Tomas Gösta Tranströmer (born 15 April 1931 in Stockholm) is a Swedish writer, poet and translator, whose poetry has been translated into over 60 languages.[1] He was the recipient of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Literature "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality".[2]
Tomas Tranströmer | |
|---|---|
 Tranströmer in 2008 | |
| Born | Tomas Gösta Tranströmer 15 April 1931 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Period | 20th century, 21st century |
| Notable works | Windows and Stones (1966), The Great Enigma (2004) |
| Notable awards | Nobel Prize for Literature 2011 |
| Spouse | Monika Tranströmer |
Life
Tranströmer was born in Stockholm in 1931 and raised by his mother, a schoolteacher, following her divorce to his father.[2][3] He received his secondary education at the Södra Latin School in Stockholm, where he began writing poetry. In addition to selected journal publications, his first collection of poems, 17 dikter (Seventeen Poems), was published in 1954. He continued his education at Stockholm University, graduating as a psychologist in 1956 with additional studies history, religion, and literature.[2] Between 1960 and 1966, Tranströmer split his time between working as a psychologist at the Roxtuna center for juvenile offenders and writing poetry.[2]
During the 1950s, Tranströmer became close friends with poet Robert Bly. The two corresponded frequently, and Bly would translate Tranströmer's poems into English. Bonniers, Tranströmer's publisher, released Air Mail, a work comprising of Tranströmer and Bly's mail, in 2001.[2]
Tranströmer suffered a stroke in 1990 that left him partially paralyzed and unable to speak; however, he would continue to write and publish poetry though the early 2000s. His last original work, The Great Enigma, was published in 2004. Tranströmer has since retired from writing. [2]
In addition to his writing, Tranströmer is also a piano player, something he has been able to continue after his stroke, albeit with one hand.[3]
Career
Tranströmer is considered to be one of the "most influential Scandinavian poet of recent decades".[2] Tranströmer has published 15 collected works over his career, which has been translated into over 60 languages.[2] An English translation by Robin Fulton of his entire body of work, New Collected Poems, was published in the UK in 1987 and expanded in 1997. Following the publication of Den stora gåtan (The Great Enigma), Fulton's edition was further expanded into The Great Enigma: New Collected Poems, published in the US in 2006 and as an updated edition of New Collected Poems[4] in the UK in 2011. He published a short autobiography, Minnena ser mig (Memories look at me), in 1993.
Other poets, especially in the "political" 1970's, accused Tranströmer of being apart from his tradition and not including political issues in his poems and novels. His work, though, lies within and further develops the Modernist and Expressionist/Surrealist language of 20th century poetry; his clear, seemingly simple pictures from everyday life and nature in particular reveals a mystic insight to the universal aspects of the human mind.
Tranströmer was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2011.[2][3] Tranströmer had been considered a perennial frontrunner for the award in years past, with reporters waiting near his residence on the day of the announcement in years prior.[2] The Nobel Committee cited that Tranströmer's work created "condensed, translucent images" that "gives us fresh access to reality."[5] Tranströmer's other awards include the Neustadt International Prize for Literature, the Oevralids Prize, the Petrarca-Preis in Germany, the Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings and the Swedish Award from International Poetry Forum. In 2007, Tranströmer received a special Lifetime Recognition Award given by the trustees of the Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry, which also awards the annual Griffin Poetry Prize.
Awards and honors
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- 2011: Nobel Prize for Literature (Sweden)
- 2007: The Griffin Trust, Lifetime Recognition Award (Griffin Poetry Prize) (Canada)
- 1996: Augustpriset, for Sorgegondolen (Sweden)
- 1992: Horst Bienek Prize for Poetry (Horst-Bienek-Preis für Lyrik) (German)
- 1991: Nordic Prize of the Swedish Academy (Svenska Akademiens nordiska pris) (Sweden)
- 1990: Neustadt International Prize for Literature (US)
- 1981: Petrarca-Preis (German)
- 1966: Bellman-Preis (Bellmanpriset) (Sweden)
Swedish collections
- 17 dikter (1954) – 17 Poems
- Hemligheter på vägen (1958) - Secrets on the Way
- Den halvfärdiga himlen (1962) – The Half-Finished Heaven
- Klanger och spår (1966) – Windows and Stones
- Mörkerseende (1970) – Night Vision
- Stigar (1973) – Paths
- Östersjöar (1974) – Baltics
- Sanningsbarriären (1978) - The Truth Barrier
- Det vilda torget (1983) - The Wild Square
- För levande och döda (1989) – For the Living and the Dead
- Sorgegondolen (1996) - The Sorrow Gondola
- Den stora gåtan (2004) - The Big Riddle
- Galleriet: Reflected in Vecka nr.II (2007) – an artist book by Modhir Ahmed
Selected books in English translation
- 20 Poems tr. Robert Bly (Seventies Press, 1970)
- Windows and Stones tr. May Swenson & Leif Sjoberg (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1972)
- Baltics tr. Samuel Charters (Oyez, Berkeley, 1975)
- Collected Poems tr. Robin Fulton (Bloodaxe Books, 1987)
- Sorrow Gondola: Sorgegondolen tr. Robin Fulton (Dedalus Press, 1997)
- New Collected Poems tr. Robin Fulton (Bloodaxe Books, 1997)
- The Half-Finished Heaven tr. Robert Bly (Graywolf Press, 2001)
- The Deleted World tr. Robin Robertson (Enitharmon Press, 2006)
- The Great Enigma: New Collected Poems tr. Robin Fulton (New Directions, 2006)
- The Sorrow Gondola tr. Michael McGriff and Mikaela Grassl (Green Integer, 2010)
- New Collected Poems tr. Robin Fulton (Bloodaxe Books, 2011)
- The Deleted World tr. Robin Robertson (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2006)
References
- ^ "Swedish Poet Wins Nobel Prize for Literature - NYTimes.com". The New York Times Company. 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "The Nobel Prize in Literature 2011 – Press Release". Nobelprize.org. Retrieved 2011-10-06. Cite error: The named reference "ap nobel" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b c Lea, Richard; Flood (2011-10-06). "Nobel prize for literature goes to Tomas Tranströmer". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
{{cite web}}: More than one of|first1=and|first=specified (help) - ^ "New Collected Poems – review by Paul Batchelor". The Guardian. 17 June 2011.
- ^ http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/2011/press.html