Who became the first non-European Nobel laureate in Literature in 1913?

Rabindranath Tagore became the first non-European Nobel laureate in Literature in 1913.

Tagore was a Bengali poet, novelist, composer, playwright, essayist, and educator from India. The Swedish Academy honored him for verse marked by “profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful” expression. He was the first Asian and first person born outside Europe to receive the Literature Prize.

The award was closely connected with Gitanjali, or Song Offerings. Tagore translated many of these Bengali poems into English, and the translations helped introduce his work to influential readers in Britain, including W. B. Yeats, who wrote an introduction to the English edition.

Tagore is sometimes described simply as an Indian poet, but his achievement was broader: he wrote in Bengali, founded the educational community at Santiniketan, and composed songs that became the national anthems of India and Bangladesh. The prize was announced in November 1913 and presented in December.