Samfundet De Nios stora pris (De Nio's Grand Prize)
1 appearances
-
Edition 22 (1938) Winner
Harry Martinson
ハリー・マーティンソン
Harry Martinson
Aliases:
Harry Edmund Olofsson
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1904-05-06 （Jämshög, Sweden）
- Died
- 1978-02-11 （Stockholm, Sweden） age 73
- Nationality
- Swedish
- Languages
- Swedish
- Residence History
- Jämshög (birthplace) → Södermanland (farm) → Stockholm (residence and hospital) → Sollentuna (burial area)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Poet, Sailor
- Active Years
- 1927-1978
- Affiliations
- Swedish Academy (Seat No.15)
- Memberships
- Swedish Academy
- Influenced By
- Artur Lundkvist, Elmer Diktonius, Carl Sandburg, Edgar Lee Masters
- Influenced
- Tomas Tranströmer (one of the later Swedish poets influenced), Late 20th-century Swedish poets
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Nobel Prize in Literature | Aniara (among works cited) | — | Nobel Foundation / Swedish Academy | 受賞 |
Nobel Prize in Literature
1974
Work:
Aniara (among works cited)
Organization:
Nobel Foundation / Swedish Academy
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Nobel Prize in Literature
2 appearances
-
Edition 67 (1974) Winner
Works
Major Works
Aniara
1956 Epic poem / PoetryA long poetic cycle about the spacecraft Aniara which loses its course and drifts through space, an epic reflection on human fragility and folly.
CosmosHuman fragilityNature vs. technologyIsolation
Adaptations
- [Opera] Aniara (opera by Karl-Birger Blomdahl) / Karl-Birger Blomdahl (1959)
- [Film] Aniara / Pella Kågerman・Håkan Alexandersson (2018)
Translations
- English translation (Hugh MacDiarmid, 1976)
- English translation (Stephen Klass, 1991)
Nässlorna blomma (Flowering Nettle)
1935 Autobiographical novelA semi-autobiographical novel depicting Martinson's childhood as an orphan, focusing on hardship, labor and coming of age.
PovertyChildhoodSocial origin
Translations
- English translation (Flowering Nettle)
Kap farväl! (Cape Farewell)
1933 Sea narrative / NovelA book based on his experiences at sea, recounting voyages and vagrancy.
SeaVagrancySelf-formation
Translations
- English translation (Cape Farewell)
Vägen till Klockrike (The Road)
1948 NovelA novel with social-critical elements about wanderers and a critique of modern culture.
Social critiqueVagrancyCommunity
Translations
- English translation (The Road)
Cikada
1953 Poetry collectionA poetry collection focusing on nature and social critique; includes the proto-cycle to Aniara ('The Song about Doris and Mima').
NatureSocial critiqueCosmic concerns
Bibliography
- Kap farväl! (Cape Farewell) 1933
- Nässlorna blomma (Flowering Nettle) 1935
- Vägen ut (The Way Out) 1936
- Vägen till Klockrike (The Road) 1948
- Cikada 1953
- Aniara 1956
Adaptations
- Aniara (opera, film, stage adaptations)
Translations of Works
- Aniara (English translations: Hugh MacDiarmid 1976, Stephen Klass 1991, etc.)
- Flowering Nettle (English translation)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Precise, vivid nature imageryMetaphor-rich languageLyrical and sometimes experimental poetic expression
- Recurring Motifs
- Sea and voyagesDetails of natureCosmos and lonelinessCritique of modern society
Health
-
Lung problems (respiratory illness)1927 ごろ（若年期）およびその後Contributed to his leaving the sea in young adulthood. In later years poor health and depression repeatedly affected his productivity.
-
Depressive episodes1960年代以降Affected his later output and, combined with sensitivity to criticism, is considered a contributing factor to his suicide.
Legacy
Harry Martinson is an important 20th-century Swedish poet and writer, noted for his nature imagery and cosmic vision. His 1974 Nobel Prize was controversial, but his literary reputation has been re-evaluated positively after his death. Memorials such as the international Cikada Prize and other commemorations preserve his legacy.
Academic Societies
- Harry Martinson Society
Archives
- Uppsala University Library (materials related to Harry Martinson)
In Popular Culture
- Aniara has been adapted into an opera (1959) and a film (2018), among other media reinterpretations.
Quotes
-
"for writings that catch the dewdrop and reflect the cosmos."
Source: Nobel Prize citation (1974) (1974)
Trivia
- The 1974 Nobel Prize in Literature, shared with fellow Swede Eyvind Johnson, was controversial because both were members of the Swedish Academy.
- A monument was erected at his birthplace.
- He died by suicide in 1978 after prolonged sensitivity to criticism.