Erik Axel Karlfeldt (20 July 1864 – 8 April 1931) was a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

poet whose highly symbolist poetry masquerading as regionalism was popular and won him the

1931 Nobel Prize in Literature The 1931 Nobel Prize in Literature was posthumous award, posthumously awarded to the Swedish poet Erik Axel Karlfeldt (1864–1931) with the citation: "The poetry of Erik Axel Karlfeldt." He was the third Swede to win the prize and remains the only ...

posthumously after he had been nominated by

Nathan Söderblom Lars Olof Jonathan Söderblom (; 15 January 1866 – 12 July 1931) was a Swedish clergyman. He was the Church of Sweden Archbishop of Uppsala between 1914 and 1931, and recipient of the 1930 Nobel Peace Prize. He is commemorated in the Cale ...

, member of the Swedish Academy. Karlfeldt had been offered the award already in 1919 but refused to accept it, because of his position as permanent secretary to the Swedish Academy (1913–1931), which awards the prize.Gustav Källstrand ''Andens olympiska spel: Nobelprisets historia'', Fri Tanke Förlag 2021, ISBN 9789180203715

Biography

Karlfeldt was born into a farmer's family in Karlbo, in the province of

Dalarna Dalarna () is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in central Sweden. English exonyms for it are Dalecarlia () and the Dales. Dalarna adjoins Härjedalen, Hälsingland, Gästrikland, Västmanland and Värmland. It is also bordered by Norwa ...

. Initially, his name was ''Erik Axel Eriksson'', but he assumed his new name in 1889, wanting to distance himself from his father, who had suffered the disgrace of a criminal conviction. He studied at

Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. The university rose to significance during ...

, simultaneously supporting himself by teaching school in several places, including

Djursholms samskola Djursholms Samskola is the traditional name of a middle school in Djursholm, Sweden. The official name of the school today is '' Viktor Rydbergs Samskola''. History Djursholms Samskola was founded in 1891 as a private, co-educational institution, ...

in the Stockholm suburb of

Djursholm Djursholm () is one of four suburban districts in, and the seat of Danderyd Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. Djursholm is included in the multi-municipal Stockholm urban area. Djursholm is divided into a number of different areas: Djursholm ...

and at a school for adults. After completing his studies, he held a position at the Royal Library of Sweden, in Stockholm, for five years. In 1904, Karlfeldt was elected a member of the Swedish Academy and held chair number 11. In 1905, he was elected a member of the Nobel Institute of the Academy, and, in 1907, of the Nobel Committee. In 1912, he was elected permanent secretary of the Academy, a position he held until his death.

, Karlfeldt's alma mater, awarded him the title of

Doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

honoris causae in 1917.

Works in English

*Modern Swedish Poetry Part 1 (1929) – (trans. by C. D. Locock) *Arcadia Borealis (1938) – (trans. by Charles Wharton Stork) *The North! To the North! (2001) – (trans. by

Judith Moffett Judith Moffett (born 1942) is an American author and academic. She has published poetry, nonfiction, science fiction, and translations of Swedish literature. She has been awarded grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and ...

, five poets including Karlfeldt)

References

External links

*
Short biography at nobel-winners.comList of Works
an
a facsimile of a 1956 edition
both at

Project Runeberg Project Runeberg ( sv, Projekt Runeberg) is a digital cultural archive initiative that publishes free electronic versions of books significant to the culture and history of the Nordic countries. Patterned after Project Gutenberg, it was founded ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Karlfeldt, Erik Axel 1864 births 1931 deaths People from Avesta Municipality Writers from Dalarna Members of the Swedish Academy Nobel laureates in Literature Swedish-language poets Uppsala University alumni Swedish Nobel laureates Posthumous Nobel laureates