Delivered just in time to receive the prize money.

Bob Dylan has finally delivered his Nobel Prize acceptance lecture, during which he offered some insight into the inspiration behind his award-winning songwriting.

After taking two weeks to officially accept the prize in October and failing to attend the December ceremony in person, in April Dylan accepted the Nobel Prize for Literature while in Sweden. However, he did not present the lecture – which can take any form – that was required to claim his 8 million kroner (£725,000) prize money.

The 30-minute recorded speech was finally sent to the academy this past weekend and sees the legendary singer-songwriter namecheck Buddy Holly as an early inspiration, saying his music “changed my life” when he was a teenager. He also notes the impact of classic novels on his art, including Moby Dick, All Quiet on the Western Front and The Odyssey.

Listen to Dylan’s lecture in full below.