Literature

Despite the formation of the Rekjavík Theatre Company in 1897, a National Theatre (Þjóðleikhúsið) was not established until 1950 and the Company did not become fully professional until 1963. The problematisation of values and the critique of materialism became a recurring theme in the drama of the 1960s and 1970s. Social and economic change figured prominently in the 1980s and 1990s with, for example, Birgir Sigurðsson’s Day of Hope (Dagur vonar) about a working-class family and Ólafur Haukur Símonarson’s 'The Sea' Hafið (1992) about the fishing industry. Interestingly, Erlingur E. Halldórsson’s The Calculator (Reiknivélin) written all the way back in 1963 dealt with the presence of foreign troops in Iceland; American troops, who came to Iceland after the Second World War, remained in Keflavík until 2006.

Theatre is a dynamic medium in the Nordic countries, and the many plays written and produced, especially since the 1960s, have been characterised by innovation and experimentation. This is the first Quick Read on drama in the Nordics which focuses on Finland. Articles on the other Nordic countries are to follow.

Literary work and issues pertaining to it were rooted in the historical-biographical tradition following the Second World War in the Nordics. Danish linguist Louis Hjelmslev's work helped paved the way for structuralism which came to prominence in the 1960s, when the wider debate on the role of literature in education and society also began to grow. Theory and method were central to this debate, as were the introduction of a wealth of innovative approaches to literature, including Marxism and feminist literary criticism. Poststructuralism and deconstruction developed thereafter. All of these waves arguably lay the foundation for the literary criticism we are familiar with today in the Nordic countries, namely, a subject area that is eclectic and wide-ranging.

Feminist writing in 1970s, particularly prose fiction, was inspired by second-wave feminism and by the mid-1980s, feminist writing had become a significant element in Nordic culture. Over the following two decades, issues of gender, frequently explored in terms of language, identity and the body, also gave new prominence to genres such as drama and poetry.

Listen to a podcast on the social, political and literary movement from around 1870 to 1900 in Scandinavia called the Modern Breakthrough.

Listen to a podcast on themes in Icelandic and Nordic literature on rewriting the past.

In 1936 the Finland-Swedish writer Sally Salminen won a literary prize for her first novel 'Katrina' which saw her life change. That someone like her,…

Introduction:

I 1944 udgav den berømte finsk-svenske romanforfatter Sally Salminen ’Kommer far hjem til jul?’ som en novelle i magasinet Juleroser.…

Introduction:

In 1944, 'Juleroser' ('Christmas Roses') magazine published  the renowned Finland-Swedish novelist Sally Salminen's short story 'Kommer…

Sally Salminen's famous novel 'Katrina' was published in 1936 and changed her life. From then on, she could afford not to work as a maid and became a writer of both fiction and non-fiction. Her works wrangle with themes such as war and motherhood and deal with issues inspired by her own life which still resonate today.