The Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Literature Prize on Friday said it has elected a new member, meaning all of its 18 seats have been filled.
“Swedish philosopher and writer Asa Wikforss is to take her seat on Dec. 20,’’ the academy said.
She replaces Sara Danius, the first woman to head the academy since 1786.
Danius left the academy earlier this year.
The academy is trying to recover after a sexual assault scandal and alleged breaches of conflict-of-interest rules created a deep rift in the institution.
The scandal emerged in November 2017 and involved the husband of one of the academy’s former members, poet Katarina Frostenson.
Frostenson left the academy in January.
Her husband, Jean-Claude Arnault, was convicted in December 2018 on two counts of rape.
In 2018, the academy opted to postpone the 2018 Nobel Literature Prize.
In March this year, it said it would resume awarding the prize and name laureates for 2018 and 2019.
The announcements are due on Oct. 10.
Wikforss is currently a professor of theoretical philosophy at Stockholm University and defended her doctoral thesis in 1996 at Columbia University in New York.
“It’s very exciting. This is one of our oldest institutions with roots in the Age of Enlightenment,’’ she told Swedish Radio, shortly after her election to the academy was announced.
Her research has focused on the philosophy of language and mind and the theory of knowledge.
The literature prize is one of the prizes endowed by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel.
He also created awards in science and peace. (dpa/NAN)
