| Carl Gustaf Verner von Heidenstam | |
|---|---|
| Born | Carl Gustaf Verner von Heidenstam 6 July 1859 Olshammar, Sweden |
| Died | 20 May 1940 (aged 80) Övralid, Sweden |
| Occupation | poet, novelist |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Notable award(s) | Nobel Prize in Literature 1916 |
Carl Gustaf Verner von Heidenstam (6 July 1859 – 20 May 1940) was a Swedish poet and novelist, a laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1916. He was a member of the Swedish Academy from 1912. Most of his works are passionate depictions of the Swedish character, life, and traditions, often from a patriotic point of view.
He was born in Olshammar, Örebro County to a noble family. He studied paintings in the Academy of Stockholm, but soon left to travel extensively in Europe, Africa and Eastern countries. His work Vallfart och vandringsår (Pilgrimage: the Wander Years, 1888) is a collection of poems inspired by his experiences in the East and marks an abandonment of naturalism that was dominant then in Swedish literature.
His love for beauty is showed also by the allegorical novel Hans Alienus (1892). Dikter ("Poems", 1895) and Karolinerna (The Charles Men, 2 vols., 1897–1898), a historical novel, shows a strong nationalistic passion. The two volumes of Folkunga Trädet (The Tree of the Folkungs, 1905–07) are the inspired, epic story of a clan of Swede chieftains in the Middle Ages.
His poetical collection Nya Dikter, published in 1915, deals with philosophical themes, mainly concerning the elevation of man to a better humanity from solitude. He died at his home Övralid in 1940.
| Preceded by Carl David af Wirsén |
Swedish Academy, Seat No.8 1912-1940 |
Succeeded by Pär Lagerkvist |
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