The crisis in the Swedish Academy continues. The latest is that three of the
members who "no longer take part in the work of the Academy" (Kjell Espmark,
Peter Englund and Sara Danius - Katarina Frostenson is on the other side in the
sluggings) have written a letter to the Academy, saying they are ready to
return - if Horace Engdahl resigns. Because:
"He has been the driving force in the process that have brought the
institution into a growing crisis. Vi assume he'll live up to his
responsibility and now put the interest of the Academy before any private
interests."
The thing is that the Academy according to its statutes needs 12 members to
elect new ones. They are now only 10 (four have been granted the right to
resign, after the King amended the statutes) and with the three letter writers
,minus Horace they are twelve. Horace answers, basically:
Bullshit! Morons! "I'm elected for life and I'll sit here until I die."
There have been a number of leaks - not surprising in this situation - about
how the inner workings have been in the Academy..I won't go into all details,
but it is said that Mr Engdahl in January on a meeting launched a vicious
attack on the then Permanent Secretary Danius. (="Driving force".) Engdahl is
also a close friend of Frostenson (suspected of leaking Nobel Prize winners)
and her husband Arnault (suspected of sexual misconduct of various degrees,
incl patting crown princess Victoria on her bottom) and there we have "private
interests". Engdahl also wanted to scrap the law firm's damaging investigation,
which now has been turned over to the police (which investigates Arnault for
sex accusations, and the couple's culture club for economic irregularities).
It is now clear that it was heavy pressure from the Noberl Foundation that
lead to cancelling the 2018 literature prize. (There'll be two in 2019,
instead, if the Academy is still around. There have been speculations that the
prize could be turned over to another academy, Vitterhetsakademin, in English
The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, even older than
the Swedish Academy, founded in 1753. Alfred Nobel only stated "the Academy in
Stockholm" in his will.)
Danius was interviewed on TV yesterday as she received the Lena Nyman Award
(named after a popular actress) and then said she thinks the *entire* Academy
should resign and a new one should be elected. Papers claim the Academy is
ready to elect four new members in May - which must be decided today, on their
regular Thursday meeting if to be in May. But how, with only ten? (My
speculation: they could go to the King. The original Academy was in 1786
selected to 2/3rds by the King.)
To possible candidates with sf connections I have earlier mentioned (Erik
Andersson, Steve Sem-Sandberg, Inger Edelfeldt, all with fine literary careers)
I should also add Anna Gustafsson Chen, who was suggested by a newspaper. She's
expert on Chinese literature, translates Chinese, is interested in sf and
fantasy, and has lectured on sf cons and SFSF meetings.
Horace Engdahl seems to be quite a figure. (I have met him.) In 2008 he made
headlines as he attacked American literature:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/oct/01/us.literature.insular.nobel The ;
public opinion sees him as the Dark Lord. Sara Danius is a bit like Princess
Leia. And I guess Peter Englund and Kjell Espmark are Luke Skywalker and Han
Solo then.
--Ahrvid
Ps. I yesterday passed through Stockholm's Old Town and happened to spot
Academy member Kristina Lugn (she lives in the Old Town). She looked old, worn
out and very tired.
--
På engelska,. Det finns ju intresse för akademifarsen i utlandet.
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