Swedish literature
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Swedish literature (Swedish: Svensk litteratur) refers to literature written in the Swedish language or by writers from Sweden.[1]
The first literary text from Sweden is the
With improved education and the freedom brought by
In the 1900s, one of the earliest novelists was
In recent decades, a handful of Swedish writers have established themselves internationally, such as the detective novelist
There is also a strong tradition of Swedish as the literary language of the Finnish nobility; after the separation in the start of the 19th century, Finland has produced Swedish-language writers such as Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who wrote the Finnish national epic The Tales of Ensign Stål, and Tove Jansson.
Old Norse
Most runestones had a practical, rather than a literary, purpose and are therefore mainly of interest to historians and
Middle Ages
The Christianization of Sweden was one of the main events in the country's history, and it naturally had an equally profound impact on literature.
The Gök runestone is a case in point of how the older literature dissolved. It uses the same imagery as the
Literature now looked to foreign texts to provide models. By 1200, Christianity was firmly established and a Medieval European culture appeared in Sweden. Only a selected few mastered the written language, but little was written down. The earliest works written in Swedish were provincial laws, first written down in the 13th century.
Most education was provided by the
16th and 17th century
Reformation literature
Reformation-era literature |
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Swedish Reformation literature is considered to have been written between 1526 and 1658. However, this period has not been highly regarded from a literary point of view. It is generally considered a step back in terms of literary development.[5][6][7] The main reason was King Gustav Vasa's wish to control and censor all publications, with the result that only the Bible and a few other religious works were published.[8] At the same time, Catholic monasteries were plundered and Catholic books were burnt. The king did not consider it important to reestablish higher education, so Uppsala University was left to decay.[9]
There were comparatively few groups of writers during this time. The burghers still had little influence, while the Church
Apart from Christian Reformation literature there was one other significant ideological movement. This was
While contributions to Swedish culture were sparse, this period did at least provide an invaluable basis for future development. Most importantly, the Swedish Bible translation of 1541, the so-called Gustav Vasa Bible, gave Sweden a uniform language for the first time. Secondly, the introduction of the printing press resulted in literature being spread to groups it had previously been unable to reach.[10]
Renaissance literature
The period in Swedish history between 1630 and 1718 is known as the Swedish Empire. It partly corresponds to an independent literary period. The literature of the Swedish Empire era is regarded as the beginning of the Swedish literary tradition.[11]
Renaissance literature is considered to have been written between 1658 and 1732. It was in 1658 that Georg Stiernhielm published his Herculus, the first hexametrical poem in the Swedish language.
When Sweden became a great power, a stronger middle class culture arose. Unlike the age of the Reformation, education was no longer solely a matter of ecclesiastical studies such as theology. During this era, there was a wealth of influences from the leading countries of the time, namely Germany, France, Holland and Italy. It was symptomatic that the man who came to be known as Sweden's first poet, Georg Stiernhielm, was more acquainted with Ancient philosophy than with Christian teachings.
