A member of the Swedish Academy that awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in literature to Bob Dylan says the US singer-songwriter’s silence since receiving the honour is “impolite and arrogant”.

Per Wastberg said his lack of reaction was predictable, but disrespectful nonetheless. He was quoted telling the Swedish newspaper Dagens Myheter in Saturday’s edition: “One can say that it is impolite and arrogant. He is who he is.”

Bob Dylan (Chris Pizzello/AP)
Bob Dylan (Chris Pizzello/AP)

Per said the academy still hopes to communicate with the 75-year-old artist, whose award credits him with creating “new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.

The academy says it has failed to reach Bob Dylan since the award announcement on October 13. It was mentioned on Bob’s official Twitter and Facebook accounts.

The prize will be officially conferred on December 10 in Stockholm.