Anders Österling
Anders Österling (1884–1981) was a Swedish poet, critic and translator. He was born in Helsingborg, the son of a newspaper editor, and studied in Malmö and Lund. After earning degrees in literature history, art history and philosophy at Lund University in 1909, he worked part-time at the University Library in Lund until 1918.
Österling began publishing poetry in 1904 and wrote 15 collections over seven decades. His last collection, Ögonblick (Moments), appeared in 1978. His poetry drew on British, French, German and Danish influences, with Wordsworth as an early influence, though it later took on a more Swedish voice.
As a critic, Österling wrote for several newspapers from 1902 to 1977, including Skånska Dagbladet and Svenska Dagbladet, and later Stockholms-Tidningen (1936–1966) and Sydsvenska Dagbladet. By age 80 he had published more than 5,000 articles and reviews, and he continued to publish hundreds more in his later years. He played a key role in introducing foreign literature to Swedish readers through articles, translations and anthologies.
Österling also wrote plays, biographical notes and travel books, and worked as a publisher for Bonniers. He translated works by Galsworthy, Goethe and O’Neill, and was especially prolific in translating poetry by T.S. Eliot, Hesse, Ungaretti, Quasimodo and Montale; several of these authors later won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
In 1919, at age 35, Österling was elected to the Swedish Academy, where he served for 62 years—the longest tenure of any member. He was the Academy’s permanent secretary from 1941 to 1964 and a member of the Nobel Committee from 1921, serving as its chairman from 1947 to 1970. Anders Österling died in Stockholm on 13 December 1981, at the age of 97.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:19 (CET).