18th century
The 18th century has been described as the Swedish
Naturally, the impulses that invigorated Swedish cultural life had their origin in the European Age of Enlightenment. The main influences came from Germany, England and France, and these were reflected in Swedish literature. The Swedish language became enriched by French words, and ideas of liberalization were based on the English model.[14]
Swedish literature consolidated around 1750; this is considered the start of a linguistic period called Late
In the 18th century, Latin rapidly declined in popularity in favour of the national language. One of the first authors to aim his books directly at the general public was the world-renowned botanist
The 18th century was also the century when female writers first gained widespread recognition. Sophia Elisabet Brenner (1659–1730), Sweden's first professional female writer, had started her career in the 17th century, but it continued into the following century.[17] Later, Anna Maria Lenngren's (1754–1817) often satirical writings proved to have lasting influence, and it remains a point of debate to this day how exactly to interpret "Några ord till min k. Dotter, i fall jag hade någon" ('A few words for my beloved daughter, if I had had one') – are the exhortations to remain at home and not get involved in literature or politics serious or satirical?[18]
19th century
Romanticism
In European history, the period circa 1805–1840 is known as
One significant reason was that several poets for the first time worked towards a common direction. Four of the main romantic poets who made significant contributions to the movement were: the professor of history Erik Gustaf Geijer, the loner Erik Johan Stagnelius, the professor of Greek language Esaias Tegnér and the professor of aesthetics and philosophy P.D.A. Atterbom.[21]
Early liberalism
The period between 1835 and 1879 is known as the early liberal period in Swedish history. The views of the Romantics had come to be perceived by many as inflated and overburdened by formality. The first outspoken liberal newspaper in Sweden, Aftonbladet, was founded in 1830. It quickly became the leading newspaper in Sweden because of its liberal views and criticism of the current state of affairs. The newspaper played its part in turning literature in a more realistic direction, because of its more concise use of language.[22][23]
Several authorities would regard Carl Jonas Love Almqvist (1793–1866) as the most outstanding genius of the 19th century in Sweden.[24] Beginning in 1838, he published a series of socially and politically radical stories attacking both marriage and clerical institutions. Several of his ideas are still interesting for modern readers, in particular the work "Det går an" (1839) which reached the German bestseller list as late as 2004.[25][26]
Naturalism, or realism
Naturalism is one name for the literary period between 1880 and 1900. In Sweden, however, the period starting in 1880 is known as realism. This is partly because the 1880s had such a strong focus on social realism, and partly because the 1890s was a period of its own, the "90s poets".[27]
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Scandinavian literature made its first impression on world literature. From Sweden, the main name was August Strindberg, but Ola Hansson, Selma Lagerlöf and Victoria Benedictsson also attained wider recognition.[28]
The breakthrough of realism in Sweden occurred in 1879. That year, August Strindberg (1845–1912) published The Red Room (Röda Rummet), a satirical novel that relentlessly attacked the political, the academic, the philosophical and the religious worlds.[29][30]
August Strindberg was a writer world-famous for his dramas and prose, noted for his exceptional talent and complex intellect. He would continue to write several books and dramas until his death in Stockholm.[29][30] He also was an accomplished painter and photographer.[31]
The 90s poets
The Swedish 1890s is noted for its poetic
The novelist
20th century
Modern literature
It was in the 1910s that a new literary period began with the ageing August Strindberg, who published several critical articles, contesting many conservative values. With the advent of social democracy and large-scale strikes, the winds were blowing in the direction of social reforms.[37][38]
The modern novel
In the 1910s, the dominant form of literary expression was now the novel. One of the earliest novelists was
Contemporary to Söderberg was Bo Bergman. Further development of the novel is associated with writers such as Gustaf Hellström, Sigfrid Siwertz, Elin Wägner and Hjalmar Bergman.[44]
Modernism
Another early modernist was Birger Sjöberg whose controversial expressionistic book of poems Kriser och kransar (Crises and Wreaths) appeared in 1926. The anxiety-ridden poems was an unexpected contrast to Sjöberg's earlier success with the idyllic and popular Fridas visor (1922). Both Lagerkvist and Sjöberg had an influence on the modernist poets of the 1930s and 1940s.[45]
