Judge on Nobel Literature board comments ahead of prize

Описание: (7 Oct 2010) SHOTLIST
1. Wide exterior of the Swedish Nobel Academy
2. Exterior of Nobel Academy
3. Peter Englund, Permanent Member of the Swedish Academy, walking into room
4. Englund sitting down speaking to reporter
5. Cutaway of hands
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Peter Englund, Permanent Member of the Swedish Academy:
"I would say that the Academy in its work, is free of political bias, especially in the sense of you call it, a political agenda. I would say also that, that is not possible because you can find very different political views inside the Academy. It wouldn't be possible even to agree on a political agenda. If we did so it would probably crack at the seams."
7. Cutaway of hands
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Peter Englund, Permanent Member of the Swedish Academy:
"Is it possible to get a prize from the Academy, and I'm talking in a general way, despite your own political views? Yes. Is it possible to get a prize from the Academy, and I'm talking about any prize, because there are many prizes that we distribute, is it possible to get a prize because of your political ideas? No, no way."
9. Pan along pictures of judges
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Peter Englund, Permanent Member of the Swedish Academy:
"If you are a European, you share a lot of things, when it comes to say, history, cultural references and so on and so on. I think it's easier to.. as a European, to relate to other Europeans and that is a problem. I readily admit that but we are aware of it."
11. Wide exterior of building
STORYLINE
The decisions made by the Nobel panel are "free of political bias" according a representative of the panel ahead of the announcement of 2010 Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday.
"I would say that the Academy in its work, is free of political bias, especially in the sense of you call it, a political agenda. I would say also that, that is not possible because you can find very different political views inside the Academy. It wouldn't be possible even to agree on a political agenda. if we did so it would probably crack at the seams," Peter Englund, permanent secretary of the 16-member academy told Associated Press.
The Swedish Academy has selected the winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in literature and will announce the decision next week after a formal vote, the panel's spokesman said on Friday.
Englund declined to give any hints about the academy's choice. The selection process is shrouded in secrecy - nominations are kept secret for 50 years.
Syrian poet Adonis, Americans Philip Roth and Joyce Carol Oates, South Korea's Ko Un and Algerian writer Assia Djebar are among the names figuring in speculation ahead of this year's prize.
Last year's literature award went to Romanian-born German writer Herta Mueller, continuing a trend of awarding European authors.
Five Europeans and one Turk have received the prestigious prize in the past six years.
All were primarily novelists except playwright Harold Pinter, who won in 2005.
The Swedish Academy has been criticised for being too Euro-centric, ignoring writers from other parts of the world.
"If you are a European, you share a lot of things, when it comes to say, history, cultural references and so on and so on. I think it's easier to... as a European, to relate to other Europeans and that is a problem," Englund said on the 1st of October.
The Nobel Prizes, created by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, were first handed out in 1901, five years after his death.
Each 10 (m) million kronor (1.5 (m) million US dollar) award has a separate prize jury.

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