Swedish Literature

 

Old Norse

1. 1. Runestone

 

Early Swedish literature (1200 – 1500)

1. 1. Golden Legend (Legenda aurea)
2. 2. The Chronicle of Charles (Karlskrönikan), the Chronicle of Eric (Erikskrönikan) and the Chronicles of Sture (Stureskrönikorna) 
3. 3. Petrus de Dacia (ca 1230-1290)
4. 4. Birgitta Birgersdotter (1303 – 23 July 1373)

 

Swedish reformation and Renaissance literature (1500 – 1658)

1. 1. Johannes Magnus (1488 – 1544)
2. 2. Olaus Magnus (1490 – 1557)
3. 3. Georg Stiernhielm (1598 – 1672)
4. 4. Olaus Rudbeck (1630 – 1702)
5. 5. Jesper Swedberg (1653 – 1735)
6. 6. Haquin Spegel (Haqvin) (1645 – 1714)

 

Swedish enlightenment literature (1732 – 1809)

1. Emanuel Swedberg (1688 –  1772)
2. Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778)
3. Johan Henrik Kellgren (1751 – 1795)
4. Carl Michael Bellman (1740 – 1795)

 

Swedish Romantic literature (1809 – 1830)

1. 1. Erik Gustaf Geijer (1783 – 1847)
2. 2. Erik Johan Stagnelius (, 1793 – , 1823)
3. 3. Esaias Tegnér (1782 – 1846)
4. 4. Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom (1790 – 1855)
5. 5. Fredrika Bremer (1801 – 1865)
6. 6. Abraham Viktor Rydberg (, 1828 – , 1895)

 

Swedish realism (1830 – 1910)

1. Johan August Strindberg (1849 – 1912)

2. Carl Gustaf Verner von Heidenstam (1859 – 1940)

3. Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (1858 – 1940)

4. Gustaf Fröding (1860-1911)

5. Erik Axel Karlfeldt (1864-1931)

 

Modernistic Swedish literature

1. Moa Martinson (1890-1964)

2. Harry Martinson (1904-1978)

3. Ivar Lo-Johansson (1901-1990)

4. Pär Fabian Lagerkvist (1891 – 1974)

5. Eyvind Johnson, (1900 – 1976)

6. Hjalmar Söderberg (1869 – 1941)

7. Jan Fridegård (1897 – 1968)

8. Vilhelm Moberg (1898–1973)

 

 

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

1. Vilhelm Moberg, Emigrants series, 1949–59
2. Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking, 1945
3. Astrid Lindgren, The Brothers Lionheart, 1973
4. Per Anders Fogelström, City (Stad) series, 1960–1968
5. Selma Lagerlöf, The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige), 1906–07
6. Astrid Lindgren, Emil of Maple Hills (Emil i Lönneberberga), 1963
7. Frans G. Bengtsson, The Long Ships (Röde Orm), 1941–45
8. Astrid Lindgren, Mio, my Mio (Mio, min Mio), 1954
9. Astrid Lindgren, Ronia the Robber’s Daughter (Ronja Rövardotter), 1981

10. Göran Tunström, Juloratoriet, 1983

11. Selma Lagerlöf, Jerusalem, 1901–02

12. Harry Martinson, Aniara, 1956

13. Marianne Fredriksson, Simon and the Oaks (Simon och ekarna), 1985

14. Kerstin Ekman, Händelser vid vatten, 1993

15. Jan Guillou, Ondskan, 1981

16. Ulf Lundell, Jack, 1976

17. Hjalmar Söderberg, Den allvarsamma leken, 1912

18. Moa Martinson, Mor gifter sig, 1936

19. Jonas Gardell, En komikers uppväxt, 1992

20. Anders Jacobsson, Sören Olsson, Bert-diaries, 1987

 

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:

1. Vilhelm Moberg, Emigrants series
2. Harry Martinson, Aniara
3. Frans G. Bengtsson, The Long Ships
4. Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking
5. Per Anders Fogelström, City series
6. Selma Lagerlöf, The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
7. Selma Lagerlöf, Kejsaren av Portugallien
8. Hjalmar Söderberg, Den allvarsamma leken
9. Selma Lagerlöf, Jerusalem

10. Eyvind Johnson, Hans nådes tid, 1960

11. Vilhelm Moberg, Din stund på jorden

12. Göran Tunström, Juloratoriet

13. Astrid Lindgren, The Brothers Lionheart

14. Eyvind Johnson, Return to Ithaca (Strändernas svall), 1946

15. Harry Martinson, Flowering Nettle (Nässlorna blomma), 1935

16. Hjalmar Söderberg, Doctor Glas (Doktor Glas), 1905

17. Anders Jacobsson, Sören Olsson, Bert-diaries

18. Harry Martinson, Vägen till Klockrike, 1948

19. Astrid Lindgren, Emil of Maple Hills

20. Vilhelm Moberg, Ride This Night! (Rid i natt), 1941