#MeToo scandal roils Nobel literature board
STOCKHOLM — Thousands of protesters called Thursday for the resignation of the secretive board that awards the Nobel Prize in Literature after a sexabuse scandal linked to the prestigious Swedish academy forced the ouster of its first-ever woman head and tarnished the reputation of the coveted prize.
The ugly internal feud has already reached the top levels of public life in the Scandinavian nation known for its promotion of gender equality, with the prime minister, the king and the Nobel board weighing in.
On Thursday evening, thousands of protesters gathered on Stockholm’s picturesque Stortorget Square outside the headquarters of the Swedish Academy.
The national protests have grown out of what began as Sweden’s own #MeToo moment in November. It hit the academy when 18 women came forward with accusations against Jean-Claude Arnault, a major cultural figure in Sweden who is married to Katarina Frostenson, a poet who is a member of the academy.
Police are investigating the allegations, which Arnault denies, but the case has given rise to accusations of patriarchal leanings among some members.
The turmoil began when some of the committee’s 18 members pushed for the removal of Frostenson after the allegations were levied against her husband.
After a closed-door vote failed to oust her, three male members behind the push resigned. That prompted Horace Engdahl, a committee member who has supported Arnault, to label them a “clique of sore losers” and criticize the three for airing their case in public.
He also lashed out at Sara Danius, who was forced out last week amid criticism from male members of her handling of the scandal.