Open this publication in new window or tab >>2014 (Swedish)In: Slovo , ISSN 0348-744X, E-ISSN 2001-7359, no 55, p. 149-159Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The first spontaneous reaction by Swedish society when Wisława Szymborska was awarded the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature was great collective surprise. In spite of the fact that never before had so much been written about the laureate - dealing with literary aspects as well as personal character traits - a majority of the Swedish public was still relatively ignorant of the laureate. Nevertheless, among Swedish Slavists, she had her loyal adherents. Already in the beginning of the 1960s, Nils-Åke Nilsson published an anthology of Polish poetry, Det nakna ansiktet (“The Naked Face”). In 1980, the first Swedish anthology of poems by Szymborska was published, interpreted by Per-Arne Bodin and Roger Fjellström: Aldrig två gånger (“Never twice”). Among those who discovered and appreciated Szymborska’s poetry at an early stage was undoubtedly Professor Sven Gustavsson. Already in 1980, he organized a conference on contemporary Polish poetry at the Department of Slavic Languages at Uppsala University and, in 1984, a symposium devoted exclusively to the poetry of Wisława Szymborska. In 1993, she visited Stockholm University and Uppsala University, attending meetings with students and other interested participants. Today, Szymborska’s poems are still very popular and appreciated, a fact that explains the great demand for renewed editions of her works. The reasons for this popularity are to be found in the complex picture of Szymborska’s literary and non-literary qualities, whose common denominator is simplicity. This is not just a keyword in relation to her poetry, but also in relation to the poet's psychological characteristics. It also forms the basis for what I call “the Szymborska phenomenon in Sweden.” In my article, beyond the reactions of society to Szymborska’s Nobel Prize, I discuss Sven Gustavsson’s lifelong commitment and involvement in the dissemination of Szymborska’s poetry in Sweden. This article is dedicated to the memory of Professor Gustavsson.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Uppsala: Uppsala universitet, 2014
Keywords
Szymborska, nobelpriset, Sven Gustavsson
National Category
Languages and Literature
Research subject
Literature
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-243652 (URN)
2015-02-112015-02-112025-05-07Bibliographically approved