Karin Boye was influenced by modernism and psychoanalysis. Boye is one of the most widely read poets in Sweden and is also known for the dystopic novel Kallocain (1940).[45]
Proletarian literature
In 1929 Artur Lundkvist, Harry Martinson, Erik Asklund, Josef Kjellgren and Gustav Sandgren published the highly influential modernist poetry anthology Fem unga (Five Young Men).[45]
Swedish agriculture had a system with labourers called
With works such as the novel Godnatt, jord (Goodnight, earth, 1933) that portrayed statare, Ivar Lo-Johansson became a dominating figure in Swedish proletarian literature. Moa Martinson's novels focused on poor women farm laborers and factory workers. An autobiographical novel series beginning with Mor gifter sig (My mother gets married, 1936) is widely read.[45]
A well-known proletarian writer was
Bourgeoisie literature
Bourgeoisie literature in the 1930s was written by Agnes von Krusenstjerna, Olle Hedberg and Fritiof Nilsson Piraten. Krusenstjernas portrayal of her class in the Von Pahlen-series (1930-1935) resulted in a furious debate. Notable poets of the era was Johannes Edfelt, Hjalmar Gullberg and Nils Ferlin.[45]
The 1940s and 1950s
In the 1940s modernist literature known as fyrtiotalism was typically pessimistic with recurring themes like anguish and guilt and the works became increasingly experimental. Stig Dagerman and novelist Lars Ahlin are the best known prose writers of this era while Erik Lindegren and Karl Vennberg were the leading poets.[45]
A number of acclaimed female authors such as Stina Aronson, Ulla Isaksson and the poet Elsa Grave also appeared in the 1940s.[45]
The literature of the 1950s continued some of the themes of the 1940s but became more ironic and playful with writers such as Lars Gyllensten, Willy Kyrklund and Lars Forssell. Birgitta Trotzig, a major modernist writer whose work focus on existential questions of a religions nature made her breakthrough with De utsatta (The Exposed) in 1957. Poets associated with the 1950s are Werner Aspenström who became one of the most widely read poets in Sweden and the highly influential Tomas Tranströmer who made his debut in 1954 with 17 dikter (17 Poems).[45]
The 1960s and 1970s
In the 1960s a new socially critical literature emerged that often focused on global perspective and anti-war themes. Journalistic documentary books was a significant literary trend with writers such as Jan Myrdal, Sven Lindqvist and Per Wästberg. Sara Lidman, a celebrated novelist of the 1950s also turned to such political writing in the 1960s, but later returned to writing novels centred on life in a small village in northern Sweden. Authors such as Per Olof Sundman and Per Olov Enquist turned to pseudo-documentary novels. Enquist later had international success with the historical novel Livläkarens besök (1999, The Visit of the Royal Physician). Lars Gustafsson, best known for his partially autobiographical novel series Sprickorna i muren (1971–78; "The Cracks in the Wall"), railed against the bureaucratic Swedish welfare state in multilayered, often metafictional novels. P. C. Jersild mixed social realism with the fantastic. Sven Delblanc wrote a series of four acclaimed historical novels about his childhood region, depicting the rural Swedish society in an unidealized way. Per Anders Fogelström had huge success with a series of widely read historical novels that followed a working-class family in Stockholm from the 1860s to the 1960s, beginning with Mina drömmars stad (City of My Dreams, 1960).[45]
Late 20th century
Göran Tunström's novels marked a return of the joy of storytelling after the political themes of the 1970s. His novels, rich of fantasy and humour and set in his home region Värmland, reached a highpoint with Juloratoriet (1983; The Christmas Oratorio). Torgny Lindgren is one of the internationally most successful Swedish writers. His novels, set in the remote countryside of northern Sweden often deals with questions of power, oppression, and the nature of evil, such as Ormens väg på hälleberget (1982; The Way of a Serpent). Another leading novelist of the 1970s to the 1990s was Kerstin Ekman.[47]
Lars Norén who had debuted as a poet in the 1960s emerged as a celebrated dramatist. Stig Larsson was the leading postmodern writer. Kristina Lugn was an acclaimed poet and dramatist. Katarina Frostenson, Ann Jäderlund and Birgitta Lillpers revitalized poetry.[45]
Klas Östergren had a major breakthrough with the novel Gentlemen in 1980. A prolific author of epic novels as well as short stories Östergren became regarded as one of the leading writers.[48] Majgull Axelsson was noted for the novel Aprilhäxan (April Witch, 1997) that mixed social realism with magic realism. Autobiographical and confessional writing had an upswing with writers such as Agneta Pleijel, Ernst Brunner and Carina Rydberg. Peter Kihlgård, Sigrid Combüchen and Inger Edelfeldt appeared as other prolific prose writers.[45]
Poetry
In the 1930s and 1940s, poetry was influenced by the ideals of modernism. Distinguishing features included the desire to experiment, and to try a variety of styles, usually free verse without rhyme or metre.
