Bob Dylan: The "Mr. Tambourine Man" singer isn't a traditional laureate, having published little more than a well-received memoir and a collection of poems. However, the honor would be for his elliptical songs of rebellion and protest, many of which are dense with literary allusions that make him a favorite with the ivory tower crowd. He'll have to content himself with another world tour instead of a round-trip to Sweden.
Nobel Prize Snubs: Bob Dylan to Philip Roth, Literary Greats Who Didn’t Make the Grade
Mo Yan's win means Thomas Pynchon, Alice Munro and Don DeLillo are once again left out in the cold.