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Trevor Noah Wins Prestigious Erasmus Prize

Trevor Noah is the first comic to win the prestigious Erasmus Prize since Charlie Chaplin in 1965.

Popular South African comic Trevor Noah has won the prestigious Erasmus Prize from The Praemium Erasmianum Foundation The award is named after Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus' most famous piece of work.

According to a statement from The Praemium Erasmianum Foundation, Noah was receiving the prize “for his inspired contribution to the theme ‘In Praise of Folly,’ named after Erasmus’s most famous book, which is filled with humor, social criticism and political satire.” (Desiderius Erasmus was a an influential Dutch philosopher from the northern Renaissance era.)

Noah is the first comic since 1965 who has been awarded the honor. The last comic to win the prize was Charlie Chaplin, who received the honor in 1965. Since 1958, The Erasmus Prize has been awarded to recipients who are recognized for a wide range of achievements, including literature, music, philosophy, and social activism. Some of the notable recipients who have received the award in the past include Jorge Luis Borges, Isaiah Berlin, Ingmar Bergman, and Amartya Sen.

The panel who selects awardees for the prize include a committee of scholars and cultural experts who review nominations and make a recommendation to the board of the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation after weighing in on the strength of each candidate. After the recommendation, it is then up to the board to make the final decision on the recipient of the award. The prize is typically awarded in the fall during a ceremony in the Dutch royal palace in Amsterdam.

Beyond his work as a comic, the former Daily Show host has been vocal about his social justice advocacy and has been a strong advocate for human rights issues on a general scale. While he was a host on The Daily Show, he consistently used his voice to highlight other prominent Africans. It is safe to say that the 39-year-old has indeed made South Africa proud.

Photo by Timothy Norris

Trevor Noah is Working on a Novel

Following his exit from 'Daily Show,' Trevor Noah has landed a book deal that is slated to be released in the fall.

South African native and former host of The Daily ShowTrevor Noah, is slated to release a book this fall.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the book’s publisher, One World is describing the book, which will be a novel, as a “gorgeously illustrated and moving modern fable for readers of all ages about forgiveness, acceptance and the secret to solidarity.” Although reports state that the book does not have a title yet, it is slated to be released this fall, and will bear a similar themes to stories like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Little Prince.

This isn’t Noah’s first time working on a book. In 2016, his book Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood became a New York Times Best Seller. The autobiographical comedy book candidly chronicled Noah’s story about growing up in South Africa as a mixed-race child, and the complexities that came with that.

Following his exit from The Daily Show, Noah has stayed busy. His most recent gig was hosting the 65th Annual Grammy Awards for the third consecutive year.

When he left The Daily Show, Noah shared a heartwarming farewell message to his fans.

"I'm grateful to you. Every single one of you," Noah said at the time. "I remember when we started the show, we couldn't get enough people to fill the audience... And I look at this now and I don't take it for granted, ever. Every seat that's ever been filled to watch something that I'm doing, I always appreciate it. "Thank you to the people who watch, the people who share the clips. Everyone who's ever had an opinion."

Noah shared with fans that he was ready to turn a new page with his career. Whether for reasons of evolving as a creative professional, or trying his hands on new ventures, one thing is for sure: Noah has become adept at crafting his narrative, and plotting out a trajectory that works for him.

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