The Nobel Prize for Literature winner has written a speech to be read at Saturday’s banquet, but he won’t be there to read it.

Bob Dylan is too busy to attend his Nobel Prize ceremony so is sending the legendary Patti Smith in his place. Smith will perform Dylan’s 1962 protest song ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ before a speech from the songwriter is read at the banquet, set to take place on Saturday (December 10).

The “speech of thanks” will be read out by an as-yet-undecided person at the bash in Stockholm’s City Hall, reports Billboard. Nobel spokeswoman Annika Pontikis says Dylan’s diploma and medal will be given to him at a later date.

Dylan has shown reluctance to celebrate his win from the start, taking two weeks to officially accept his award after swerving the Swedish academy’s emails and phone calls in the weeks following the announcement. He had initially told The Telegraph that he would attend the ceremony, “if it’s at all possible,” however last month revealed he had “other commitments” and would not be able to make it.