Selma Lagerlöf

Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940) was a Swedish novelist and storyteller whose works drew on folklore, history, and rural life. She became the first woman awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1909.

The Wonderful Adventures of Nils: A Swedish children’s novel in which Nils Holgersson travels across Sweden with a flock of wild geese. This celebrated work turns a geographical tour of Sweden into a coming-of-age story.
Mårbacka: The estate in Värmland where Selma Lagerlöf was born and later lived. Family memories of Mårbacka informed her depictions of rural life and local tradition.
Nobel Prize in Literature: An annual international award recognizing outstanding literary work, established by Alfred Nobel’s will. Lagerlöf became its first female laureate in 1909.
Women Nobel laureates: Women who have received Nobel Prizes across the award’s fields since 1901. Lagerlöf’s 1909 award made her the first woman in this history.
Gösta Berling's Saga: Selma Lagerlöf’s 1891 debut novel about a defrocked priest and the people of Värmland. Its imaginative blend of regional life and legend established her literary reputation.
Royal Higher College for Women: A Stockholm institution that trained women as teachers in the nineteenth century. Lagerlöf studied there before teaching, a route that preceded her literary success.
Swedish Academy: A Swedish cultural institution founded in 1786 to advance the Swedish language and literature. The Academy elected Lagerlöf as its first female member in 1914.
Women’s suffrage in Sweden: The campaign and political changes that secured women’s voting rights in Sweden in 1921. Lagerlöf publicly supported women’s rights during the movement for political equality.
Jerusalem (Lagerlöf novel): A two-part novel by Selma Lagerlöf about Swedish farmers who emigrate to Jerusalem. The novel connects her interest in Värmland communities with religious belief and migration.
Landskrona: A coastal city in southern Sweden where Lagerlöf taught at a girls’ school. Her years in Landskrona coincided with the composition and publication of her first novel.

Linked from 10 pages