Per Wästberg

Per Wästberg, 2010

Per Erik Wästberg (born 20 November 1933) is a Swedish writer and a member of the Swedish Academy since 1997.

Wästberg was born in Stockholm, son of Erik Wästberg and his wife Greta née Hirsch, and holds a degree in literature from Uppsala University. He was editor-in-chief of Sweden's largest daily newspaper, Dagens Nyheter 1976–1982, and has been a contributor since 1953. He is an older brother of Olle Wästberg.

Political works

Wästberg has campaigned extensively for human rights. He was President of the PEN International from 1979 until 1986 and founder of the Swedish section of Amnesty International (1963). In connection with this, he was involved in the anti-colonial movement. He was especially active in the struggle against Apartheid in South Africa, where he became a close friend of Nadine Gordimer.

He was expelled by the government in Rhodesia in 1959, and after publication of his anti-Apartheid book På Svarta Listan (On the Black List) in 1960, he was banned from entering both Rhodesia and South Africa. He returned to South Africa only in 1990, after the release from jail of Nelson Mandela.

List of published works

Novels

Poetry

On Africa and the Third World

Biographies and essays

In English

References

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Per Wästberg.
    Cultural offices
    Preceded by
    Werner Aspenström
    Swedish Academy,
    Seat No.12

    1997–
    Succeeded by
    incumbent
    Non-profit organization positions
    Preceded by
    Mario Vargas Llosa
    International President of PEN International
    1979–1986
    Succeeded by
    Francis King
    Preceded by
    René Tavernier
    International (Interim) President of PEN International
    1989–1990
    Succeeded by
    György Konrád
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