Bob Dylan finally picks up his Nobel literature prize

American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan finally collected his Nobel Prize for literature on Saturday in a secret meeting before a scheduled concert in Sweden's capital, Stockholm.

Three months after he declined to attend the official ceremony, Dylan received his medal and diploma on Saturday evening in a closed meeting with members of the Swedish Academy, which elects the winners of the literature prize.

"It went very well indeed," said Klas Ostergren, a member of the Swedish Academy, describing Dylan as "a very nice, kind man."

First songwriter to win Nobel Literature prize

Dylan was the first musician to win the prestigious literary award.

The Swedish Academy awarded Dylan the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition."

He had expressed awe at receiving the Nobel Prize and thanked the Swedish Academy for including him among the "giants" of writing.

For the 75-year-old to claim his $900,000 prize money, Dylan must give a lecture within six months of the announcement. He has said he will not give his Nobel lecture this weekend but a recorded version of it will be sent later.

Taped Nobel lectures have been occasionally presented, most recently in 2013 by Canadian Nobel literature laureate Alice Munro.