Gösta Knutsson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gösta Knutsson
|
|
|---|---|
Gösta Knutsson in the 1950s.
|
|
| Born | Gösta Johansson 12 October 1908 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Died | 4 April 1973 (aged 64) |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Alma mater | University of Uppsala |
| Notable works | Pelle Svanslös |
Gösta Knutsson (born Gösta Johansson) was a Swedish writer and radio producer. He is best known for creating the popular children's book series about a kind cat named Pelle Svanslös. These stories have been loved by many children for generations.
Contents
Who Was Gösta Knutsson?
Gösta Knutsson was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 12, 1908. He grew up in a regular family. Later, he moved to Uppsala to study at the University of Uppsala. He liked Uppsala so much that he stayed there for the rest of his life.
His Work in Radio
After finishing his studies, Gösta Knutsson became very active at the university. He was the chairman of the Uppsala Student Union from 1936 to 1938. During this time, he also started working for Swedish National Radio. He was in charge of their Uppsala office.
Gösta Knutsson was a pioneer in radio. He was the first person to bring the quiz show to Sweden. His first quiz show was very popular. It had two teams made up of students from Uppsala's student groups. He worked at the radio station until 1969.
The World of Pelle Svanslös
Gösta Knutsson is most famous for his books about Pelle Svanslös. This name means "Peter No-Tail" in English. Pelle is a kind and sometimes a bit naive cat. He lost his tail when a rat bit it off when he was a kitten.
Meet the Characters
The Pelle Svanslös books are full of fun characters. Pelle's girlfriend is Maja Gräddnos ("Mary Cream-nose"). She is very sweet. But Pelle also has an enemy, the mean bully cat Elaka Måns ("Mean Magnus"). Måns always reminds Pelle that he doesn't have a tail.
Måns has two followers, Bill and Bull. They often repeat what Måns says in a funny, jumbled way. These cats act like humans. They live in Uppsala, especially around the cathedral and the university. They see the city from a cat's point of view.
How the Stories Began
Gösta Knutsson said that Pelle, the tailless cat, was based on a real cat he knew as a child. He also felt that Pelle was a bit like himself. Maja Gräddnos was inspired by his own wife, Erna.
The mean cat Måns was created to be generally evil. Some of his traits came from real-life dictators. The other cats in the books were based on people Gösta Knutsson knew in Uppsala. He made them into funny cat versions of his friends and acquaintances.
Pelle's Journey to Fame
Pelle Svanslös first appeared in a radio story told by Knutsson in 1937. The first book came out in 1939. Since then, the Pelle Svanslös books have been printed many times in Swedish. They have also been translated into many languages. These include Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, German, Polish, and English.
Pelle Svanslös in Uppsala
Pelle Svanslös is a very well-known and loved character in Sweden. The city of Uppsala uses Pelle to promote itself. There is even a "Pelle Svanslös House" for children in Uppsala. During the summer, you can join special walks for children. These walks explore places related to Pelle Svanslös in the city. Adults who loved the books as kids also enjoy these walks.
Asteroids Named After Cats
Did you know that some asteroids in space are named after Gösta Knutsson and his cat characters? Uppsala astronomers named the asteroid 8534 Knutsson after Gösta Knutsson himself.
Other asteroids are named after the cats from his books:
- 8535 Pellesvanslös (after Pelle)
- 8536 Måns (after Mean Magnus)
- 8537 Billochbull (after Bill and Bull)
- 8538 Gammelmaja (after Gammel-Maja, a wise old cat from the cathedral)
- 8539 Laban (after Laban, a cat who lives in the Observatory park)
Laban also gave his name to one of the first computers at the Department of Astronomy!
Petri Liukkonen. "Gösta Knutsson". Books and Writers
