Until 2018, the Swedish Academy's 18 members technically held the position for life. That changed when three group members stepped down in protest against the Academy membership of poet Katarina Frostenson, whose husband is accused of sexual harassment. Academy secretary Sara Danius (photo) and Frostenson also left shortly afterwards, leading to the decision to postpone the 2018 award.

While the famous author of "The Satanic Verses" never won the Nobel Prize in Literature, some members of the Swedish Academy felt their organization should denounce Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's fatwa calling for Salman Rushdie's assassination in 1989. The Academy refused to do so, and three members resigned in protest.

He became the first singer-songwriter to obtain the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, shocking quite a few literature purists. Then Dylan didn't even seem that interested by the recognition. He didn't show up at the awards ceremony and simply sent a brief thank-you speech instead of the traditional Nobel lecture. He finally collected his prize in Stockholm in March 2017.

Thomas Mann received the prize in 1929, but it wasn't for his most recent work, "The Magic Mountain" (1924), which the jury found too tedious. The distinction instead recognized his debut novel, "Buddenbrooks" — published 28 years earlier. Time had apparently added to its value. The jury said, it "has won steadily increased recognition as one of the classic works of contemporary literature."

When she was honored with the prize in 2004, Austrian author Elfriede Jelinek also refused to go to the awards ceremony. "I cannot manage being in a crowd of people. I cannot stand public attention," the reclusive playwright said. The Swedish Academy had to accept her agoraphobia, but she did, at least, hold her Nobel lecture — per video.

The Soviet author, world famous for his novel "Doctor Zhivago," obtained Nobel recognition in 1958. However, Soviet authorities forced him to decline the prize; he wouldn't be able to re-enter the country if he went to the Stockholm ceremony. Even though he followed his government's orders, he was still demonized afterwards. His son picked up the award in 1989, 29 years after the author's death.

When Italian comedian and playwright Dario Fo won the prize in 1997, the announcement came as a shock to many literary critics, who saw him as just an entertainer and not a real literary figure with an international standing. The satirist fired back with his Nobel speech, which he titled "Against jesters who defame and insult."

Although British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945, he actually obtained the award for his written works — mostly memoirs, history volumes and speeches — in 1953. The jury praised "his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values."

The French philosopher and playwright was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature, but he declined it, saying that "a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution" by accepting official honors. It was rumored that he later asked for the prize money anyway — but that story was never confirmed.

Winning the award in 1907 at the age of 41, British author Joseph Rudyard Kipling, best known for "The Jungle Book" (1894), remains the youngest Nobel laureate in literature to this day. However, his legacy has since been marred by the fact that Kipling, who spent his early childhood and some of his adult life in India, vehemently spoke out in defense of British colonialism.

The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III on the model of the Académie Française. His aim was to promote the Swedish language and literature. Since 1901, the Academy, called "De Aderton" (the eighteen) for its 18 seats, has awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The jury makes its decision in October, and the award ceremony is held on Alfred Nobel's birthday, on December 10.

Appointed for life, the members of the Academy are Swedish authors, literature experts and linguists, historians, as well as a famous lawyer. The preliminary preparations start a year before the winner is picked. The first official action in the selection process usually takes place in September of the previous year.

Every year, usually in September, the Nobel Committee sends about 700 invitation letters to "persons who are qualified to nominate for the Nobel Prize in Literature," which includes members of the Swedish Academy, former laureates and literature experts. The committee, headed by author Per Wästberg (photo) has six members who are chosen from the ranks of the Nobel Prize Academy for three years.

The deadline for submissions of nominations in on January 31. The Nobel Committee for Literature evaluates the nominations; by April, the number of candidates is reduced to 15-20 people, and a shortlist of five candidates is selected one month later. From then on, the Swedish Academy takes over the procedure.

The Academy then receives the list of five candidates from the Committee. The Academy members spend the summer reading, debating and writing reports. They meet to discuss the literary achievements of the candidates in September.

In early October, the Academy members select and announce the winner, who must have received more than half of the votes. In 2017, Japan-born British author Kazuo Ishiguro (photo) took home the award endowed with about 800,000 euros. The remaining nominees are to be kept secret for 50 years.