 😛

[crownprincesses]

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden attends the banquet following the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden. || December 10th, 2022

[steliosagapitos]

~ "Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg's Chaumet Art Deco Emerald Tiara. This tiara was made in 1926 by Chaumet jewelers after Prince Felice of Bourbon-Parma sent some ancient family jewels, including a huge 45-carat egg-shaped emerald donated by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in 1859. Delivered to Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg as a Christmas gift, this jewel was made with an Art Deco style design featuring the massive emerald in the center, above a sizable square-cut diamond. Charlotte became very fond of this tiara, debuting it in the same year on the occasion of the wedding of the then Hereditary Prince Leopold of Belgium, later King Leopold III of Belgium, with Princess Astrid of Sweden. Following her abdication in 1964 in favor of her son, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, the tiara reached the new sovereign, Princess Josephine Charlotte of Belgium, who, however, did not seem to appreciate the jewel very much, wearing it only sporadically. Following Jean's abdication in favor of his son, Grand Duke Henry of Luxembourg, the tiara passed to his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, who, unlike her mother-in-law, uses the tiara very often, using it for noteworthy appearances such as the 2011 Nobel Prize ceremony." ~

[kristabella]

The unique gold, pearl, and cameo tiara from the Swedish royal vaults is packed with history and symbolism, from its initial creation story in Napoleonic France to the tales told by the individual cameos in the piece. Today, we’re unpacking both, with some fantastic close-up views of the parure.

The Cameo Parure, now owned by the Bernadottes of Sweden, was originally given by Napoleon I to Empress Josephine in 1809. The set includes a tiara, a necklace, a bracelet, and a pair of earrings. Today, the parure also includes a brooch, which is believed to be a slightly later addition to the suite. Above, Queen Silvia wears the entire parure—tiara, earrings, necklace, brooch, and bracelet (on her right wrist)—for the Nobel Prize ceremony in 2005.

The tiara made its way from imperial France to royal Sweden by a slightly circuitous route. It was inherited by Josephine’s son, Eugene de Beauharnais, and then passed on to his daughter, Queen Josefina of Sweden and Norway. She bequeathed the cameos to her daughter, Princess Eugenie; she bequeathed it to her nephew, Prince Eugen. He gave the set to Princess Sibylla, mother of the present king, as a wedding gift in 1932, and it has remained with the Bernadottes in Stockholm ever since.

With a central cameo depicting two gods of love, and a shape resembling traditional Scandinavian bridal crowns, it’s no surprise that this fragile, delicate heirloom has become the Bernadotte family bridal tiara. It’s been worn by two of the king’s sisters, Princess Birgitta and Princess Desiree, on their wedding days. It was also worn by his wife, Queen Silvia, at their wedding in 1976, and by their elder daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, at her wedding in 2010.

[tiaramania]

TIARA ALERT: Princess Sofia of Sweden wore her Emerald Palmette Tiara for the Nobel Prize ceremony at Stockholm Concert Hall and banquet at Stockholm City Hall on 10 December 2023.

[charlotte-of-wales]

King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel attend the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony 2023 at Stockholm Concert Hall | December 10, 2023

[ifreakingloveroyals]

10 December 2014 | Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden attends the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony at Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden. (c) Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

[theroyalsandi]

Princess Sofia of Sweden wearing her Palmette Tiara for the Nobel Prize award ceremony which takes place at the Stockholm Concert Hall, Sweden | December 10, 2022

[foreverlogical]

STOCKHOLM — The 

Nobel Foundation on Saturday withdrew its invitation for representatives of Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend this year’s Nobel Prize award ceremonies after the decision announced a day earlier “provoked strong reactions.”

Several Swedish lawmakers said Friday they would boycott this year’s Nobel Prize award ceremonies in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, after the private foundation that administers the prestigious awards changed its position from a year earlier and invited representatives of the three countries to attend, saying it “promotes opportunities to convey the important messages of the Nobel Prize to everyone.”

Some of the lawmakers cited Russia’s war on Ukraine and the crackdown on human rights in Iran as reasons for their boycott. 

Belarusian opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Friday called on the Swedish Nobel Foundation and the Norwegian Nobel Committee not to invite representatives of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s “illegitimate regime to any events.”

On Saturday, she welcomed the Nobel Foundation’s decision. She told The Associated Press that it was “a clear sign of solidarity with the Belarusian and Ukrainian peoples.”

“This is how you show your commitment to the principles and values of Nobel,” Tsikhanouskaya said.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who said Friday he wouldn’t have allowed the three countries to participate in the award ceremonies, was also happy with the decision. He posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “the many and strong reactions show that the whole of Sweden unambiguously stand on Ukraine’s side against Russia’s appalling war of aggression.”

The foundation said Saturday it recognized “the strong reactions in Sweden, which completely overshadowed this message” and therefore it had decided not to invite the ambassadors of Russia, Belarus and Iran to the award ceremony in Stockholm.

However, it said that it would follow its usual practice and invite all ambassadors to the ceremony in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded.

Saturday’s announcement was widely praised in Sweden by politicians. Even the Swedish Royal House reacted with spokeswoman Margareta Thorgren saying, as quoted by newspaper Aftonbladet, that “we see the change in the decision as positive”. She added that King Carl XVI Gustaf was planning to hand out this year’s Nobel awards at ceremonies in Stockholm “as before.”

This year’s Nobel prize winners will be announced in early October. The laureates are then invited to receive their awards at glittering prize ceremonies on Dec. 10, the anniversary of award founder Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896.