Sonja Åkesson
Encyclopedia
Sonja Åkesson was a Swedish
poet
, writer, and artist.
Sonja Åkesson first discovered her talent for writing at 28 after moving to Stockholm
, after her divorce from Nils Westberg, a carpenter. They had two children at the time of the divorce and Sonja was expecting a baby (not her husband’s). The baby died from leukemia
at the age of two.
In 1956 Sonja married Bo Holmberg and had her fourth child, Mikael. The following year she published her first collection of poems: Situationer ("Situations"). In 1963 she became a household name in Sweden after publishing Husfrid. She became known for her distinct style of writing, describing daily life and commenting on society. The feminist movement embraced Åkesson's work and often cited it. The most famous of her poems is probably "äktenskapsfrågan" (the question of marriage). This is often referred to as "vara vit mans slav" (to be the slave of a white man) as this is repeated throughout the poem.
After nine years of marriage she divorced Bo Holmberg in 1965. She married Jarl Hammarberg, a Swedish artist and poet, and gave birth to her fifth child, Gertie. Sonja Åkesson moved to Halmstad
in the 1970s after suffering from mental illness, and in 1977 she died from liver cancer.
Her manuscripts and other papers are held within the Women’s History Collections, Gothenburg University
, Sweden.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, writer, and artist.
Sonja Åkesson first discovered her talent for writing at 28 after moving to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, after her divorce from Nils Westberg, a carpenter. They had two children at the time of the divorce and Sonja was expecting a baby (not her husband’s). The baby died from leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
at the age of two.
In 1956 Sonja married Bo Holmberg and had her fourth child, Mikael. The following year she published her first collection of poems: Situationer ("Situations"). In 1963 she became a household name in Sweden after publishing Husfrid. She became known for her distinct style of writing, describing daily life and commenting on society. The feminist movement embraced Åkesson's work and often cited it. The most famous of her poems is probably "äktenskapsfrågan" (the question of marriage). This is often referred to as "vara vit mans slav" (to be the slave of a white man) as this is repeated throughout the poem.
After nine years of marriage she divorced Bo Holmberg in 1965. She married Jarl Hammarberg, a Swedish artist and poet, and gave birth to her fifth child, Gertie. Sonja Åkesson moved to Halmstad
Halmstad
Halmstad is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of Nissan in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County...
in the 1970s after suffering from mental illness, and in 1977 she died from liver cancer.
Poetry
- Situationer (1957)
- Glasveranda (1959)
- Husfrid (1963)
- Pris (1968)
- Sagan om Siv (1974)
Prose
- Skvallerspegel (1960)
- Leva livet (1961)
- Efter balen (1962)
Her manuscripts and other papers are held within the Women’s History Collections, Gothenburg University
Gothenburg University
The University of Gothenburg is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg.- Character :The University of Gothenburg is the third-oldest Swedish university, and with 24,900 full-time students it is also among the largest universities in the Nordic countries...
, Sweden.