▁challenge ▁and ▁an ▁in valu able ▁a est h etic ▁gesture . ▁ ▁Ast ur ias ' s ▁home ▁country ▁celebrated ▁his ▁international ▁recognition . ▁In ▁Gu atem ala ▁his ▁face ▁soon ▁ad orn ed ▁post age ▁st amps , ▁a ▁street ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁him , ▁and ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁medal . ▁According ▁to ▁K j ell ▁Str öm berg ▁in ▁The ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁Prize , ▁" the ▁whole ▁of ▁his ▁little ▁country ▁was ▁given ▁over ▁to ▁rejo icing ". ▁Further ▁adm iration ▁was ▁expressed ▁throughout ▁Latin ▁America , ▁where ▁Ast ur ias ' s ▁Nobel ▁Prize ▁was ▁viewed ▁as ▁an ▁accomplish ment ▁for ▁Latin ▁American ▁literature ▁as ▁a ▁whole , ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁achiev ement ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁author ▁or ▁country . ▁As ▁scholar ▁Richard ▁Jew ell ▁notes , ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁substantial ▁criticism ▁that ▁Latin ▁American ▁writers ▁were ▁being ▁ignored ▁by ▁the ▁Nobel ▁committee . ▁Begin ning ▁with ▁Miguel ▁Áng el ▁Ast ur ias ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁however , ▁the ▁a cademy ▁selected ▁four ▁Latin ▁American ▁writers ▁within ▁twenty - four ▁years . ▁ ▁Bi ograph er ▁Gregory ▁Rab assa , ▁who ▁has ▁translated ▁other ▁works ▁by ▁Ast ur ias , ▁highlight s ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁Nobel ▁Prize ▁on ▁Ast ur ias ' s ▁subsequent ▁work , ▁saying , ▁"[ h ] is ▁winning ▁the ▁Nobel ▁Prize ▁for ▁Liter ature ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁gave ▁him ▁a ▁long - await ed ▁financial ▁independence ▁that   ... ▁enabled ▁him ▁to ▁withdraw