Lars Ahlin
Lars Ahlin was a prominent Swedish writer born on April 4, 1915, in Sundsvall. He faced significant challenges early in life, including parental divorce and homelessness, which shaped his literary voice. Ahlin's literary career began in earnest after he purchased a typewriter in 1936, leading to the publication of his first novel, "Tåbb med Manifestet," in 1943. His works often explore profound themes such as love, death, faith, and societal issues, incorporating credible female characters and innovative narrative techniques that challenge traditional forms. Notably, his novel "Om" employs shifting perspectives and non-linear storytelling, marking him as a pioneer in Swedish literature. Throughout his career, Ahlin received numerous accolades, including the Great Novel Prize and an honorary doctorate from the University of Umea. Even after a long hiatus from novel writing, he continued to produce acclaimed works until his last novel was published in 1991. Ahlin passed away on March 11, 1997, leaving a lasting impact on Swedish literature.
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Lars Ahlin
Author
- Born: April 4, 1915
- Birthplace: Sundsvall, Sweden
- Died: March 11, 1997
- Place of death: Sweden
Biography
Lars Ahlin was born on April 4, 1915, in Sundsvall, Sweden, one of seven children. In 1920, Ahlin’s parents divorced and his mother left her children with their father, a traveling salesman. Eight years later, Ahlin was forced to make his own way in the world. He lived on the streets selling copied verses and sought refuge in the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and the International Order of Good Templar and also lived with a Communist group. By 1936, he had earned enough money to purchase a typewriter, and he and a friend, Arne Jones, a budding sculptor, moved to Stockholm, where Ahlin began to write novels and continue his interrupted education at local high schools.
In 1943, his first novel, Tåbb med Manifestet: Historien om hur Tåbbs livsstil växte fram, was published. The protagonist, Tåbb, deals with his sense of self-worth as society sees him as a nonentity because he is unemployed. The next year Ahlin shared a literary prize sponsored by Svenska Dagbladet with writers Ole Torvalds, Harry Martinson, and Elly Jannes. Two years later, Ahlin married Gunnel Hammar and their son, Per, was born in 1948. From 1943 to 1962, Ahlin published numerous books, essays, and short stories and wrote stage and radio plays, including Lekpaus, staged by the Royal Dramatic Theater in Stockholm, and Eld av eld, a radio play.
Ahlin’s work draws on his life experience and his interest in philosophy and theology. He read widely from Martin Luther to Søren Kierkegaard and Karl Marx. His works explore love, death, faith, and loneliness. He also creates credible female protagonists. While Ahlin’s themes are realistic, such as a discussion of the place of the poor in society or the individual’s sense of self-worth in a society bent on maintaining a status quo, Ahlin breaks the illusion of realism in his narrative by experimenting with the form of his novels and short stories. In his most technically experimental novel, Om, Ahlin tells one story but constantly changes the points of view, altering time and place. In other works, he allows the narrator or different characters to break into the narrative with their comments. Such experiments put him at the forefront of a new era in Swedish literature.
In 1957, Ahlin had achieved such stature in Swedish literature that the government awarded him use of a house for life; in 1964, that gift was augmented by an income for life. In the years between the gifts, Ahlin won the grand prize for literature sponsored by Samfundet De Nio in 1960 and the Great Novel Prize in 1962. In 1969, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Umea.
After a twenty-year lull in novel writing, Ahlin coauthored the novel Hannibal segraren with his wife, Gunnel Ahlin, and it won the Orvalid Prize. Ahlin wrote five more novels before his final novel, Det florentinska vildsvinet, appeared in 1991.
Ahlin received more honors toward the end of his career. In 1986, he was given the Fackforbundspress Prize for literature; in 1988, he received the Selma Lagerlof Prize; and in 1990, his novel, De sotarna! De sotarna! Zackarias’ andra bok. was awarded the August Prize. In 1991, the cultural committee in Sundsvall endowed a Lars Ahlin Fellowship and in 1995, he was awarded the Svenska Akademiens Nordiska Pris. Ahlin died on March 11, 1997.