Astrid Ahnfelt (1876–1962) was a Swedish author, translator,

foreign correspondent A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is usually a journalist or commentator for a magazine, or an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, locati ...

, and

journal editor A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period *Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...

who wrote short stories and novels in both Swedish and Italian. She is remembered principally for fostering cultural exchanges between Sweden and Italy. Her novel ''I blindo'' (1908) about Swedes living in Italy is partly autobiographical.

Biography

Born on 31 March 1876 in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, Astrid Ahnfelt was the daughter of the journal editor Arvid Ahnfelt (1846–1890) and Hilda Runnerström (1844–1927), a businesswoman. Her grandfather, the cleric Paul Gabriel Ahnfelt (1803–1863), had also been active as a writer. Raised in literary circles, Ahnfelt associated with the writer Ellen Key who arranged for her to become a nanny for a Swedish family in

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

in 1897. A year later, she moved to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

where she earned a living working as a cultural correspondent for Swedish newspapers and magazines, commenting on Italian authors including the Nobel prize-winning poet Giosue Carducci. Fluent in both Swedish and Italian, Ahnfelt began publishing books in 1902 with two short stories in Italian in ''La lacrima nel mare del dolore e La sposa della morte'' followed by ''Sagor och legender'', a collection of short stories in Swedish in 1905. Her first novel, ''Nutidsungdom'' providing insights into Italy's young people, was published in Sweden the same year. Her novel ''I blindo'' (1908), also published in Sweden, received a mixed reception. Based on the lives of Swedes living in Italy, it is partly autobiographical. Contributing to the Swedish journal '' Idun'', Ahnfelt provided accounts of the 1908 earthquake in

Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...

where she served as a nurse and helped the victims. In 1910, they were published in Italian as the book ''Foglie al vento''. Around 1910, Ahnfelt gave birth to a son, Silvano Attico, but never revealed the name of his father. After a period in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, she moved to

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

where she worked in a library and at the Swedish consulate while publishing translations into Swedish. From the early 1930s, as a supporter of

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

, Ahnfelt experienced difficulty in having her works published in Sweden. She made a living as a proofreader for ''

Il Giornale d'Italia ''Il Giornale d'Italia'' is an Italian online newspaper. It was founded in Rome in 1901 by the prestigious liberal politicians Sidney Sonnino and Antonio Salandra, both of which were part of the Liberal Constitutional Party. The original paper c ...

''. Ahnfelt died in Italy, probably in Rome, in 1962. Her son had previously died in a motorcycle accident.

Biography

References

Further reading