Astrid Lindgren
1907 - 2002
HPI 83.9699 languages
Astrid Lindgren is most famous for her children's book series, Pippi Longstocking.
The Most Famous
Writers from Sweden
110 notable people
Top 10 Swedish Writers
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Swedish Writers of all time. This list of famous Swedish Writers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Swedish Writers.
#1 #2 
Selma Lagerlöf
1858 - 1940
HPI 83.47115 languagesSelma Lagerlöf is most famous for her novel, The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. The book tells the story of a boy, Nils, who sails with his grandfather to the North Pole and back.
#3 
August Strindberg
1849 - 1912
HPI 80.3083 languagesAugust Strindberg is most famous for his writing. He was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.
#4 
Tomas Tranströmer
1931 - 2015
HPI 79.2697 languagesTomas Tranströmer is most famous for his poetry. He is a Swedish poet who has won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2011.
#5 
Pär Lagerkvist
1891 - 1974
HPI 76.2283 languagesPär Lagerkvist is most famous for being a Swedish poet and novelist. He is known for his work in the 1930s and 1940s, and is considered to be one of the most important Swedish writers of the 20th century.
#6 
Erik Axel Karlfeldt
1864 - 1931
HPI 76.0778 languagesErik Axel Karlfeldt is most famous for his evocative poetry that celebrated Swedish rural life and folklore, earning him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1931. A surprising fact is that he served as the secretary of the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Prize, yet he humbly declined other honors during his...Read moreShow less
Erik Axel Karlfeldt is most famous for his evocative poetry that celebrated Swedish rural life and folklore, earning him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1931. A surprising fact is that he served as the secretary of the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Prize, yet he humbly declined other honors during his lifetime. His lasting legacy lies in his profound influence on Swedish literature, with his works continuing to inspire themes of nature and national identity.
#7 
Eyvind Johnson
1900 - 1976
HPI 74.9077 languagesEyvind Johnson is most famous for his novel, The Emigrants, which was published in 1949. The book is about a group of Swedish immigrants who leave their homeland to start a new life in America.
#8 
Harry Martinson
1904 - 1978
HPI 74.1478 languagesHarry Martinson is most famous for his poetry, which is often characterized by its use of the Swedish language and its focus on the natural world.
#9 
Verner von Heidenstam
1859 - 1940
HPI 74.0182 languagesHe is most famous for his epic poem "The Great War."
#10 
Henning Mankell
1948 - 2015
HPI 73.8454 languagesHenning Mankell is most famous for his detective novels about Kurt Wallander, a Swedish police officer. The books are set in the fictional town of Ystad, where Wallander is the head of the local police department.
People by Birth Decade
Browse notable Swedish Writers grouped by birth decade. Each decade shows the top 10 by HPI; expand to see everyone.
1970s(8)
1960s(14)
1950s(8)
1940s(12)
1930s(11)
1920s(10)
1900s(7)
1870s(1)
1830s(1)
1820s(1)
1780s(2)
1710s(1)
1650s(1)
1490s(1)
Overlapping Lives
Which Writers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 25 most globally memorable Writers since 1700.
HUMANITIES