The leading modernist figure soon turned out to be Hjalmar Gullberg (1898–1961). He wrote many mystical and Christian-influenced collections, such as Andliga övningar (Spiritual Exercises, 1932) and others. After a poetical break 1942–1952, he resurfaced with a new style in the 1950s. Atheistic on the surface, it was influential for the younger generation.[49][50]
Gunnar Ekelöf (1907–1968) has been described as Sweden's first surrealistic poet, due to his first poetry collection, the nihilistic Sent på jorden (1932), a work hardly understood by his contemporaries.[51] But Ekelöf moved towards romanticism and with his second poetry collection Dedikationen in 1934 he became appreciated in wider circles.[51] He continued to write until his old age, and was to attain a dominant position in Swedish poetry. His style has been described as heavy with symbolism and enigmatic, while at the same time tormented and ironical.[52]
Another important modernist poet was Harry Martinson (1904–1978). Harry Martinson had an unparalleled feeling for nature, in the spirit of Linnaeus. As was typical for his generation, he wrote free verse, not bound by rhyme or syllable-count. He also wrote novels, a classic work being the partly autobiographical Flowering Nettles, in 1935. His most remarkable work was, however, Aniara, 1956, a story of a spaceship drifting through space.[53]
Arguably the most famous Swedish poet of the 20th century is
Dan Andersson (born 6 April 1888 in Skattlösberg, Grangärde parish (in present-day Ludvika Municipality), Dalarna, Sweden, died 16 September 1920 in Stockholm) was a Swedish author and poet. He also set some of his own poems to music. Andersson married primary school teacher Olga Turesson, the sister of artist Gunnar Turesson, in 1918. A nom de plume he sometimes used was Black Jim. Andersson is counted among the Swedish proletarian authors, but his works are not limited to that genre.
Drama
Several writers of drama surfaced after World War II. In the 1950s, revues were popular; some names of the era were the comedians Povel Ramel and Kar de Mumma. The Hasse & Tage duo continued the comedic tradition in 1962 and became something of an institution in the Swedish revue world for twenty years, encompassing radio, television and film productions.
With the late 1960s came a breakthrough for alternative drama of a freer nature, and theatre became more of a venue for popular tastes. In the 1970s and 1980s, the two most noted playwrights were Lars Norén (1944–) and Per Olov Enquist (1934–2020).[57]
Children's literature
In the 1930s a new awareness of children's needs emerged. This manifested itself shortly after World War II, when Astrid Lindgren published Pippi Longstocking in 1945. Pippi's rebellious behaviour at first sparked resistance among some defenders of cultural values, but eventually she was accepted, and with that children's literature was freed from the obligation to promote moralism.[58][59]
Astrid Lindgren continued to publish many best-selling children's books which eventually made her the most read Swedish author, regardless of genre, with over 100 million copies printed throughout the world and translations into over 80 languages. In many other books Lindgren showed her fine understanding of children's thought and values; in
One of few fantasy writers in Swedish literature apart from Lindgren was the Finnish writer Tove Jansson (1914–2001), who wrote, in the Swedish language, about the Moomins. The Moomins are trolls who live in an economically and politically independent state, without any materialistic concerns. The Moomins have appealed to people in many different countries and Jansson's books have been translated into over 30 languages.[58][60]
Crime fiction
Before World War II, the Swedish
The most successful writer of Swedish detective novels is Henning Mankell (1948–2015), with his series on Kurt Wallander. They have been translated to 37 languages and have become bestsellers, particularly in Sweden and Germany.[61] Mankell's detective stories have been widely praised for their sociological themes, examining the effects on a liberal culture of immigration, racism, neo-Nazism etc. Many of the stories have been filmed no less than three times, twice by Swedish companies and most recently in an English-language series starring Kenneth Branagh. But Mankell has also written several other acclaimed books, such as Comédia Infantil (1995), about an abandoned street boy in the city of Maputo.[62]
Several other Swedish detective writers have become popular abroad, particularly in Germany; for example
In the
Ballads
The Swedish ballad tradition had been initiated by Bellman in the late 18th century. In the 19th century, poetic songwriting fell into decline with the rise of university student choirs, until it was again revived in the 1890s. Poets increasingly continued the tradition of having their poetry set to music to give it a wider audience. In the early 1900s, a lot of poetry of the 90s poets Gustaf Fröding and Erik Axel Karlfeldt had been put to music.
