Famous Swedish Writers

Britt Ekland is a Swedish actress, singer, and model. One of the leading actresses in Sweden during the 1960s and 1970s, Ekland also established herself as a sex symbol and achieved international prominence when she appeared as a Bond girl in The Man with the Golden Gun. Britt Ekland was also one of the most photographed actresses during the 1970s.

Stieg Larsson was a Swedish writer and journalist. He is best remembered for his Millennium trilogy of novels, which were adapted as three films in Sweden. After his sudden death, due to a heart attack, Stieg Larsson was posthumously honored with several awards, such as the Glass Key award, Galaxy British Book Award, and Anthony Award.

Astrid Lindgren was a Swedish writer remembered for authoring children's book series and children's fantasy novels. In 1967, the Astrid Lindgren Prize was established in her honor. Lindgren was honored with the Right Livelihood Award in 1994 for her work as a children's writer. In 2017, it was revealed that Lindgren is the 18th most translated author in the world. 

August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, painter, essayist, novelist, and poet. He wrote over 30 works of fiction and more than 60 plays in an illustrious career that spanned 40 years. Widely regarded as the father of modern Swedish literature, Strindberg is best remembered for his work The Red Room, which is considered the first modern Swedish novel.

Svante Thunberg is a Swedish actor, producer, and writer. He is married to opera singer Malena Ernman and has two daughters, Greta and Beata. Greta is a prominent climate activist, who first rose to worldwide prominence when she initiated the school strike for climate. Svante accompanies his daughter on her sailing expeditions to UN climate summits. 

Henning Mankell was a Swedish dramatist, children's author, and crime writer. He is best reemembered for penning a series of mystery novels which featured the popular character, Inspector Kurt Wallander. Henning Mankell is also remembered for highlighting injustices in Sweden and social inequality issues through his plays and books. He was a recipient of many awards like the Gumshoe Award.

The author of the New York Times bestseller A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman has also been a columnist for the Swedish newspaper Helsingborgs Dagblad and the men's magazine Moore Magazine. His book Things My Son Needs to Know about the World was based on his parenting experiences.

Selma Lagerlöf was a Swedish teacher and author. In 1909, Lagerlöf became the first woman to receive the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1914, she became the first woman to be elected as a member by the Swedish Academy. In 1991, Selma Lagerlöf was depicted on a Swedish banknote, becoming the first woman to enjoy this honor, albiet posthumously.

One of Sweden’s most successful crime authors, Camilla Lackberg is known for her iconic books such as The Stonecutter, The Golden Cage, and The Stranger. Her books were also adapted into TV series. Called The Rock Star of Nordic Noir, she is also a former economist and a co-owner of a jewelry business.

Jöns Jacob Berzelius was a Swedish chemist who is often counted among the founders of modern chemistry alongside Robert Boyle, Antoine Lavoisier, and John Dalton. He is also referred to as the Father of Swedish Chemistry. Jöns Jacob Berzelius is also credited with making immense contributions to the field of stoichiometry. In 1836, he was honored with the Copley Medal.

David Lagercrantz is a Swedish author and journalist best known for writing internationally acclaimed books like I Am Zlatan Ibrahimović, The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye, and The Girl in the Spider’s Web. His biography of Zlatan Ibrahimović has been translated into over 30 languages and is widely regarded as the best footballer's autobiography of his generation.

Nelly Leonie Sachs, internationally noted German-Swedish poet and dramatist, wrote conventional romantic poems until the rise of Nazism brought about a drastic change in her life. Forced to flee to Sweden, she began writing about the grief and yearnings of her fellow Jews, concurrently translating German works into Swedish and vice-versa. She won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1966.

Gunilla von Post was a Swedish aristocrat best remembered for her 1997 book Love, Jack, which revealed an intimate relationship with John F. Kennedy during the 1950s. In 2010, Gunilla von Post auctioned some of the letters penned by Kennedy to her.

Swedish author Bror von Blixen-Finecke was also a nobleman and a professional big-game hunter in Africa. His memoir, African Hunter, remains his best-known book. He died in a car accident after returning to Sweden. His life was portrayed in the movie Out of Africa, based on his wife Karen Blixen’s memoirs.

Swedish author, feminist, and political activist Eva Gabrielsson is also an architect who chiefly deals in house and office construction with sustainable architecture. She was a partner of Swedish author Stieg Larsson till his death. Apparently, they never married to keep their whereabouts a secret from extremists.

John Ajvide Lindqvist is a renowned Swedish author of horror fiction, known for his bestselling books such a Let the Right One In and Harbour. Interestingly, he was initially a conjurer and had then had a 12-year stint as a stand-up comedian. He has also written scripts for Swedish TV.

Taslima Nasrin is a Bangladeshi-Swedish writer, feminist, physician, activist, and secular humanist. An internationally recognized author, Nasrin is renowned for expressing feminist views and her criticisms of religions. Taslima Nasrin is a recipient of many prestigious awards such as the Sakharov Prize, Freethought Heroine Award, and Erwin Fischer Award.

Hailed as one the most popular Swedish actors, known for his success both on stage and screen, Jonas Karlsson first took up the pen to write a play. Enthused by the praise he received from the critics and audiences alike, he began writing fictions, starting with a collection of stories before publishing several novels like The Perfect Friend, Invoice etc.  

