Yesterday morning, the world waited in baited breath to find out which wordsmith would be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature following singer Bob Dylan's controversial win last year.
Despite the fact The Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood was tipped to win the coveted prize, with betting service Ladbrokes reportedly giving the writer 7/2 odds, British novelist Kazuro Ishiguro finally came out victorious.
And while the literary community and readers alike were happy with the decision, some expressed sadness that the Canadian author lost, including Ishiguro himself.
In an interview with The Globe and Mail following his win, the Never Let Me Go author said: 'I apologize to Margaret Atwood that it's not her getting this prize. I genuinely thought she would win it very soon.
'I never for a moment thought I would. I always thought it would be Margaret Atwood very soon; and I still think that, I still hope that.'
However, it appears Atwood isn't taking the loss too badly, if her latest tweets are anything to go by.
Explaining why Ishiguro was the worthy winner, Swedish Academy's Sarah Danius explained: 'If you mix Jane Austen and Franz Kafka, then you have Kazuo Ishiguro in a nutshell – but you have to add a little bit of Marcel Proust into the mix.
'And then you stir, but not too much, and then you have his writings. At the same time, he's a writer of great integrity; doesn't look to the side. He's developed an aesthetic universe of his own.'
The 62-year-old author has previously won the Booker Prize following bestselling success with the The Remains of the Day and his recent novel The Buried Giant, and called his Nobel win 'ridiculously prestigious honour'.
Congratulations Ishiguro. There's always next year, Atwood.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