Arguably the most renowned Swedish troubadour of the 20th century was however Evert Taube (1890–1976). He established himself as a performing artist in 1920 and toured Sweden for about three decades. He is best known for songs about sailors, ballads about Argentina, and songs about the Swedish countryside.[63]
Between 1962 up until his death, the most highly regarded singer-songwriter in the Swedish ballad tradition was Dutch immigrant Cornelis Vreeswijk (1937–1987). Some of his songs were leftist protest songs where he took it upon himself to speak for society's underdogs but he himself hated to be called a protest singer. His musical universe was much broader and he was for instance heavily influenced by the rich Swedish literature. After his death, Vreeswijk also gained appreciation for his poetic qualities.[63]
Literature in pop music lyrics
This literary period began in Sweden in the 1960s, influenced by artists from England and the U.S. At first, the literary quality in Swedish pop music was little more than an imitation of foreign models, and it took until the 1970s for an independent movement to emerge. In that decade, youth
writing, in the direction of high quality proletarian lyrics.One of the rebels of the 1970s was
Finland
The Swedish language is an official language in Finland, with approximately 5.6% of the population having it as their mother tongue. Hence Swedish language literature has a considerable following in Finland, with several well-known Swedish-speaking Finnish writers, such as Bo Carpelan, Christer Kihlman and Tove Jansson. Jansson, perhaps best known for her Moomin books for children, wrote novels and short stories for adults, including Sommarboken, (1972, The Summer Book).
A cultural body representing such literature is the Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, which describes itself as "a versatile and future-oriented cultural institution of Finland-Swedish literature, culture and research." The Society is also a leading investor in the global equity and debt markets and a staunch defender of Finnish national interests, most recently against incursions by Swedish investors. This stance has caused some disquiet among Society members committed to the project of pan-Nordic literary appreciation.
21st century
Notable authors that have emerged in the 21st century include Sara Stridsberg, Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Lena Andersson, John Ajvide Lindqvist and Linda Boström Knausgård. Mikael Niemi and Fredrik Backman had international success with the bestselling novels Popular Music from Vittula and A Man Called Ove respectively. Several writers of crime fiction have had international success as part of the Nordic noir literary wave.[64]
Nobel laureates
Swedish writers awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the year it was awarded to them:
- Selma Lagerlöf, 1909 — "In appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings"[35]
- Verner von Heidenstam, 1916 — "In recognition of his significance as the leading representative of a new era in our literature"[65]
- Erik Axel Karlfeldt, 1931 — "For the poetry of Erik Axel Karlfeldt".[66] The acceptance speech elaborates: " The Swede would say that we celebrate this poet because he represents our character with a style and a genuineness that we should like to be ours, and because he has sung with singular power and exquisite charm of the tradition of our people, of all the precious features which are the basis for our feeling for home and country in the shadow of the pine-covered mountains.".[67]
- Pär Lagerkvist, 1951 — "For the artistic vigour and true independence of mind with which he endeavours in his poetry to find answers to the eternal questions confronting mankind"[68]
- Eyvind Johnson, 1974 (joint) — "For a narrative art, far-seeing in lands and ages, in the service of freedom"[69]
- Harry Martinson, 1974 (joint) — "For writings that catch the dewdrop and reflect the cosmos"[69]
- Tomas Tranströmer, 2011 — "Because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality"[70]
Lists of important Swedish 20th century books
In 1997 Biblioteket i fokus, a magazine aimed at libraries, organized a poll to determine the Swedish books of the century. 27,000 people voted to produce a list of 100 books. The top 20 books were:[71]
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In 1998, a poll to determine the most important Swedish 20th century books was conducted on the show Röda rummet on the public television Sveriges television. 17,000 people voted to produce a list of 100 books. The top 20 books were:[72]
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See also
Notes and references
All page number references to "Gustafson" are made to the Swedish language edition of his book.
