Two Members Inducted into the Swedish Academy

 

Hello Gentle Reader
 
The Swedish Academy has announced that the remaining two seats in its rank:
 
Chair No. 5 – Previously held by, Göran Malmqvist
Chair No. 14 – Previosuly held by, Kristina Lugn
 
Will be filled by Ingrid Carlberg in Chair No. 5; Steve Sem-Sandberg in Chair No. 14.
 
Both Ingrid Calberg and Steve Sem-Sandberg will be inducted into the Swedish Academy on December 20, 2020, at the Swedish Academy’s annual general meeting. How this annual general meeting will be conducted is still unknown considering the challenges the pandemic causes. Both newly elected members have been met with approval; however, they have also piqued some curiosity.
 
Both Ingrid Calberg and Steve Sem-Sandberg are noted for their connections with newspapers; and their own careers in journalism and criticism. The Swedish Academy’s celestial halls are filled with the usual dull humdrum of humanities professions: linguists, literary theorists, writers, historians, poets, and philosophers. Only one member has a professional career outside of the literary academia, and that is Eric M. Runesson who is lawyer and judge by profession and education. Of course, other members of the Swedish Academy have contributed op-eds, criticism, and articles for news papers and magazines. Per Wästberg was a former Editor-in-Chief of Dagens Nyheter. Still they remain a distant relationship from the profession, seeking to pursue or maintain their notions of the literary away from the lesser business of journalism.
 
The notion of journalism as a profession, makes Ingrid Calberg a unique pick. Calberg is known as a journalist first, and a biographer second. Her career is not one riddled in the ivory tower of academia, nor has it been spent toiling away on poetry or novels. Instead Calberg has been working in the more tangible and palpable world of journalism, going so far as to teach journalism at university. Beyond her career as a journalist, Ingrid Calberg has critical books of non-fiction, as well as biographies, including gone on Alfred Nobel. The inclusion of Ingrid Calberg will be a unique choice for the Swedish Academy.
 
Steve Sem-Sandberg on the flipside is a traditional pick as a writer, who also happens to have written some of the most critically acclaimed novels at the turn of the century. The only objection issued by publications regarding Steve Sem-Sandberg is: what took the Swedish Academy so long to recognize him and then elect him?
 
Both new inductees have been humbled and honored by the decision. As long as no members resign from the academy, or none die—this will be the first time the Swedish Academy has been complete without an empty seat since the late eighties. This will mean all members of the Swedish Academy after the general meeting with the new members inducted, will be able to participate in the work of the academy.
 
Thank-You For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
 
M. Mary

 
For Further Reading—

SVT Nyheter: "Två nya ledamöter i Akademien,"