I think E.M.Forster should have won one, he was nominated for 16 times or something (can’t remember the exact number), and I really like his style. His stories might not be very creative plot-wise, but I like the themes he dealt with and the subtlety in his writing, and I always find his characters’ thoughts and emotions so relatable, in a ‘that’s exactly what I want to say only I couldn’t express it so well’ sort of way. My favourite novel by him is A Room with a View, and I’ll always have a soft spot for George and Lucy and Florence.
In recent years? Marilynne Robinson should have won instead of Bob Dylan. It was a publicity stunt. It’s like giving the Heismann Trophy to Simone Biles — she’s the best at what she does, but what she does isn’t what that award is for.