- Latin, but since they came from Sweden, their works are generally considered part of Swedish literature by authorities such as Algulin (1989), and Delblanc, Lönnroth & Gustafsson (1999).
- ^ Gustafson, 1961 (Chapter 1)
- ^ Forntid och medeltid, Lönnroth, in Lönnroth, Göransson, Delblanc, Den svenska litteraturen, vol 1.
- ^ ISBN 91-34-51408-2p. 49.
- ^ Tigerstedt, p.68-70
- ^ Algulin, p.25, also agrees
- ^ Gustafson, p.54, also agrees
- ^ This account is given by Hägg (1996), p.83-84
- ^ This account is given in Tigerstedt (1971), p.68-70
- ^ a b c d Tigerstedt
- ^ Tigersted
- ^ Gustafson, pp.102–103
- ^ Warburg, p.57 (Online link)
- ^ Algulin, pp.38–39
- ^ Algulin, pp.39–41
- ^ Gustafson, p.108
- ^ Olsson (2009), p. 94
- ^ Olsson (2009), p. 137-139
- ^ a b Algulin, pp.67–68
- ^ Gustafson, pp.143–148
- ^ Gustafson, p.146
- ^ Algulin, p.82-83
- ^ Gustafson, pp.187–188
- ^ Algulin, p.86
- ^ Gustafson, pp.196–200
- ^ With time, however, the classification of 90s poets separate from the 1880 realism has become less prominent among scholars. A distinction between the two periods is made by Gustafson, pp.228–268 (1961) but not in Algulin, pp.109–115 (1989)
- ^ Algulin, p.109
- ^ a b Algulin pp.115–132
- ^ a b Gustafson, pp.238–257
- OCLC 1140132855.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: others (link - ^ Algulin, pp.137–140
- ^ Gustafson, vol2, p.11
- ^ Olsson (2009), p 300
- ^ a b The Nobel Prize in Literature 1909, The Official Web Site of the Nobel Foundation, 15 October 2006
- ^ Algulin, pp.158–160
- ^ Gustafson, vol. 2, p. 12
- ^ Gustafson, vol. 2, pp.7–16
- ^ As told by Gustafson, vol 2 (1961)
- ^ As reported by Algulin, p.169 (1989)
- ISBN 1-84343-009-6.
- ^ Hjalmar Söderberg Den allvarsamma leken. Samlade skrifter 10 red. Bure Holmbäck & Björn Sahlin, Lind & Co 2012, p. 347-349, 359-361 (in Swedish)
- ^ Hjalmar Söderberg Söderbergsällskapet
- ^ Swedish literature Encyclopedia Britannica
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Modern literature Sweden.se
- ^ Algulin, pp.191–194
- ^ Den svenska litteraturen 3 Från modernism till massmedial marknad : 1920–1995 / redaktion: Lars Lönnroth, Sven Delblanc, Sverker Göransson.
