Not too old: French Academy admits Nobel laureate Vargas Llosa

FILE PHOTO: Peruvian Nobel Prize winner writer Mario Vargas Llosa looks on during a launching ceremony of his new book "Tiempos Recios" at Casa de America in Madrid, Spain, October 8, 2019. REUTERS/Sergio Perez/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) - The French Academy, the prestigious institution that shapes the standards of the French language, said on Thursday it will admit Peruvian writer and Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa as a new member, although he is 10 years older than its statutes allow and has never written a book in French.

Vargas Llosa, whose sharp attacks on Peru's then ruling military made him a leading figure in Latin America's 1960s literary scene, was admitted with 18 out of 22 votes, the Academy said in a statement.