Members of the Swedish Academy

The Swedish Academy has eighteen members. It is said that Gustaf III originally intended there to be twenty, half the number of those in the French Academy, but eventually decided on eighteen because the Swedish word for that number had such a fine ring. Membership is for life.

Election is by secret ballot in the Academy, and before the result is made public it must be submitted to the Academy's Patron, the King, for his approval.

Writers were initially in the minority, most members being important officials. The first half of the nineteenth century was the epoch of great poets in the Swedish Academy, whereas the second half shows a prominent contribution from scholars, chiefly historians and linguists. During the twentieth century and up to its end the number of writers grew to represent more than half of The Eighteen. The Academy also includes linguists, literary scholars, historians and a prominent jurist. The female element has been limited: so far seven women have been admitted to the Academy.

Present members of the Swedish Academy:

Chair no 1   Sten Rudholm, b. 1918 (elected 1977)

Chair no 2   Bo Ralph, b. 1945 (elected 1999)

Chair no 3   Sture Allén, b. 1928 (elected 1980)

Chair no 4   Vacant

Chair no 5   Göran Malmqvist, b. 1924 (elected 1985)

Chair no 6   Birgitta Trotzig, b. 1929 (elected 1993)

Chair no 7   Knut Ahnlund, b. 1923 (elected 1983)

Chair no 8   Jesper Svenbro, b. 1944 (elected 2006)

Chair no 9   Torgny Lindgren, b. 1938 (elected 1991)

Chair no 10  Peter Englund, b. 1957 (elected 2002)

Chair no 11  Ulf Linde, b. 1929 (elected 1977)

Chair no 12  Per Wästberg, b. 1933 (elected 1997)

Chair no 13  Gunnel Vallquist, b. 1918 (elected 1982)

Chair no 14  Kristina Lugn, b. 1948 (elected 2006)

Chair no 15  Kerstin Ekman, b. 1933 (elected 1978)

Chair no 16  Kjell Espmark, b. 1930 (elected 1981)

Chair no 17  Horace Engdahl, permanent secretary, b. 1948 (elected 1997)

Chair no 18  Katarina Frostenson, b. 1953 (elected 1992)