MARTINSON, HARRY

(1904-1978)

Generally recognized as one of the leading figures in 20th-century Swedish literature, Martinson wrote poetry, novels, dramas, and essays, for which he was awarded theNobel Prizein 1974. He was one of several self-educated writers of working-class origins who started writing in the late 1920s. Together withArtur Lundkvistand others he formed the group "Fem unga (Five Young Men) and worked to promotemodernismin Sweden.

Martinson had a very difficult childhood and youth. After the death of his father and his mother's departure for California, he was a ward of the community and was passed along from one foster family to another. He ran away and went to sea as a coal stoker in 1920, had many varied experiences, and returned home to Sweden for good in 1927. His literary debut came with the poetry collectionSpoik-skepp(1929; Ghost Ship), which was informed by his experiences as a seaman, as was the volumeNomad(1931), which celebrates the outsider's ability to give truthful representations of phenomena only dimly visible to insiders. Some critical and financial success came to Martinson through two prose narratives that drew on his experiences as a sailor and wanderer.Resor utan mal(1932; Journeys without Destination) andFap Farväl! (1933; tr.Cape Farewell,1934) are narrated with a strong admixture oflyricism.

By the mid-1930s Martinson s poetry changed in the direction ofexpressionismand surrealism. The collectionNatur(1934; Nature), which testifies to the poet's appreciation for the realm ofnature, also attests to the influence of his fellow poet Artur Lundkvist.It was received less enthusiastically than his earlier volumes of poetry, and Martinson returned to prose, this time to the experiences of his childhood and youth for inspiration.Nässloran blomma(1935; tr.Flowering Nettle, 1936) andVägen ut(1936; The Way Out), while not conventional autobiography, cover Martinson s life up to the time presented inResor utan mal. These books were written during his marriage toMoa Martinson, a writer 14 years his senior, whom he later divorced. Martinson also tried his hand at radio plays. Three of them were produced, the most successful beingLotsen franMoluckas(1937; The Pilot from the Moluccas Islands), which tells about Magellan s circumnavigation of the earth.

Events leading up to WorldWarII, as well as the experiences of the war itself, caused Martinson to express his disenchantment with Western-style technological civilization and the popular culture associated with it in such books asDet enkla och det svara(1939; The Simple and the Difficult), a collection of essays about humans' relationship to nature, andDen foärlorade jaguaren(1941; The Lost Jaguar), his third book about life at sea. The poetry collectionPassad(1945; Trade Wind) similarly questions the human value of technological advances.

The vagabond novelVaägen til Klockrike(1948; tr.The Road, 1955) is a story about several tramps whose philosophy oflife is far more humane than that of many so-called successful people. It was followed by Martinson's most significant literary work, the space epicAniara(1956; tr. 1958, 1963, and 1991), which is set in a future when earth has been contaminated by nuclear radiation and groups of people have to flee to other planets. The space shipAniara, however, is thrown off course by a near collision with an asteroid, after which it heads into deep space, leaving its passengers with the prospect of living out their lives on board without ever finding a new home. This is depressing not only to the passengers, but also to the ship s supercomputer. Called the Mima, the computer is not just a machine but possesses a soul and self-destructs when it is confronted with incoming images of earth's final and utter destruction. Martinson s cosmic representation of the human condition is one of the truly great contributions to 20th-century literature.

Literary culture was extremely politicized in Sweden during the late 1960s and the 1970s, and Martinson s concern with nature, expressed in such volumes as his final poetry collection,Tuvor(1973; Tussocks), was not always appreciated. Some critics also questioned the choice of Martinson as a recipient of theNobel Prizefor literature in 1974. Martinson responded by publishing little of what he wrote. Some of this material has been published posthumously.