Monika Fagerholm
Encyclopedia
Monika Kristina Fagerholm (born 26 February 1961 in Helsinki
) is a Swedish-speaking Finnish author
living in Ekenäs
, Finland
. She is the daughter of professor Nils-Erik Fagerholm and library assistant Kristina Herrgård. Fagerholm has studied psychology
and literature
at the University of Helsinki
. In 1987, she received her bachelor's degree
in social science. Fagerholm made her debut in 1987 with Sham but her real breakthrough in the literary scene was in 1994 with Underbara kvinnor vid vatten. The book was nominated for the Finlandia Prize
, which is the biggest literary prize in Finland. It was also nominated for the August prize in 1995, in Sweden and also the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
in 1998. In 1994, she received the Runeberg Award in Finland. The movie adaptation of the novel by Claes Olsson premiered in 1998. Fagerholm received the August prize in 2005 for Den amerikanska flickan.
In addition, Den amerikanska flickan was shortlisted for the The Nordic Council Literature Prize 2004 and the Runeberg Award 2004.
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
) is a Swedish-speaking Finnish author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
living in Ekenäs
Ekenäs
Ekenäs is a former town and municipality of Finland comprising the former municipalities Snappertuna and Tenala together with the town of Ekenäs. It was merged with Pohja and Karis to form the new municipality of Raseborg on January 1, 2009....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. She is the daughter of professor Nils-Erik Fagerholm and library assistant Kristina Herrgård. Fagerholm has studied psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
at the University of Helsinki
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
. In 1987, she received her bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in social science. Fagerholm made her debut in 1987 with Sham but her real breakthrough in the literary scene was in 1994 with Underbara kvinnor vid vatten. The book was nominated for the Finlandia Prize
Finlandia Prize
The Finlandia Prize is the most prestigious literary award in Finland by the Finnish Book Foundation. It is awarded annually to the author of the best novel written by a Finnish citizen , children's book , and non-fiction book...
, which is the biggest literary prize in Finland. It was also nominated for the August prize in 1995, in Sweden and also the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is an international literary award for a work of fiction, jointly sponsored by the city of Dublin, Ireland and the company IMPAC. At €100,000 it is one of the richest literary prizes in the world...
in 1998. In 1994, she received the Runeberg Award in Finland. The movie adaptation of the novel by Claes Olsson premiered in 1998. Fagerholm received the August prize in 2005 for Den amerikanska flickan.
Prizes and Awards
- Runeberg Award (1995), in Finland for Underbara kvinnor vid vatten
- Thanks for the Book AwardThanks for the Book AwardThe Thanks for the Book Award, , is a Finnish literary prize that has been presented since 1966 by the Organization of the Booksellers’ Association of Finland , Libro ry and the Finnish Library Association .The award is presented once a year to a Finnish...
(Tack för boken-medaljen) (1995) for Underbara kvinnor vid vatten - August prize (2005) for Den amerikanska flickan
- Aniara prize (2005)
- Göteborgs-Postens literary award (2005)
- The Swedish Literature Society Award (2005)
In addition, Den amerikanska flickan was shortlisted for the The Nordic Council Literature Prize 2004 and the Runeberg Award 2004.