Biographies
All 'Biographies' are listed here in the order that they were published. We aim to have an assortment of biographies of individuals who are Nordic or have a connection to the Nordics, and who have made an impact on Nordic and/or international society in the modern era. Our long term aim is to focus on those who are little known and to be inclusive.
2021.07.19 | Biography, Kevin Hogg, Culture, Democracy
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, b. 1930
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir is an Icelandic politician. She served as the country’s president for 16 years, using the office to promote Icelandic culture around the world, amongst other things. Since her retirement, she has served on various international organizations, has campaigned for women’s rights, and been recognized for her work in Icelandic…
2021.07.06 | Biography, Anna Derksen, Minorities, The Nordics in the World
Niels Erik Bank-Mikkelsen (1919-1990)
Niels Erik Bank-Mikkelsen was a Danish policy reformer and advocate for the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities. Working for the so-called ‘Danish Service for the Mentally Retarded’ (Statens åndssvageforsorg), a public organisation for the care of intellectually or developmentally disabled people, he was instrumental in developing key…
2021.05.20 | Biography, Byron J. Nordstrom, Governance
Anna Lindh (1957-2003)
Anna Lindh was a Swedish Social Democratic politician and a rising star within the party. She took an active part in shaping policy regarding the Balkans and EU enlargement, for example, before she was fatally stabbed in 2003.
2021.03.19 | Biography, Lars Gustaf Andersson, The arts
Vilgot Sjöman 1924 - 2006
The Swedish novelist and film director Vilgot Sjöman was born in Stockholm in 1924. Sjöman’s output was extensive and included novels and essays as well as political statements and contributions to debates on moral topics; but first and foremost he was a film director.
2021.02.19 | Biography, Lars Gustaf Andersson, The arts
Mai Zetterling 1925-1994
The Swedish actress and film director Mai Zetterling was born in Västerås in 1925. Having established herself as a popular actress in Swedish film, Zetterling moved to England where she acted in several films, among them 'Only Two Can Play' (1962) with Peter Sellers.
2021.01.20 | Biography, Lars Gustaf Andersson, The arts
Bo Widerberg 1930 – 1997
The Swedish film director, drama director and novelist Bo Widerberg was born in Malmö in 1930. After several novels and collections of short stories, Widerberg published a collection of critical essays, 'Visionen i svensk film' (1962) (The Vision of Swedish film), in which he attacked Sweden’s insular film culture and promoted a new wave of…
2020.10.08 | Biography, Ulrika Gustafsson, Literature
Sally Salminen 1906–1976
Sally Salminen won a Finnish-Swedish literary prize for her novel 'Katrina' in the autumn of 1936 at a time when she was working as a maid in New York; it was the Great Depression and she had emigrated there six years earlier to work in wealthy households. It was a global sensation that someone like her, unknown and from the working class, could…
2020.09.03 | Biography, Petra Broomans, Literature
Dorrit Willumsen (b. 1940)
Danish writer Dorrit Willumsen excels in historical, biographical novels.
2020.07.28 | Biography, Jonathan Pugh, Governance
Jan Eliasson (b. 1940)
Jan Eliasson has been one of Sweden’s most prominent diplomats since as far back as the 1970s. Not only has he served in key roles for the Swedish Foreign Ministry and international organizations, but he is also renowned for his role as a mediator in numerous conflicts. His support for the concept of conflict prevention within the Swedish…
![Greta Thunberg holding her original sign saying 'Skolstrejk för klimatet' [School strike for the climate]. Photo: Anders Hellberg, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0.](typo3temp/_processed_/csm_Greta_Thunberg_Wikimedia_CC_BY-SA_4.0_Anders_Hellberg__2__d0495747e5.jpg "Greta Thunberg holding her original sign saying 'Skolstrejk för klimatet' [School strike for the climate].")
2020.06.22 | Biography, Pernille Almlund, Globalisation
Greta Thunberg – a climate activist
The Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (born 2003) is in many ways a unique phenomenon and an inspiration to many activists all over the world, both children and adults, but she has also faced criticism from various quarters, not least climate change skeptics.