Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (, , ; 20 November 1858 – 16 March 1940) was a Swedish writer. She published her first novel, ''
Gösta Berling's Saga'', at the age of 33. She was the first woman to win the
Nobel Prize in Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
, which she was
awarded in 1909. In 1914, she was the first woman to be granted a membership of the
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy (), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish language authority. Outside Scandinavia, it is best known as the body t ...
.
Life
Early years

Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf was born on 20 November 1858 at
Mårbacka,
Värmland
Värmland () is a ''Provinces of Sweden, landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west.
Name
Several Latinized version ...
,
Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway. Lagerlöf was the daughter of
Erik Gustaf Lagerlöf, a lieutenant in the Royal Värmland Regiment, and Louise Lagerlöf (''née'' Wallroth), whose father was a well-to-do merchant and a
foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
owner ().
Lagerlöf was the couple's fifth child out of six. She was born with a
hip injury, which was caused by detachment in the hip joint. At the age of three and a half, a sickness left her lame in both legs, although she later recovered.
She was a quiet, serious child with a deep love of
reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
. She wrote poetry but did not publish anything until later in life. Her grandmother helped raise her, often telling stories of fairytales and fantasy. Growing up, she was plain and slightly lame, and an account stated that the cross-country wanderings of Margarethe and Elisabet in ''Gösta Berling's Saga'' could be the author's compensatory fantasies.
[ She received her schooling at home since the ''Folkskola'' compulsory education system was not fully developed yet. She studied English and French. After reading ''Osceola'' by ]Thomas Mayne Reid
Thomas Mayne Reid (4 April 1818 – 22 October 1883) was an Irish British novelist who fought in the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). His many works on American life describe colonial policy in the American colonies, the horrors of slave ...
at the age of seven, she decided she would be a writer when she grew up.
In 1875, Lagerlöf lived in the Karlskoga Church Rectory alongside Erik Tullius Hammargren
Erik Tullius Hammargren (18 October 1814 – 14 February 1899) was a Swedish Lutheran priest, ornithologist, and textbook writer.
Life and work
Erik Tullius Hammargren was born in Karlstad in 1814 to vicar Anders Hammargren and Sara Johanna Pis ...
and his wife, Ottiliana Lagerlöf, who was her aunt, during which time she was one of Hammargren's confirmation students.
The sale of the Lagerlöf family's estate in 1884 had a serious impact on her development. Selma's father is said to have been an alcoholic, something she rarely discussed. Her father did not want Selma to continue her education or be involved with the women's movement. Later in life, she bought back her father's estate with the money she received for her Nobel Prize. Lagerlöf lived there for the rest of her life.
Teaching life
Lagerlöf studied at the Högre lärarinneseminariet
The Royal Seminary, fully the Royal Advanced Female Teachers' Seminary (, abbreviated KHLS), was a normal school (teachers' college) in Stockholm, Sweden. It was active from 1861 until 1943. It was the first public institution of higher acade ...
in Stockholm from 1882 to 1885. She worked as a country schoolteacher at a high school for girls in Landskrona
Landskrona is a town in Scania, Sweden. Located on the shores of the Öresund, it occupies a natural port, which has lent the town at first military and subsequent commercial significance. Ferries operate from Landskrona to the island of Ven, an ...
from 1885 to 1895. Through her studies at the Royal Women's Superior Training Academy in Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, Lagerlöf reacted against the realism of contemporary Swedish-language writers such as August Strindberg
Johan August Strindberg (; ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 pla ...
. She began her first novel, '' Gösta Berling's Saga,'' while working as a teacher in Landskrona. Her first break as a writer came when she submitted the first chapters to a literary contest in the magazine'' Idun'', and won a publishing contract for the whole book. At first, her writing only received mild reviews from critics. Once a popular critic, Georg Brandes
Georg Morris Cohen Brandes (4 February 1842 – 19 February 1927) was a Danish critic and scholar who greatly influenced Scandinavian and European literature from the 1870s through the turn of the 20th century. He is seen as the theorist behind ...
