Birger Sjöberg | |
---|---|
Sjöberg in the mid-1920s | |
Born | (1885-12-06)6 December 1885 Vänersborg, Sweden |
Died | 30 April 1929(1929-04-30) (aged 43) Växjö, Sweden |
Occupation(s) | poet, novelist, songwriter |
Birger Sjöberg (1885–1929) was a Swedish poet, novelist and songwriter, whose best-known works include the faux-naïf song collection Fridas Bok (Frida's Book) and the novel Kvartetten Som Sprängdes (The Quartet That Split Up), a somewhat Dickensian relation about stock-exchange gambling in the twenties, and the frantic efforts to recover.
Originally a journalist, Sjöberg wrote songs in his spare time. His debuted as a serious writer with the 1922 publication of Fridas Bok (Frida's Book), which was both a critical and popular success. Following a series of concert tours, he withdrew from public life and focused on his writing.
After his death in 1929, a new series of songs and a selection of poems were published.
Selected works
Prose and poetry by Birger Sjöberg:
- Fridas Bok (Frida's Book) 1922
- Kvartetten Som Sprängdes (The Quartet That Split Up) 1924
- Kriser Och Kransar (Crises And Laurel Wreaths) 1926
- Fridas Andra Bok (Frida's Second Book) 1929
- Minnen Från Jorden (Memories From The Earth) 1940
Translations of his works in English
- Anthology of Swedish Lyrics 1930
- Modern Swedish Poetry Pt. 2 1936
- Scandinavian Songs and Ballads 1950
- Twentieth Century Scandinavian Poetry 1950
- Twelve Pieces from Frida’s Book 1975
- When First I Ever Saw You LP 1980
- Swedes On Love CD 1991
- Frida's New Clothes 2008
His life in English
- A History of Swedish Literature 1961
- A History of Swedish Literature 1989
- A History of Swedish Literature 1996
Image gallery
- Birger Sjöberg's birthplace in Vänersborg
- Birger Sjöberg's grave at the Donation Cemetery in Helsingborg
- Frida statue in Vänersborg
- The Quartet That Split Up 1962
See also
References
- ^ Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of literature, (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster,1995) p. 1038.
- Anthology of Swedish Lyrics, trans. by Charles Wharton Stork, (New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation, 1930).
- Modern Swedish Poetry Pt. 2, trans. by C. D. Locock, (London: H. and W. Brown, 1936).
- Scandinavian Songs and Ballads, trans. by Helen Asbury, (Mullsjö: Anglo-American Center, 1950).
- Twentieth Century Scandinavian Poetry, trans. by Helen Asbury and Martin S. Allwood, (Stockholm: Kooperativa Förbundets Bokförlag, 1950).
- Twelve Pieces from Frida’s Book, trans. by Michael Roberts, (Grahamstown: Michael Roberts, 1975).
- When First I Ever Saw You LP, trans. by Tom Fletcher and Michael Roberts, (Stockholm: Sonet, 1980).
- Swedes On Love CD, trans. by Roger Hinchliffe, (Stockholm: Roger Records, 1991).
- Frida's New Clothes, trans. by Stork, Locock, Asbury, Roberts . . ., (Vänersborg: Birger Sjöberg-sällskapet, 2008).
- A History of Swedish Literature by Alrik Gustafson, (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1961).
- A History of Swedish Literature by Ingemar Algulin, (Stockholm: Swedish Institute, 1989).
- A History of Swedish Literature edited by Lars G. Warme, (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1996).
External links
- Free scores by Birger Sjöberg in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki).
- Birger Sjöberg at the Umeå Academic Choir.
Swedish
- Birger Sjöberg at Swedish music and film.
- Fridas bok at Project Runeberg.
- Fridas andra bok at Project Runeberg.
- Fridas bok at Swedish Wikisource.
English
Translations
- The butterfly at Haga (Fjärilen på Haga)
- Frida cleans house (Frida i vårstädningen)
- The first time that I saw you (Den första gång jag såg dig)