Bob Dylan Wins the Nobel Prize for Literature, Here's What the Committee Had to Say

People had thought either Haruki Murakami, Ngugi was Thiong'o or Philip Roth would have emerged the overall winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature, but this was not to be. American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan emerged the winner and the prize's Nobel Committee justified Dylan's victory.

Murakami, Thiong'o, and Roth are well-acclaimed, having produced great literary works, but the selection committee said "recorded a large number of albums revolving around topics like the social conditions of man, religion, politics and love... as an artist, he is strikingly versatile; he has been active as painter, actor, and scriptwriter."

According to Sara Danius, the permanent secretary for the Swedish Academy, Dylan strode across the world of pop, rock, and folk that has influenced today's music genres. He was said to create a pictorial thinking with the way he blended rhyming and refrains together. His music inspired thousands of people in the United States and across the world.

In fact, Dylan's music was said to have been a unifying force during the civil rights movements of the early '60s. The Swedish Academy recognizes him for the award "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."

Born of Jewish parents before converting to Christianity in 1979, Dylan is now 75 years old. Danius described his works and influence with those of ancient Greek poets such as Homer and Sappho who lived 2,500 years back. He influenced several fellow musicians during the era and beyond, including the band The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and more.

While many people are disappointed with the choice of Dylan for the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature winner, his fans think he deserved it and ought to have clinched the award several years ago. His brand of music and the poetic license was meant to be heard, performed, and played out with accompanying instruments.