Astrid Ahnfelt (1876–1962) was a Swedish author, translator,

foreign correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...

, and

journal editor A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of personal secretive thoughts and as open book to personal therapy or used to feel connected to onesel ...

who wrote short stories and novels in both Swedish and Italian. She is remembered principally for fostering cultural exchanges between Sweden and Italy. Her novel ''I blindo'' (1908) about Swedes living in Italy is partly autobiographical.

Biography

Born on 31 March 1876 in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Astrid Ahnfelt was the daughter of the journal editor Arvid Ahnfelt (1846–1890) and Hilda Runnerström (1844–1927), a businesswoman. Her grandfather, the cleric Paul Gabriel Ahnfelt (1803–1863), had also been active as a writer. Raised in literary circles, Ahnfelt associated with the writer

Ellen Key Ellen Karolina Sofia Key (; 11 December 1849 – 25 April 1926) was a Swedes, Swedish difference feminist writer on many subjects in the fields of family life, ethics and education and was an important figure in the Modern Breakthrough movement. S ...

who arranged for her to become a nanny for a Swedish family in

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

in 1897. A year later, she moved to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

where she earned a living working as a cultural correspondent for Swedish newspapers and magazines, commenting on Italian authors including the Nobel prize-winning poet Giosue Carducci. Fluent in both Swedish and Italian, Ahnfelt began publishing books in 1902 with two short stories in Italian in ''La lacrima nel mare del dolore e La sposa della morte'' followed by ''Sagor och legender'', a collection of short stories in Swedish in 1905. Her first novel, ''Nutidsungdom'' providing insights into Italy's young people, was published in Sweden the same year. Her novel ''I blindo'' (1908), also published in Sweden, received a mixed reception. Based on the lives of Swedes living in Italy, it is partly autobiographical. Contributing to the Swedish journal '' Idun'', Ahnfelt provided accounts of the 1908 earthquake in

Messina Messina ( , ; ; ; ) is a harbour city and the capital city, capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of 216,918 inhabitants ...

where she served as a nurse and helped the victims. In 1910, they were published in Italian as the book ''Foglie al vento''. Around 1910, Ahnfelt gave birth to a son, Silvano Attico, but never revealed the name of his father. After a period in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, she moved to

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

where she worked in a library and at the Swedish consulate while publishing translations into Swedish. From the early 1930s, as a supporter of

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his overthrow in 194 ...

, Ahnfelt experienced difficulty in having her works published in Sweden. She made a living as a proofreader for '' Il Giornale d'Italia''. Ahnfelt died in Italy, probably in Rome, in 1962. Her son had previously died in a motorcycle accident.

Biography

References

Further reading