The public eagerly awaited William Faulkner's acceptance speech because he was known for not speaking publicly. Attentive listeners were careful not to make a sound as they had a little difficulty clearly understanding Faulkner's thick, southern accent. He was confident that his audience would be able to think and understand the message he was trying to convey, as the audience consisted of former Nobel laureates and other outstanding intellectuals of the time. Newspapers that followed the Nobel Prize speeches declared Faulkner's speech a must-see speech.