Dylan did not show up in person, but wrote a letter for his gratitude to the famous writers.

In lieu of attending the ceremony, Dylan wrote a speech, which was read by the American ambassador to Sweden. In it, he expressed his gratitude to the committee, and his admiration for writers who have won the award in the past, including Rudyard Kipling, Albert Camus and Ernest Hemingway.

A gunman whom relatives identified as an Arab citizen of Israel opened fire in the center of Tel Aviv on Friday, killing two Israeli Jews at a crowded bar and wounding at least five others. The suspect was still at large late Friday.