, had given her positive reviews of the Danish translation, her popularity soared. She received financial support from Fredrika Limnell
Catharina Fredrika Limnell née Forssberg (14 July 1816 – 12 September 1897), was a Swedish philanthropist, mecenate, feminist and salonist.
Private life
Fredrika Forssberg was born on July 14, 1816 in Härnösand Municipality in Västernor ...
, who wished to enable her to concentrate on her writing.
Literary career
A visit in 1900 to the American Colony in Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
became the inspiration for Lagerlöf's book by that name. The royal family and the Swedish Academy gave her substantial financial support to continue her passion. ''Jerusalem'' was also acclaimed by critics, who began comparing her to Homer
Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
and Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
, so that she became a popular figure both in Sweden and abroad.[ By 1895, she gave up her teaching to devote herself to her writing. With the help of proceeds from ''Gösta Berling's Saga'' and a scholarship and grant, she made two journeys, which were largely instrumental in providing material for her next novel. With her close friend Sophie Elkan, she traveled to Italy, and also to ]Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
and Egypt. In Italy, a legend of a Christ Child figure that had been replaced with a false version inspired Lagerlöf's novel (''The Miracles of the Antichrist''). Set in Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
, the novel explores the interplay between Christian and socialist moral systems. However, most of Lagerlöf's stories were set in Värmland.
In 1902, Lagerlöf was asked by the National Teachers' Association to write a geography book for children. She wrote (''The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
''), a novel about a boy from the southernmost part of Sweden, who had been shrunk to the size of a thumb and who travelled on the back of a goose across the country. Lagerlöf mixed historical and geographical facts about the provinces of Sweden with the tale of the boy's adventures, detailing how he managed to return home and was restored to his normal size.[ The novel is one of Lagerlöf's most well-known books, and it has been translated into more than 30 languages.
]
She moved to Falun
Falun () is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 37,291 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Dalarna County. Falun forms, together with Borlänge, a metropolitan area with just over 100,000 inhabit ...
in 1897 and met Valborg Olander, who became her literary assistant and friend, but Elkan's jealousy of Olander was a complication in the relationship. Olander, a teacher, was also active in the growing women's suffrage movement
Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...
in Sweden. Selma Lagerlöf herself was active as a speaker for the National Association for Women's Suffrage, which was beneficial for the organisation because of the great respect which surrounded Lagerlöf, and she spoke at the International Suffrage Congress in Stockholm in June 1911, where she gave the opening address, as well as at the victory party of the Swedish suffrage movement after women suffrage had been granted in May 1919.
Selma Lagerlöf was a friend of the German-Jewish writer Nelly Sachs
Nelly Sachs (; 10 December 1891 – 12 May 1970) was a German–Swedish poet and playwright. Her experiences resulting from the rise of the Nazism, Nazis in World War II Europe transformed her into a poignant spokesperson for the grief and yearn ...
. Shortly before her death in 1940, Lagerlöf intervened with the Swedish royal family to secure the release of Sachs and Sachs' aged mother from Nazi Germany, on the last flight from Germany to Sweden, and their lifelong asylum in Stockholm.
