<P> The Nobel Prize in Literature (Swedish: Nobelpriset i litteratur) is awarded annually by the Swedish Academy to authors for outstanding contributions in the field of literature . It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the 1895 will of Alfred Nobel, which are awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature, peace, and physiology or medicine . As dictated by Nobel's will, the award is administered by the Nobel Foundation and awarded by a committee that consists of five members elected by the Swedish Academy . The first Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded in 1901 to Sully Prudhomme of France . Each recipient receives a medal, a diploma and a monetary award prize that has varied throughout the years . In 1901, Prudhomme received 150,782 SEK, which is equivalent to 8,823,637.78 SEK in January 2018 . The award is presented in Stockholm at an annual ceremony on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death . </P> <P> As of 2017, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to 114 individuals . When he received the award in 1958, Russian - born Boris Pasternak was forced to publicly reject the award under pressure from the government of the Soviet Union . In 1964, Jean - Paul Sartre made known that he did not wish to accept the Nobel Prize in Literature, as he had consistently refused all official honors in the past . However the Nobel committee does not acknowledge refusals, and includes Pasternak and Sartre in its list of Nobel laureates . </P>

Who is the first nobel prize winner in literature