Sun Axelsson
Encyclopedia
Sun Axelsson, was a Swedish poet, novelist, translator and journalist.
where she took a graduate degree in teaching and journalism
.
As reporter she worked for the literary reviews BLM and Ord and Bild, and also in daily newspapers:: Expressen, Aftonbladet and Stockholms-Tidningen.
In 1959 Axelsson debuted with her first collection of poetry: Goalless (Mållös), and then she travelled extensively, with lengthy stays in Latin America
, France
and Greece
.
She spent the whole of 1960 in Chile
, and developed a relationship with the Chilean poet Nicanor Parra
. While living in Santiago she also formed a close friendship with Nobel-prize winning poet Pablo Neruda
. The events of her time in Chile and her personal experience of them are portrayed in The cradle of fire (Eldens vagga).
Later she wrote Stones in the mouth (Stenar i munnen), published under the pseudonym Jan Olov Hedlund, describing the terror and repression of Greece under the military junta. and Honey wolves (Honungsvargar).
Axelsson translated into Swedish
a remarkable number of authors, among them:: Pablo Neruda
, Federico García Lorca
, Jorge Luis Borges
, Harold Pinter
, Yiannis Ritsos
, Octavio Paz
, Sergio Badilla Castillo
and Juan Cameron.
The author's trilogy which began with A dreamed life (Drömmen om ett liv, 1978), and finished with The night season (Nattens arstid, 1989) was bestowed with numerous awards, from placss such as the Swedish Academy
as well as from several international cultural institutions.
Life
Axelsson was the youngest daughter of the master gardener Karl Edvin Axelsson and Mignon Axelsson. She went to school in her home town of Gothenburg and then she continued at the University of StockholmStockholm
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...
where she took a graduate degree in teaching and journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
.
As reporter she worked for the literary reviews BLM and Ord and Bild, and also in daily newspapers:: Expressen, Aftonbladet and Stockholms-Tidningen.
In 1959 Axelsson debuted with her first collection of poetry: Goalless (Mållös), and then she travelled extensively, with lengthy stays in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
She spent the whole of 1960 in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and developed a relationship with the Chilean poet Nicanor Parra
Nicanor Parra
Nicanor Parra Sandoval is a mathematician and poet born in San Fabián de Alico, Chile, who has been considered to be a popular poet in Chile with enormous influence and popularity in Latin America, and also considered one of the most important poets of the Spanish language literature...
. While living in Santiago she also formed a close friendship with Nobel-prize winning poet Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda....
. The events of her time in Chile and her personal experience of them are portrayed in The cradle of fire (Eldens vagga).
Later she wrote Stones in the mouth (Stenar i munnen), published under the pseudonym Jan Olov Hedlund, describing the terror and repression of Greece under the military junta. and Honey wolves (Honungsvargar).
Axelsson translated into Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
a remarkable number of authors, among them:: Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda....
, Federico García Lorca
Federico García Lorca
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
, Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
, Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
, Yiannis Ritsos
Yiannis Ritsos
Yiannis Ritsos was a Greek poet and left-wing activist and an active member of the Greek Resistance during World War II.-Early life:...
, Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature.-Early life and writings:...
, Sergio Badilla Castillo
Sergio Badilla Castillo
Sergio Badilla Castillo is a Chilean poet and the founder of poetic transrealism in contemporary poetry...
and Juan Cameron.
The author's trilogy which began with A dreamed life (Drömmen om ett liv, 1978), and finished with The night season (Nattens arstid, 1989) was bestowed with numerous awards, from placss such as the Swedish Academy
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...
as well as from several international cultural institutions.
Work
- Jag har en själ i Paris (My soul in Paris. 1990) novel
- Vindarnas barn (The boy of the winds. 1991) novel
- Ljusets hotell (Clarity Hotel. 1991), poetry collection
- Den första kärleken (The first love. 1991) short stories
- Tystnad och eko (Silence and echo. 1994) novel
- Svalornas tid (Time of swallows. 1996) short stories
- Sand. (1997) poetry collection
- Eget liv (Own life 2000) novel
- Drömmen om ett liv (A dreamed Life) novel
- Honungsvargar (Honey wolves) novel
- Nattens årstid (The night season) novel
- Evighetens stränder (Eternity ends. 2001), novel