Origins & Early Life

Harry Martinson (6 May 1904 – 11 February 1978) was a Swedish writer, poet and former sailor. In 1949 he was elected into the Swedish Academy. He was awarded a joint Nobel Prize in Literature in 1974 together with fellow Swede Eyvind Johnson "for writings that catch the dewdrop and reflect the cosmos". The choice was controversial, as both Martinson and Johnson were members of the academy.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He has been called "the great reformer of 20th-century Swedish poetry, the most original of the writers called 'proletarian'." One of his most noted works is the poetic cycle Aniara, which is a story of the spacecraft Aniara that during a journey through space loses its course and subsequently floats on without destination. The book was published in 1956 and became an opera in 1959 composed by Karl-Birger Blomdahl. The cycle has been described as "an epic story of man's fragility and folly". Martinson was born in Jämshög, Blekinge County in south-eastern Sweden. Born Harry Edmund Olofsson, he was the fifth child of middle class parents who ran a small shop in the village Nyteboda and had four older and two younger sisters.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

At a young age he lost both his parents, his father...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• 1904 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1904
• May 6 (05-06) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on May 6
• 1978 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1978
• February 11 (02-11) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on February 11