Ladbrokes places Haruki Murakami as Nobel Literature Prize favourite

Ladbrokes has placed Japanese writer Haruki Murakami as its 4/1 market favourite to be crowned the ‘2016 Nobel Literature Laureate’.

With the Swedish Academy set to reveal its Nobel Prize literature winner next Thursday 13 October, the bookmaker places the popular Japanese ‘contemporary surrealist’ as its current market favourite.

Presenting its market to the Guardian Newspaper, Ladbrokes PR spokesperson Alex Donohue commented; “Murakami is top again – he’s there every year, but his fans more than ever think this could be his turn,”

Murakami is amongst the best-selling authors to make the 2016 Nobel Literature nominee list, with the majority of his novels having been translated into multiple languages.

Nevertheless, Ladbrokes acknowledges that the Nobel Literature Prize is a hard market to call as the judging panel takes little note of an author’s reputations. In 2015 the Swedish Academy awarded the Nobel Laureate to relative unknown, Belarusian journalist and author Svetlana Alexievich.

“Of course there are other authors who will shorten in price, and those who will lengthen. However, on only one occasion has there been a significant shortening in odds on an author who hasn’t won: Svetlana Alexievich, who was supported from 50/1 down to 4/5 in 2013. She then went on to win in 2015,” Donohue stated to The Guardian

Updating its market, Ladbrokes has placed Syrian poet Adunis as 6/1 second favourite, followed by recently retired American novelist Philip Roth at 7/1.

New Yorker Joyce Carol Oates is perhaps the 2016 Nobel’s most recognised author, with over 40 published titles the poet and playwright currently stand fifth at 14/1  on the bookmakers market.

Ladbrokes 2016 Nobel Literature Prize Odds