Personal life
Relationships
In 1894, she met the Swedish writer Sophie Elkan, who became her friend and companion. Over many years, Elkan and Lagerlöf critiqued each other's work. Lagerlöf wrote that Elkan strongly influenced her work and that she often disagreed sharply with the direction Lagerlöf wanted to take in her books. Selma's letters to Sophie were published in 1993, titled ('You Teach me to be Free').[ Beginning in the 1900s, she also had a close relationship with Valborg Olander, who had some influence as a literary adviser, agent and secretary of sorts as well; their correspondence was published in 2006 as ('A Proper Writer's Wife'). There appears to have been a strong rivalry between Elkan and Olander. Both relationships were close, emotional, exclusive and described in terms suggestive of love, the boundary between expressions of friendship and love being somewhat vague at the time. Still, it is primarily the surviving correspondence with Olander that contains passages implying decidedly erotic and physical passion, even though Lagerlöf took care to destroy many of the letters she found too risky. Homosexual relations between women were taboo as well as illegal in Sweden at the time, so none of the women involved ever revealed such a thing publicly.][
]
Literary adaptations
In 1919, Lagerlöf sold all the movie rights to all of her as-yet unpublished works to Swedish Cinema Theatre (), so over the years, many movie versions of her works were made. During the era of Swedish silent cinema, her works were used in film by Victor Sjöström
Victor David Sjöström (; 20 September 1879 – 3 January 1960), also known in the United States as Victor Seastrom, was a pioneering Swedish film director, screenwriter, and actor. He began his career in Sweden, before moving to Hollywood, ...
, Mauritz Stiller
Mauritz Stiller (born Moshe Stiller, 17 July 1883 – 8 November 1928) was a Finnish film director of Jewish origin, best known for discovering Greta Garbo and bringing her to America. Stiller was a pioneer of the Swedish film industry, writing ...
, and other Swedish film makers. Sjöström's retelling of Lagerlöf's tales about rural Swedish life, in which his camera recorded the detail of traditional village life and the Swedish landscape, provided the basis of some of the most poetic and memorable products of silent cinema. The 1921 film adaptation of '' Thy Soul Shall Bear Witness!'' (''Körkarlen'') was critically acclaimed and influential within cinema. ''Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
'' was adapted in 1996 into the internationally acclaimed film of the same name.
Awards and commemoration
On 10 December 1909, Selma Lagerlöf won the Nobel Prize "in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination, and spiritual perception that characterize her writings", but the decision was preceded by harsh internal power struggle within the Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy (), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish language authority. Outside Scandinavia, it is best known as the body t ...
, the body that awards the Nobel Prize in literature. During her acceptance speech, she remained humble and told a fantastic story of her father, as she 'visited him in heaven'. In the story, she asks her father for help with the debt she owes and her father explains the debt is from all the people who supported her throughout her career.[ In 1904, the academy had awarded her its great gold medal, and in 1914, she also became a member of the academy. For both the academy membership and her Nobel literature prize, she was the first woman to be so honored.] She was awarded the Litteris et Artibus in 1909 and the Illis quorum
''Illis quorum'' (''Illis quorum meruere labores'') (English: "For Those Whose Labors Have Deserved It") is a gold medal awarded for outstanding contributions to Swedish culture, science or society.
The award was introduced in 1784 by King Gusta ...
in 1926. In 1991, she became the first woman to be depicted on a Swedish banknote, when the first 20-kronor note was released.
In 1907, she received the honorary degree of doctor of letters
Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...
(''filosofie hedersdoktor'') from Uppsala University. In 1928, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Greifswald
The University of Greifswald (; ), formerly known as Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald, is a public research university located in Greifswald, Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Founded in 1456, it is one of th ...
's Faculty of Arts
A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...
. At the start of World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, she sent her Nobel Prize medal and gold medal from the Swedish Academy to the government of Finland to help raise money to fight the Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. The Finnish government was so touched that it raised the necessary money by other means and returned her medal to her.
A flight of steps connecting two streets is named after her in Jerusalem, Israel.
Two hotels are named after her in Östra Ämtervik in Sunne, and her home, , is preserved as a museum.
Works
Original Swedish-language publications are listed primarily.
The popularity of Lagerlöf in the United States was due in part to Velma Swanston Howard, or V. S. Howard (1868–1937, a suffragette and Christian scientist)"Howard, Velma Swanston, 1868–1937"
Library of Congress Authorities (lccn.loc.gov). Retrieved 2019-09-30. – who was an early believer in her appeal to Americans and who carefully translated many of her books.
