Alf Henrikson
Encyclopedia
Alf Henrikson was a Swedish
author, poet and translator, known for his interest in language and for his broad general knowledge. He wrote a number of books about popular science and history, and for many years he was part of the staff of Dagens Nyheter
, where he published short poems about current events or other topics.
Henrikson's published production includes over 100 books including collections of poetry, history books retelling the history of, among others, Sweden, Denmark, China, Iceland and the antique world, and a general encyclopedia, which Henrikson started writing at the age of 80. He also translated poetry, opera librettos and other texts from languages including French, English, and Chinese. His translation of the libretto of Mozart's The Magic Flute
from German into Swedish in 1968 became a classic, which was also used in Ingmar Bergman
's movie version
of the opera from 1975.
In 1967, he was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities (Vitterhetsakademien). In 1968, he was made an honorary doctor by Stockholm university
. In 1980, the publishing house Bra Böcker AB created an award in Henrikson's name as a gift for his 75th birthday. Until his death, Henrikson himself chose the recipient of the annual award; after his death, there was a hiatus of a few years before the prize was again awarded, now by the Alf Henrikson Society. As of 2010, the prize sum is SEK 25,000.
He is buried in Huskvarna
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
author, poet and translator, known for his interest in language and for his broad general knowledge. He wrote a number of books about popular science and history, and for many years he was part of the staff of Dagens Nyheter
Dagens Nyheter
is a daily newspaper in Sweden. It has the largest circulation of Swedish morning newspapers, followed by Göteborgs-Posten and Svenska Dagbladet, and is the only morning newspaper that is distributed to subscribers across the whole country. In 2009 DN had a circulation of 316,000, reaching 881...
, where he published short poems about current events or other topics.
Production
All in all, over 20,000 of Henrikson's daily poems were published in Dagens Nyheter, some of which have subsequently been published in anthologies. Henrikson also wrote and published a number of other volumes of poetry, and a popular introduction to various metric forms and styles. His style was often humorous but could also be very serious; there were often several layers of meanings in Henrikson's texts.Henrikson's published production includes over 100 books including collections of poetry, history books retelling the history of, among others, Sweden, Denmark, China, Iceland and the antique world, and a general encyclopedia, which Henrikson started writing at the age of 80. He also translated poetry, opera librettos and other texts from languages including French, English, and Chinese. His translation of the libretto of Mozart's The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
from German into Swedish in 1968 became a classic, which was also used in Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
's movie version
The Magic Flute (1975 film)
The Magic Flute is Ingmar Bergman's 1975 film version of Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte. It was intended as a television production and was first shown on Swedish television but was followed by a cinema release later that year. The film was shown at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival, but was not...
of the opera from 1975.
Awards and prizes
Henrikson received a number of literary and other awards for his writing and his work to further knowledge. Among the most important awards he received are- Litteris et ArtibusLitteris et ArtibusLitteris et Artibus is a Swedish royal medal established in 1853 by Charles XV of Sweden, who was then crown prince. It is awarded to people who have made important contributions to culture, especially music, dramatic art and literature....
(1977) - Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicOrder of Merit of the Italian RepublicThe Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
(1981) - VitterhetsakademienRoyal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and AntiquitiesThe Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities also called simply the Royal Academy of Letters, abbreviated KVHAA is the Swedish royal academy for the Humanities.Its many publications include the archaeological and art historical journal Fornvännen, published since 1906.The Academy...
's silver medal (1982)
In 1967, he was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities (Vitterhetsakademien). In 1968, he was made an honorary doctor by Stockholm university
Stockholm University
Stockholm University is a state university in Stockholm, Sweden. It has over 28,000 students at four faculties, making it one of the largest universities in Scandinavia. The institution is also frequently regarded as one of the top 100 universities in the world...
. In 1980, the publishing house Bra Böcker AB created an award in Henrikson's name as a gift for his 75th birthday. Until his death, Henrikson himself chose the recipient of the annual award; after his death, there was a hiatus of a few years before the prize was again awarded, now by the Alf Henrikson Society. As of 2010, the prize sum is SEK 25,000.
He is buried in Huskvarna
Huskvarna
Huskvarna constitutes the eastern part of Jönköping, the municipal seat of Jönköping Municipality, Sweden and has a population of about 21,500. The distance to central Jönköping is about 5 km....