Nobel Prize-winning Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer was raised by his mother after his parents split. He initially worked as a psychologist. Known for books such as 17 dikter, he specialized in modernist imagery and metaphors. A skilled pianist, he played with his left hand after his right side was paralyzed.

Ingrid von Rosen was a Swedish diarist best remembered for her marriage with popular film director Ingmar Bergman. Ingrid von Rosen's diary, which is a part of Ingmar Bergman's biographical work Three diaries, revealed many secrets about their relationship and children.

Before venturing into a writing career, Hans Rosenfeldt had been a sea lion keeper, a teacher, a driver, and an actor. Now known for creating series such as The Bridge and Marcella, he has also co-written several crime novels, such as The Secret, with his friend and co-author Michael Hjorth.

Internationally renowned children’s book author and illustrator Lena Anderson began working in the publishing industry at age 16 and first gained fame with her book Linnea in Monet's Garden, which was one of her many collaborations with author Christina Björk. She is known for creating her much-loved character Maja.

Swedish author Jonas Jonasson is best known for his bestselling comic novel The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. He had a successful career as a journalist and even owned a media company, but later sold all his belongings and settled near Lake Lugano, focusing on his writing career.

Håkan Nesser is a Swedish screenwriter, author, and former school teacher. He is best known for his crime novels about a fictional retired commissioner named Van Veeteren. These novels have been translated into many European languages and have achieved international fame. 

Swedish poet and author Linda Bostrom Knausgard is known for her novels Helioskatastrofen and the August Prize-winning Välkommen til Amerika, or Welcome to America. She is also the former wife of Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgård and the daughter of actor Ingrid Boström.

Sven Hedin was a Swedish topographer, geographer, photographer, explorer, illustrator, and travel writer. He is best known for making four expeditions to Central Asia. He later shared his experience in a book titled From Pole to Pole. A respected explorer, Hedin was honored with several prestigious awards and medals during his lifetime.

 Hailed as one of the most celebrated Swedish actors, Sven Wollter was also an influential political activist, working for the Swedish communist party since his youth. Beginning his career on the stage, he debuted on screen as Gusten in Hemsöborna, gaining instant fame for it, continuing with his activism as well as acting till the very end.

German-born novelist and playwright Peter Weiss was forced to move to England, Switzerland, and Czechoslovakia, to avoid Nazi persecution, and eventually moved to Sweden and took up Swedish citizenship. Initially a painter and photographer, he later turned to filmmaking. His best-known works include the play The Investigation and the novel The Aesthetics of Resistance.

Nobel Prize-winning Swedish author Pär Lagerkvist is remembered for his bestselling novels The Dwarf and Barabbas. He mostly used religious figures to examine the question of good and evil. One of his prose novellas, The Hangman, was later adapted for the stage. He also chaired the Swedish Academy.

A French citizen by birth, but born and raised in Sweden, it took Jan Guillou thirty years to gain Swedish citizenship. Expelled from school for bad behavior, he overcame his shortcomings to become an award-winning journalist and author, hugging limelight for exposing Swedish secret intelligence agency. Currently owner of a large publishing house, he remains active as a column writer.

Apart from being a famous poet in Sweden, Karin Boye also gained international fame with her sci-fi novel Kallocain. She was one of the chief figures of Swedish modern poetry and of the Clarté Socialist movement. After separating from her economist husband, Leif Björk, she had 2 lesbian relationships. She died by suicide.

Nobel Prize-winning Swedish author Harry Martinson grew up in foster homes and ran away at 16 to become a sailor. He was the first working-class author to be named to the Swedish Academy. His best-known works include the poetry collection Trade Wind and the novel The Road.

Swedish-born Dutch actor Amanda Ooms is best known for her appearance in the Swedish TV show Stjärnorna på slottet. She was also seen in The Expendables 2 and has been part of countless Swedish shows and movies. An author, too, she has penned books such as Tåla mod.

Officially the Archbishop of Uppsala, Olaus Magnus is remembered more as an established author and cartographer. Born Olof Månsson in southern Sweden, he spent the greater part of his life in exile, leaving behind several monumental works on Nordic countries including the History of the Northern People and Carta Marina, a map that is treasured even by modern oceanographers

Cornelis Vreeswijk was a Dutch-born Swedish actor, singer-songwriter, and poet. He is often counted among the most successful and influential Swedish troubadours of all time. Cornelis Vreeswijk's life and career inspired the 2010 Swedish drama film, Cornelis, which was directed by Amir Chamdin.

Mostly educated at home by her mother and her governess, Ellen Key grew up to be a well-known difference feminist author, concurrently playing important role in the Modern Breakthrough movement. Also a suffragist, she wrote on varied subjects including family life, ethics and education, advocating child centric teaching as well as parenting, inspiring many authors and educators including Maria Montessori.

While Evert Taube was initially a sailor, he also worked as a railroad worker, a tram conductor, and a journalist. He later made a successful career as a singer and soared to fame with tracks such as Calle Schewens Vals. He is now regarded as one of the best Swedish troubadours.