Karl Werner Aspenström was a Swedish poet.

Born at Norrbärke, he was a member of the Swedish Academy

Swedish Academy

The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...

, where he held Seat 12 from 1981 to 1997.

Aspenström claimed that his motivation for writing was "writing for his cat", but apparently hinted that he meant someone else with that.

In 1989, together with Lars Gyllensten

Lars Gyllensten

Lars Johan Wictor Gyllensten was a Swedish author and physician, and a member of the Swedish Academy, which has the aim of furthering the "purity, vigour and majesty" of the Swedish language and selects the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature each year.Gyllensten was born and grew up in a...

 and Kerstin Ekman

Kerstin Ekman

Kerstin Lillemor Ekman is a Swedish novelist.Kerstin Ekman wrote a string of successful detective novels but later went on to psychological and social themes...

, he resigned from the Swedish Academy

Swedish Academy

The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...

 because of the academy’s response to the Salman Rushdie controversy, which was perceived as weak. He however claimed that this was not the sole reason for his resignation, but rather one amongst several other.

He was a friend of Stig Dagerman

Stig Dagerman

Stig Dagerman was a Swedish author and journalist.Stig Dagerman was one of the most prominent Swedish authors during the 1940s...

's.

Works

• Förberedelse (1943)
• Oändligt är vårt äventyr (1945)
• Snölegend (1949)
• Varelser (1989)
• Öva Sitt Eget (2004) (posthumous, co-written with Signe Lund-Aspenström)