Per Erik Wästberg (born 20 November 1933) is a
Swedish writer and a member of the
Swedish Academy since 1997.
Wästberg was born 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 ...
, son of Erik Wästberg and his wife Greta née Hirsch, and holds a degree in
literature
Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
from
Uppsala University
Uppsala University (UU) () is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation.
Initially fou ...
. He was editor-in-chief of Sweden's largest daily newspaper, ''
Dagens Nyheter
(, ), abbreviated ''DN'', is a daily newspaper in Sweden. It is published in Stockholm and aspires to full national and international coverage, and is widely considered Sweden's newspaper of record
A newspaper of record is a major nationa ...
'' 1976–1982, and has been a contributor since 1953. He is an older brother of
Olle Wästberg.
Wästberg was a member of
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
for many years and was a president of
International PEN.
He has been a member of the
Nobel Prize in Literature committee since 1999, chair between 2005 and 2019.
Literary work
Per Wästberg has published numerous books including
travel literature
The genre of travel literature or travelogue encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs.
History
Early examples of travel literature include the '' Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'' (generally considered a ...
with a particular interest in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
, novels, poetry collections and biographical books. He is also a prominent chronicler of his native
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 ...
.
Wästberg wrote a
biographical novel about
Anders Sparrman, a Swedish
natural scientist, who, according to Wästberg, was the first
zoologist
Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...
to study the two African
rhinoceros species. Wästberg describes Sparrman as having made significant scientific discoveries and cartography, without achieving fame.
Political works
Wästberg has campaigned extensively for
human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
. He was President of the
PEN International from 1979 until 1986 and founder of the Swedish section of
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
(1963). In connection with this, he was involved in the anti-
colonial movement. He was especially active in the struggle against
Apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, where he became a close friend of
Nadine Gordimer.
He was expelled by the government in
Rhodesia
Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...
in 1959, and after publication of his anti-Apartheid book ''På svarta listan'' (''On the Black List'') in 1960, he was banned from entering both Rhodesia and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. He returned to South Africa only in 1990, after the release from jail of
Nelson Mandela.
In August 2022 Wästberg resigned from Amnesty International following
controversy about one of Amnesty's reports in relation to the
2022 Russian invasion, which in addition to blaming Russia for the invasion also stated that Ukrainian government had a responsibility not to place troops and weapons in civilian locations, to avoid putting them into harm in Amnesty's interpretation of
international humanitarian law
International humanitarian law (IHL), also referred to as the laws of armed conflict or the laws of war, is the law that regulates the conduct of war (''wikt:jus in bello, jus in bello''). It is a branch of international law that seeks to limit ...
. "I have been a member for over 60 years. It is with a heavy heart that, due to Amnesty's statements regarding the war in Ukraine, I am ending a long and fruitful engagement," he said.
List of published works
Novels
* ''Pojke med såpbubblor'' (1949)
* ''Ett gammalt skuggspel ''(1952)
*''Halva kungariket ''(1955)
* ''Arvtagaren ''(1958)
* ''Vattenslottet ''(1968)
* ''Luftburen ''(1969)
* ''Jordmånen ''(1972)
* ''Eldens skugga'' (1986)
* ''Bergets källa'' (1987)
* ''Ljusets hjärta'' (1991)
* ''Vindens låga'' (1993)
* ''Anders Sparrmans resa: en biografisk roman'' (2008)
Poetry
* ''Tio atmosfärer'' (1963)
* ''Enkel resa'' (1964)
* ''En avlägsen likhet'' (1983)
* ''Frusna tillgångar'' (1990)
*'' Förtöjningar ''(1995)
* ''Tre rader'' (1998)
* ''Raderingar'' (1999)
* ''Fortifikationer'' (2001)
* ''Tillbaka i tid ''(2004)
On Africa and the Third World
* ''Förbjudet område ''(1960)
* ''På svarta listan'' (1960)
* ''Afrika berättar'' (1961)
* ''Afrika-ett uppdrag ''(1976)
* ''I Sydafrika – resan till friheten'' (1995)
* ''Modern afrikansk litteratur '' (1969)
* ''Afrikansk poesi'' (1971)
* ''Resor, intervjuver, porträtt, politiska analyser från en långvarig vistelse i Sydafrika ''(1994)
Biographies and essays
*'' Ernst och Mimmi, biografi genom brev ''(1964)
*'' Alice och Hjördis Två systrar'' (1994)
*'' En dag på världsmarknaden'' (1967)
*'' Berättarens ögonblick ''(1977)
*'' Obestämda artiklar'' (1981)
*'' Bestämda artiklar ''(1982)
* ''Frukost med Gerard ''(1992)
* ''Lovtal ''(1996)
* ''Ung mans dagbok'' (1996)
* ''Ung författares dagbok ''(1997)
* ''Duvdrottningen ''(1998)
* ''
Edith Whartons hemliga trädgård ''(2000)
* ''Övergångsställen ''(2002)
* ''Ute i livet : en memoar (1980–1994) ''(2012)
* ''Gustaf Adolf Lysholm : diktare, drömmare, servitör – en biografi'' (2013)
* ''Per Wästbergs Stockholm'' (2013)
* ''Lovord'' (2014)
* ''Erik och Margot : en kärlekshistoria'' (2014)
* ''Mellanblad'' (2015)
In English
*'' The case against
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
–
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
and
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...
'' (with
Anders Ehnmark, 1965)
*'' Assignments in Africa'' (1986)
References
External links
Curriculum Vitae from the Nobel Prize Committeefirst published in Prospect magazine
PEN International
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wastberg, Per
1933 births
Living people
Swedish male poets
Members of the Swedish Academy
Uppsala University alumni
Litteris et Artibus recipients
Recipients of the Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo
August Prize winners
20th-century Swedish novelists
20th-century Swedish poets
21st-century Swedish poets
Swedish male novelists
20th-century Swedish male writers
21st-century Swedish male writers
Dagens Nyheter editors
Novelists from Stockholm
Poets from Stockholm