Ria Wägner, born Maria Wägner (1914–1999), was a Swedish journalist, author, translator, and television producer, who became one of the first television personalities in Sweden. Ria Wägner was the daughter of author and translator

Ellen Rydelius Ellen Rydelius (27 February, 1885 – 1 April, 1957) was a Swedish translator and writer. She wrote a large number of guide books to major cities and several cookbooks but her major works are translations of Russian novels. In particular, she is ...

(1885–1957) and author Harald Wägner (1885–1925). Her paternal aunt was the feminist writer and pacifist

Elin Wägner Elin Matilda Elisabet Wägner (16 May 1882 – 7 January 1949) was a Swedish writer, journalist, feminist, teacher, ecologist and pacifist. She was a member of the Swedish Academy from 1944. Biography Elin Wägner was born in Lund, Sweden as the ...

. Her parents separated in 1922, and Ria grew up with her mother, who as a travel writer spent much time in Rome, where Ria went to a school taught by English nuns for two years. When Rydelius and her daughter had returned to Sweden, Ria attended

Whitlockska samskolan Whitlockska samskolan was a Sweden, Swedish private secondary school in Östermalm, Stockholm. The school had its origin as a girls' school founded by the pedagogue and suffragette Anna Whitlock in 1878. In 1893, Whitlock and Ellen Key re-establ ...

, graduating in 1933. Wägner studied at

Lund University , motto = Ad utrumque , mottoeng = Prepared for both , established = , type = Public research university , budget = SEK 9 billion Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning ''Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning'' (''GHT'') was a daily newspaper published in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 1832 to 1985. History and profile ''GHT'' was founded in 1832 by publisher Magnus Prytz and had a liberal alignment from the lat ...

'', ''

Nya Dagligt Allehanda ''Nya Dagligt Allehanda'' (New Daily Everywhere), also known as the ''NDA'' was a Swedish conservative-leaning newspaper published in Stockholm from 1859 to 1944. History The ''Nya Dagligt Allehanda'' was founded as a continuation of another n ...

'', ''

Vecko-Journalen ''Vecko-Journalen'' (Swedish: ''Weekly Record'') was a weekly magazine published under various titles from 1910 to 2002. History and profile ''Vecko-Journalen'' was founded by Erik Åkerlund in 1910. The same year he also established the publis ...

'' and '' Veckorevyn'', and she was Editor-in-chief of '' Idun'' in 1962–63, until the magazine merged with ''Vecko-Journalen''. She also wrote travel books and cookery books. In 1956, the year when

Swedish television Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

was officially launched, Ria Wägner started working as a television host, for her own show "Hemma med Ria" (''At home with Ria''). The programme was broadcast from 1956 to 1966, and again from 1970 to 1978, and it focused on cooking, home economics, art, and music. Each programme ended with Wägner making her signature backwards wave at the camera. She was married to journalist Staffan Rosén 1939–1946, and had two sons with him. She lived together with the author

Gustav Sandgren Gustav Sandgren (20 August 1904 – 11 August 1983) was a Swedish writer. Early life and writing Sandgren's parents were O.J. Sandgren and Karolina Adolfsson, who gave their son a poor but happy childhood. The father was, in addition to his wo ...

from 1945 until his death in 1983, and the couple had one daughter. Ria Wägner died on

Lidingö Lidingö, also known in its definite form ''Lidingön'' and as ''Lidingölandet'', is an island in the inner Stockholm archipelago, northeast of Stockholm, Sweden. In 2010, the population of the Lidingö urban area on the island was 31,561. It is ...

in 1999.

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