Sara Danius (pictured above), the first woman head of the Swedish Academy, established in 1786, announced Thursday that she is stepping down from her post.

Her resignation comes amid criticism regarding how the organization, which has picked the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature since 1901, handled an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by a man married to one of its members.

Read more: How a #MeToo scandal is rocking the Nobel literature academy

"It was the wish of the Academy that I should leave my role as permanent secretary … and I have made the decision with immediate effect," Danius, who has held the position since 2015, told reporters. "[The sex abuse scandal] has already affected the Nobel Prize quite severely, and that's quite a big problem."

Until a replacement is found, Anders Olsson, who has chaired the academy's meetings this term, will replace Danius.

How the jury for the Nobel Prize in Literature works The Swedish Academy is in charge The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III on the model of the Académie Française. His aim was to promote the Swedish language and literature. Since 1901, the Academy, called "De Aderton" (the eighteen) for its 18 seats, has awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The jury makes its decision in October, and the award ceremony is held on Alfred Nobel's birthday, on December 10.

How the jury for the Nobel Prize in Literature works A lengthy procedure Appointed for life, the members of the Academy are Swedish authors, literature experts and linguists, historians, as well as a famous lawyer. The preliminary preparations start a year before the winner is picked. The first official action in the selection process usually takes place in September of the previous year.

How the jury for the Nobel Prize in Literature works The Nobel Committee's role Every year, usually in September, the Nobel Committee sends about 700 invitation letters to "persons who are qualified to nominate for the Nobel Prize in Literature," which includes members of the Swedish Academy, former laureates and literature experts. The committee, headed by author Per Wästberg (photo) has six members who are chosen from the ranks of the Nobel Prize Academy for three years.

How the jury for the Nobel Prize in Literature works The selection process The deadline for submissions of nominations in on January 31. The Nobel Committee for Literature evaluates the nominations; by April, the number of candidates is reduced to 15-20 people, and a shortlist of five candidates is selected one month later. From then on, the Swedish Academy takes over the procedure.

How the jury for the Nobel Prize in Literature works Reading, debating, deciding The Academy then receives the list of five candidates from the Committee. The Academy members spend the summer reading, debating and writing reports. They meet to discuss the literary achievements of the candidates in September.

How the jury for the Nobel Prize in Literature works The winner In early October, the Academy members select and announce the winner, who must have received more than half of the votes. In 2017, Japan-born British author Kazuo Ishiguro (photo) took home the award endowed with about 800,000 euros. The remaining nominees are to be kept secret for 50 years. Author: Bettina Baumann (ad)



Man's wife also steps down

In November, the academy hired a private law firm to investigate sexual harassment allegations made by 18 women against Jean-Claude Arnault, the husband of academy member Katarina Frostenson.

Last Friday, three members of the institution — Peter Englund, Klas Ostergren and Kjell Espmark — withdrew from its board after a vote to expel Frostenson failed.

On Wednesday, King Carl XVI Gustaf, a patron of the academy, said the difficulties surrounding the probe "are very unfortunate and risk seriously harming the academy's important work."

However, Olsson confirmed on Thursday that Frostenson, a member since 1992, was also resigning, "hoping that the Swedish Academy would survive as an institution."

With Thursday's announcement, seven of the academy's 18 members have stepped down, casting doubts as to whether the organization can function properly. Members are appointed for life and cannot technically resign. However, there is nothing forcing them to actively participate if they choose not to do so.

Investigation ongoing

State prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into the sexual abuse accusations, but said in March that some parts of the probe had to be shelved because of a lack of evidence and the statute of limitations having expired for some of the incidents.

Arnault's lawyer, Bjorn Hurtig, told Reuters in an email that his client "rejects all claims of criminal activity."

The academy cut all ties with Arnault, who ran a cultural club in Stockholm and was responsible for an apartment the institute owns in Paris, in November after the allegations.

dv/sms (dpa, Reuters)

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