Harry Martinson, a Swedish literary icon, was a prolific writer whose works spanned various genres, including poetry, prose, and drama. Born on May 6, 1904, in Jämshög, Sweden, Martinson endured a tumultuous childhood marked by the loss of both his parents at an early age. Despite these adversities, he managed to carve out a successful literary career, ultimately earning him international recognition and the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1974.
Martinson’s early experiences, including his time as a sailor and his struggles with family, deeply influenced his writings. In particular, he developed a profound connection to nature and the human condition, which became recurring themes throughout his work. His semi-autobiographical series of novels, beginning with Nässlorna blomma (Flowering Nettle) and continuing with Vägen ut (The Way Out), provided readers with an intimate glimpse into the author’s difficult early years.
Harry Martinson’s literary career took off after he published his first poetry collection in 1929 titled Spökskepp (Ghost Ship). Over the years, he continued to release multiple volumes of poetry and prose that were highly acclaimed by both critics and readers alike. Among his most distinguished works is the science fiction poem “Aniara.” This epic tale follows a spaceship carrying refugees from a war-torn Earth as it drifts through the cosmos. Aniara reflects Martinson’s deep concern for humanity’s potential for self-destruction and serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of technological progress.
In addition to his immense literary achievements, Harry Martinson played an active role in Sweden’s cultural and political landscape. He was the first proletarian writer member of the Swedish Academy. Martinson’s numerous contributions to Swedish literature and his unwavering commitment to addressing social and environmental issues through his work have solidified his status as a literary icon.
Despite facing numerous personal challenges throughout his life, Harry Martinson remains an inspiration for aspiring writers and an enduring symbol of Sweden’s rich literary tradition. His receipt of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1974 not only marked a significant milestone in his career but also cemented his legacy as one of Sweden’s most influential and celebrated authors.
Visit to the observatory
We viewed a nebula inside a tube.
To us a golden herd of mist it seemed.
In larger tubes it might have gleamed
as suns in thousands in their boundless space.
Our dizziness of mind imagined
that it rose, high up from war on earth,
from time and space—our life’s naivety—
to new dimensions in their majesty.
There no law rules of this life’s type.
There laws rule for the world where worlds abound.
There the suns roll out till they are ripe
and deep in the hearth of every sun resound.
Suns in plenitude are present there.
And there, to cosmic law, each sun pulsates
in larger suns’ unfathomable blaze.
And there all is brightness and the daylight of all days.
-Harry Martinson, from Passad, 1945, translated by Stephen Klass
Curated by Jennifer