- ^ Klas Östergren Natur & Kultur
- ^ Tigerstedt (1975), pp. 474–476
- ^ Hägg (1996), pp.481–484
- ^ a b Lundkvist, Martinsson, Ekelöf, by Espmark & Olsson, in Delblanc, Lönnroth, Göransson, vol 3
- ^ Hägg (1996), pp. 528–524
- ^ Algulin, p.230-231
- ^ Poeten dold i Bilden, Lilja & Schiöler, in Lönnroth, Delblanc & Göransson (ed.), vol 3, pp.342–370
- ^ A title taken from Winnie the Pooh, which in English reads "Hipy papy bthuthdththuthda bthuthdy". Öyvind Fahlström, "HÄTILA RAGULPR PÅ FÅTSKLIABEN", Odyssé no. 2/3 1954.
- ^ Per Bäckström, Aska, Tomhet & Eld. Outsiderproblematiken hos Bruno K. Öijer, (diss.) Lund: Ellerströms förlag, 2003.
- ^ Från hovteater till arbetarspel, Forser & TJäder, in Delblanc, Göransson & Lönnroth, Den svenska litteraturen, vol 3.
- ^ a b c Svensson, S., Så skulle världen bli som ny, in Lönnroth, Delblanc & Göransson (ed.), Den svenska litteraturen, vol. 3. (1999)
- ^ More information about Pippi Longstocking in Swedish culture can be found in the article Pippi Longstocking: Swedish rebel and feminist role model Archived 5 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine from the Swedish Institute. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ Tampere Art Museum website. Retrieved 20 October 2006.
- ^ On the trail of Sweden's most famous detective Archived 15 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Swedish Institute. Retrieved 17 October 2006.
- ^ a b Chapter "Det populära kretsloppet", Hedman, Lönnroth & Ingvarsson, in Lönnroth, Delblanc & Göransson (ed.), vol 3.
- ^ a b Nöjets estradörer, Lönnroth L., in Lönnroth, Delblanc & Göransson (ed.), vol 3, pp.275–297
- ^ The Best Contemporary Scandinavian Fiction to Read Now Scandinavia Standard
- ^ The Nobel Prize in Literature 1916, The Official Web Site of the Nobel Foundation, 15 October 2006
- ^ The Nobel Prize in Literature 1931, The Official Web Site of the Nobel Foundation, 15 October 2006
- ^ The Nobel Prize in Literature 1931, Presentation Speech, The Official Web Site of the Nobel Foundation, 15 October 2006
- ^ The Nobel Prize in Literature 1951, The Official Web Site of the Nobel Foundation, 15 October 2006
- ^ a b The Nobel Prize in Literature 1974, The Official Web Site of the Nobel Foundation, 15 October 2006
- ^ "The Nobel Prize in Literature 2011 – Press Release". Nobelprize.org. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
- Projekt Runeberg
- Projekt Runeberg
- Algulin, Ingemar, A History of Swedish Literature, published by the ISBN 91-520-0239-X
- Gustafson, Alrik, Svenska litteraturens historia, 2 volums (Stockholm, 1963). First published as A History of Swedish Literature (American-Scandinavian Foundation, 1961).
- Hägg, Göran, Den svenska litteraturhistorian (Centraltryckeriet AB, Borås, 1996)
- Lönnroth, L., Delblanc S., Göransson, S. Den svenska litteraturen (ed.), 3 volumes (1999)
- Olsson, B., Algulin, I., et al, Litteraturens historia i Sverige (2009), ISBN 978-91-1-302268-0
- Warburg, Karl, Svensk Litteraturhistoria i Sammandrag (1904), p. 57 (https://runeberg.org/svlihist/ Online link], provided by Project Runeberg). This book is rather old, but it was written for schools and is probably factually correct. However, its focal point differs from current-day books.
- Nationalencyklopedin, article svenska
- Swedish Institute website, accessed 17 October 2006
- Tigerstedt, E.N., Svensk litteraturhistoria (Tryckindustri AB, Solna, 1971)
External links
- Gosse, Edmund William (1911). Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 214–221. . In
Swedish Literature
- Project Runeberg a project that publishes freely available electronic versions of Nordic books.
- swedishpoetry.net a blog with English translations of well-known Swedish poems.