By Julio César Anzueto
Stockholm. December 10, 1967. Sent by telephone, courtesy of Ericsson. —The triumph of Miguel Ángel Asturias It was witnessed by only 10 Guatemalans, but we are sure that the joy and feelings of millions of other Guatemalans were concentrated in them.
Asturias received the award calmly, but at the end of the ceremony and receiving a hug and kiss from his wife, we were able to witness his emotion and his eyes became moist. During the event, Asturias was thoughtful with his hand on his chin, a very peculiar attitude for him. We got the impression that although he was physically in the facility, his thoughts were flying towards the homeland.
At 4:30 p.m. in Stockholm – 9:30 a.m. in Guatemala – the award ceremony for the winners took place.
In front of the king
The eight 1967 Nobel Prize winners were placed on special stands, in front of the place of honor presided over by King Gustav IV Adolphus. The winners were presented and an usher took the prize to the king, who gave it to the laureate, who came forward to receive it, then they greeted the public and returned to their place.
There was no noise in the living room. There was no applause except when the king presented the awards to the laureates, then the clapping of palms was heard and the bugles and trumpets were heard announcing the triumph.
Miguel Ángel Asturias was presented by Dr. Osterling, who said that the reason for the award granted by the academy was due to his literary work, rich in color, based on the originality of the people and indigenous traditions. At the end he said that the poetic creation of Asturias was covered in the feathery magnificence of the magical bird: the quetzal.
The ceremony was attended by the Guatemalan ambassador to Sweden and Germany, Mr. Antonio Gándara; the journalists Salvador Búcaro Salaverría, Mario Antonio Sandoval Samayoa, Manuel José Arce, Acisclo Valladares Molina and Aquiles Pinto. There were also two Guatemalans married to Swedes, Mrs. Marta Morataya from Ostlund and Olga from Anderson.
banquet of honor
A banquet was held in honor of the Nobel winners in the town hall. There Asturias addressed those present saying: “Your Majesty: My voice at the threshold. My voice coming from far away, from my native Guatemala, at the threshold of the academy. It is difficult to become part of a family. The family of luminous torches. To become part of the Nobel family, to be heir of Alfredo Nobel.” The comments when Miguel Ángel Asturias finished speaking were: Asturias’s word thundered like a volcano!
*Extracts from the original note published in edition #5020 of Prensa Libre
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This note is part of the commemorative series of our diamond wedding, it is a journey through news that marked the history of Guatemala, with original texts and images from each era, as a reliable testimony of our mission of service.