Hello
Gentle Reader
Jayne
Svenungsson becomes the latest member to formally recuse herself from the
Swedish Academy. Jayne Svenungsson was
the most recently elected member of the Swedish Academy. She was appointed to
the Academy in September 2017, and was formally elected December 20th
2017, to Chair No. 9, succeeding the late author Torgny Lindgren. After her
election, the Swedish Academy soon found itself embroiled in scandal and
crisis. She was one of the members who initially voted against the expulsion of
Katarina Frostenson; and remained silent and absent from all public discourse
and dissidence that took place following the decision, which included Sara
Danius resigning from her position as Permanent Secretary, and becoming
inactive alongside, Peter Englund and Kjell
Espmark.
Since the spring crisis, the Swedish Academy has been
actively seeking to resolve the scandal crisis. Through most of it, the academy
has often been reduced to putting out the fires as they begin, rather than
preventing them being started. The Nobel Foundation has been vocal in its
disproval and disappointment in the Swedish Academy, and has been actively
applying pressure to the Swedish Academy, to get its affairs in order. In the
autumn, however, the Swedish Academy has since sought to improve its situation
by reviewing and renewing its statutes, and seeking to update its internal governance
policies and procedures. Afterwards it sought to fill the vacant seats, and so
far has appointed three new members, who will be elected in a formal ceremony
on December 20th. When it comes to the question of the fate of Katarina
Frostenson, the Swedish Academy has issued a letter to the poet, asking her to
voluntarily resign from the academy. As it stands, Katarina Frostenson has
refused to voluntarily remove herself from the academy, and has hired legal representation
to represent her case and perspective to the academy, as they bring in a new investigation
with regards to allegations of her breaking the statute of secrecy and
confidentiality, conflicts of interest between her own private and personal business
and her membership with the Swedish Academy, as well the issue of financial mismanagement.
As for Jayne Svenungsson, she has remained polite with
her resignation and exit of the Swedish Academy. She has stated she had decided
to stay on with the Swedish Academy to assist in making important decisions and
elections of new members. Now that the Swedish Academy has begun to find its
feet again, Jayne Svenungsson has decided to withdraw from it and work full
time as professor of Systematic Theology at Lund University.
With the departure of Jayne Svenungsson, there is now
only one female member participating in the Swedish Academy: dramatist and
poet: Kristina Lugn, on Chair No. 14.
Jayne Svenungssons resignation has dampened the mood of
the Swedish Academy, with members having no desire to answer any questions regarding
her departure. Yet, pro tempore Permanent
Secretary Anders Olsson, did respond to a few questions, and stated he was not disappointed
in Jayne Svenungsson or her departure, and stated the situation is understandable,
as the academy has been at war with itself since her election. Since then,
member after member has resigned after a tumultuous scandal had erupted. In her
parting wards, Jayne Svenungsson hopes the Swedish Academy will regain its
prominence as a cultural institution, but believes her time is best suited as a
fulltime professor at Lund University.
The
departure would best be described as bitter sweet and even perhaps a sorrowful
note for some. To be appointed to the Swedish Academy must ring with the
sweetest silver bells. After all it’s an institution of select and few seats,
and appointments are hard to come by. Yet what happens when the silver dream
turns into a rusted iron nightmare? Sadly for Jayne Svenungsson her Swedish
Academy dream has been tarnished by the institution, and certain members, and
eventually it turned into a full nightmare. How disappointing it must be for Jayne
Svenungsson, to have seen what is coveted, only to find the gold is plated and
stripping to reveal rusted iron, and an academy rotting to its core.
Though
the Swedish Academy has had a few success this autumn, there is still a lot of
work ahead. The most pressing is dealing with the issue of Katarina Frostenson,
the second retaining current members, as well as perhaps inviting and welcoming
the return of others by concession and compromise.
In
the end: one can only wish Jayne Svenungsson the best of luck as she peruses
her academic career.
Thank-you
For Reading Gentle Reader
Take
Care
And
As Always
Stay
Well Read
M.
Mary
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