* (1891; novel). Translated as ''The Story of Gösta Berling'' (Pauline Bancroft Flach, 1898), '' Gösta Berling's Saga'' (V.S. Howard and Lillie Tudeer, 1898), ''The Story of Gösta Berling'' (Robert Bly
Robert Elwood Bly (December 23, 1926 – November 21, 2021) was an American poet, essayist, activist and leader of the mythopoetic men's movement. His best-known prose book is '' Iron John: A Book About Men'' (1990), which spent 62 weeks on ...
, 1962), ''The Saga of Gosta Berling'' (Paul Norlen, 2009)
* (1894; short stories). Translated as ''Invisible Links'' (Pauline Bancroft Flach, (1869–1966) 1899)
* (1897; novel). Translated as ''The Miracles of Antichrist'' (Selma Ahlström Trotz, 1899) and ''The Miracles of Antichrist'' (Pauline Bancroft Flach (1869–1966), 1899)
* (1899; short stories). Translated as ''The Queens of Kungahälla and Other Sketches From a Swedish Homestead'' (Jessie Bröchner, 1901; C. Field, 1917)
* (1899; short stories). Translated as '' The Tale of a Manor and Other Sketches'' (C. Field, 1922)
* (1901; novel). Translated as ''Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
'' (Jessie Bröchner, 1903; V.S. Howard, 1914)
* (1902; novel). Translated as ''The Holy City : Jerusalem II'' (V.S. Howard, 1918)
* (1903; novel). Translated as '' Herr Arne's Hoard'' (Arthur G. Chater, 1923; Philip Brakenridge, 1952) and '' The Treasure'' (Arthur G. Chater, 1925) – adapted as the 1919 film '' Sir Arne's Treasure''.
* (1904; short stories). Translated as ''Christ Legends and Other Stories'' (V,S. Howard, 1908)
* (1906–07; children's novel). Translated as ''The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
'' (V.S. Howard, 1907; Richard E. Oldenburg, 1967) and ''Further Adventures of Nils'' (V.S. Howard, 1911)
* (1908; short stories). Translated as '' The Girl from the Marsh Croft'' (V.S. Howard, 1910) and ''Girl from the Marsh Croft and Other Stories'' (edited by Greta Anderson, 1996)
* (1911; non-fiction). Translated as ''Home and State: Being an Address Delivered at Stockholm at the Sixth Convention of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance, June 1911'' (C. Ursula Holmstedt, 1912)
* (1911; novel). Translated as ''Liliecrona's Home'' (Anna Barwell, 1913)
* '' Körkarlen'' (1912; novel). Translated as '' Thy Soul Shall Bear Witness!'' (William Frederick Harvey, 1921). Filmed as ''The Phantom Carriage
''The Phantom Carriage'' (, literally "The Wagoner") is a 1921 Swedish silent film directed by and starring Victor Sjöström, based on the 1912 novel '' Thy Soul Shall Bear Witness!'' (''Körkarlen'') by Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf. In the ...
'', ''The Phantom Chariot'', ''The Stroke of Midnight''.
