author
Hagar Olsson
1893–1978
A sharp, modern voice in Finland-Swedish literature, this writer helped champion new ideas in fiction, criticism, and drama. She is also remembered for her close literary connection with poet Edith Södergran and for her role in the Nordic modernist movement.
1 Audiobook
Mr Jeremias etsii illusionia
by Hagar Olsson
About the author
Born in Kustavi, Finland, in 1893, Hagar Olsson became one of the key Finland-Swedish writers of the 20th century. She worked not only as a novelist and playwright, but also as a literary critic and translator, and was known for supporting bold new writing at a time when modernism was still controversial.
In the early 1920s, she edited the avant-garde magazine Ultra, placing herself at the center of a lively literary moment. Her friendship and correspondence with Edith Södergran became an important part of Nordic literary history, and Olsson later helped preserve that legacy by publishing Södergran’s letters.
Olsson continued writing and shaping literary culture for decades, and her work earned major recognition, including the Eino Leino Prize in 1965. She died in Helsinki in 1978, leaving behind a body of work that linked criticism, creativity, and a deep belief in literature as a force for renewal.