J.R.R. Tolkien was rejected for a Nobel Prize in Literature due to "poor storytelling".

Although J.R.R. Tolkien created a folklore and fantasy empire with his ‘Lord of the Rings’ series, the author was actually rejected for a Nobel Prize by the committee in 1961. The jury’s reasoning? Tolkien’s books had “poor storytelling.”

Tolkien was nominated by his friend and fellow author C.S. Lewis. He ultimately lost the award to Yugoslavian author Ivo Andrić.

Despite failing to obtain arguably literature’s highest honors, Tolkien did receive several other awards and distinctions throughout his life. He was even awarded honorary doctorates from two universities —the University of Liege in Belgium and the University of Dublin in Ireland. This international recognition demonstrates the widespread influence of ‘The Lord of the Rings.’

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