* (1913) with Bernt Fredgren
* (1914; short stories)
* (1914; novel). Translated as '' The Emperor of Portugallia'' (V.S. Howard, 1916)
* (1914; play)
* (1915; short stories)
* (1915, 1921; novel). Translated as ''The Changeling'' (Susanna Stevens, 1992)
* (1918; novel). Translated as ''The Outcast'' (W. Worster, 1920/22)
* (1918; short stories), with illustrations by Einar Nerman
* (1920; non-fiction), biography of Zachris Topelius
* (1922; memoir). Translated as ''Marbacka: The Story of a Manor'' (V.S. Howard, 1924) and ''Memories of Marbacka'' (Greta Andersen, 1996) – named for the estate Mårbacka where Lagerlöf was born and raised
*The Ring trilogy – published in 1931 as ''The Ring of the Löwenskölds'', containing the Martin and Howard translations,
** ''Löwensköldska ringen'' (1925; novel). Translated as ''The General's Ring'' (Francesca Martin, 1928) and as '' The Löwensköld Ring'' (Linda Schenck, 1991)
** '' Charlotte Löwensköld'' (1925; novel). Translated as ''Charlotte Löwensköld'' (V.S. Howard)
** '' Anna Svärd'' (1928; novel). Translated as ''Anna Svärd'' (V.S. Howard, 1931)
* (1929; play), based on 1899 work
* (1930; short stories)
* (1930; memoir). Translated as ''Memories of My Childhood: Further Years at Mårbacka'' (V.S. Howard, 1934)
* (1932; memoir). Translated as ''The Diary of Selma Lagerlöf'' (V.S. Howard, 1936)
* (1933; short stories). Translated as ''Harvest'' (Florence and Naboth Hedin, 1935)
* (1936)
* (1936)
* (1943–45)
* (1959)
* (1984)
See also
* List of female Nobel laureates
The Nobel Prizes are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel#Nobel Prize, Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to Mankind." Additionally, the Nobel Mem ...
References
Further reading
*
* Berendsohn, Walter A. ''Selma Lagerlöf: Her Life and Work''. (adapted from the German by George F. Timpson) London: Nicholson & Watson, 1931.
* De Noma, Elizabeth Ann. ''Multiple Melodrama: The Making and Remaking of Three Selma Lagerlöf Narratives in the Silent Era and the 1940s''. Ann Arbor, Mich.: UMI Research Press, 2000.
* Edström, Vivi. ''Selma Lagerlöf''. (trans. by Barbara Lide) Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1984.
* Madler, Jennifer Lynn. ''The Literary Response of German-language Authors to Selma Lagerlöf''. Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois, 1998.
* Nelson, Anne Theodora. ''The Critical Reception of Selma Lagerlöf in France''. Evanston, Ill., 1962.
* Nelson, Victor Folke. "The Mårbacka Edition of the Works of Selma Lagerlöf". '' The Saturday Review of Literature'', January 19, 1929.[Retrieved on 1 February 2022.]
* Olson-Buckner, Elsa. ''The Epic Tradition in Gösta Berlings Saga''. Brooklyn, N.Y.: Theodore Gaus, 1978.
* Vrieze, Folkerdina Stientje de. ''Fact and Fiction in the Autobiographical Works of Selma Lagerlof''. Assen, Netherlands: Van Gorcum, 1958.
* Wägner, Elin. ''Selma Lagerlöf I'' (1942) and ''Selma Lagerlöf II''. (1943)
* Watson, Jennifer. ''Swedish Novelist Selma Lagerlöf, 1858–1940, and Germany at the Turn of the Century: O du Stern ob meinem Garten''. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 2004.
*
External links
Portrait in old age
Resources
*
List of Works
*
*
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*
Works online
*
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at Project Runeberg
Project Runeberg () is a digital cultural archive initiative that publishes free electronic versions of books significant to the culture and history of the Nordic countries. Patterned after Project Gutenberg, it was founded by Lars Aronsson and ...
Works by Selma Lagerlöf
at Swedish Literature Bank
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lagerlof, Selma
1858 births
1940 deaths
People from Sunne Municipality
Writers from Värmland County
Swedish women novelists
Swedish-language writers
19th-century Swedish novelists
Nobel laureates in Literature
Members of the Swedish Academy
Swedish Christian pacifists
Lutheran pacifists
Lutheran writers
Swedish feminists
Swedish suffragists
Liberals (Sweden) politicians
Swedish Lutherans
Swedish Nobel laureates
Women Nobel laureates
Swedish children's writers
Swedish women children's writers
20th-century Swedish novelists
Swedish short story writers
Recipients of the Illis quorum
Litteris et Artibus recipients