Erik Lindegren (5 August 1910 – 31 May 1968) was a Swedish author, poet, critical writer and member of the

Swedish Academy The Swedish Academy (), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish language authority. Outside Scandinavia, it is best known as the body t ...

(1962–68, chair 17). Grandson of composer Johan Lindegren. Lindegren was born in

Luleå Luleå ( , , locally ; ; ) is a Cities in Sweden, city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the County Administrative Boards of Sweden, capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. Luleå has 48,728 inhabitants in its urban ...

Norrbotten County Norrbotten County (, Meänkieli/, ) is the northernmost county or '' län'' of Sweden. It is also the largest county by land area, almost a quarter of Sweden's total area. It shares borders with Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf ...

, the son of a railway engineer. With Gunnar Ekelöf, he belonged to the most prominent exponents of the lyric modernism flourishing in his country, especially from the 1940s. His poetry books include the surreal "shattered

sonnet A sonnet is a fixed poetic form with a structure traditionally consisting of fourteen lines adhering to a set Rhyme scheme, rhyming scheme. The term derives from the Italian word ''sonetto'' (, from the Latin word ''sonus'', ). Originating in ...

s" in ''mannen utan väg'' ("The Man Without a Way", title without capital M; 1942, a breakthrough work of its generation and a central work in fyrtiotalism literature), ''Sviter'' ("Suites", 1947) and ''Vinteroffer'' ("Winter Sacrifice", 1954). He translated the works of

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

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and many others into Swedish.''Britannica Book of the Year 1969'', covering events of 1968, (published 1969), "Obituaries 1968" article, item on "Lindegren, (J.) Erik", page 574 He took a keen interest in music, opera and the visual arts, and was an accomplished opera

librettist A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major ...

at the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera () is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the centre of Sweden's capital, Stockholm, in the borough of Norrmalm (borough), Norrmalm, on the eastern si ...

, and also an informed and enthusiastic opera critic. Lindegren wrote the libretto for Karl-Birger Blomdahl's space opera '' Aniara'' among others. Between 1948 and 1950 he led the literary magazine ''Prisma'', one of the most lavish and broad ever produced in Sweden, aiming to "gauge the state of the arts in the present". Lindegren was elected a member of the

in 1962 and a member of the Academy's

Nobel committee A Nobel Committee is a working body responsible for most of the work involved in selecting Nobel Prize laureates. There are six awarding committees from four institutions, one for each Nobel Prize. Five of these committees are working bodies ...

between 1964 and 1968. He died from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...

in 1968.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lindegren, Erik 1910 births 1968 deaths People from Luleå Municipality Swedish male poets Dobloug Prize winners 20th-century Swedish poets Translators to Swedish 20th-century Swedish translators Opera librettists People from Luleå Members of the Swedish Academy