Born: 20 November 1858 · Died: 16 March 1940 · Age: 81
Swedish novelist of Gösta Berling's Saga and The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature
Did you know?She was also the first female member of the Swedish Academy, the body responsible for selecting Nobel laureates.
Quick facts
Date of birth20 November 1858
Date of death16 March 1940
Age at death81
Cause of deathStroke
NationalitySwedish
BirthplaceÖstra Ämtervik church parish, Sweden
Occupationwriter, novelist, children's writer
Editor's Take:
Lagerlöf made history as the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her stories blended Swedish folklore, landscape and moral drama. The Wonderful Adventures of Nils began as a geography textbook and became a beloved children's classic. She wrote with warmth and imagination at a time when realism dominated literature. Her success opened doors for women writers across Europe.
Key Milestones
1891: Gösta Berling's Saga – debut novel
1906: Nils Holgersson – children's classic
1909: Nobel Prize – first woman in literature
1914: Swedish Academy – elected member
Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (US also, Swedish:; 20 November 1858 – 16 March 1940) was a Swedish writer. She published her first novel, Gösta Berling's Saga, at the age of 33.
