Per Wästberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Per Wästberg
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Wästberg in 2010
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| Born | 20 November 1933 Stockholm, Sweden
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| Nationality | Swedish |
| Education | Uppsala University Östra Real |
| Occupation | writer, journalist, poet |
| Employer | Dagens Nyheter |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Partner(s) | Margareta Ekström |
| Children | Johanna Ekström |
| Parent(s) | Erik Wästberg (father) |
| Relatives | Olle Wästberg (brother) |
| President of PEN International (Interim) |
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| In office November 1989 – May 1990 |
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| Preceded by | René Tavernier |
| Succeeded by | György Konrád |
| Member of the Swedish Academy (Seat No. 12) |
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| Assumed office 20 December 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Werner Aspenström |
Per Erik Wästberg, born on November 20, 1933, is a famous Swedish writer. He has been a member of the important Swedish Academy since 1997. This academy helps decide who wins the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Wästberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He studied literature at Uppsala University. For many years, he worked as a journalist. He was the editor-in-chief of Dagens Nyheter, one of Sweden's biggest newspapers, from 1976 to 1982. He started writing for them way back in 1953. His brother is Olle Wästberg.
Contents
A Champion for Human Rights
Per Wästberg has spent a lot of his life working for human rights. He was the president of PEN International from 1979 to 1986. This organization supports writers and free speech around the world.
He also helped start the Swedish part of Amnesty International in 1963. Amnesty International is a group that works to protect human rights globally.
Fighting for Fairness in Africa
Wästberg was very active in the fight against Apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system that treated people unfairly based on their race. He became good friends with Nadine Gordimer, a writer who also fought against Apartheid.
Because of his strong views, he was not allowed to enter Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1959. After he published his book På svarta listan (On the Black List) in 1960, he was also banned from entering South Africa. He could only return to South Africa in 1990, after Nelson Mandela was released from prison.
Amnesty International and Recent Events
In August 2022, Per Wästberg decided to leave Amnesty International. This happened after a report from Amnesty about the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The report said that while Russia was to blame for the invasion, Ukraine also had a duty not to put its troops and weapons in places where civilians lived. This was to avoid putting civilians in danger, according to Amnesty's view of international rules for war.
Wästberg had been a member for over 60 years. He said it was a difficult decision to end his long involvement with the group because of their statements about the war.
His Role with the Nobel Prize
Per Wästberg has been a member of the Nobel Prize in Literature committee since 1999. This committee chooses who wins the Nobel Prize for writing. He was the chairman of this committee from 2005 until 2019.
His Books and Writings
Per Wästberg has written many different kinds of books. He has written travel literature, especially about Africa. He has also written novels, poetry, and books about people's lives (biographies). He is also known for writing about his home city, Stockholm.
Stories and Poems
Wästberg has written many novels, which are long stories. Some of his novels include Pojke med såpbubblor (1949) and Vattenslottet (1968). He has also published several collections of poetry, which are books of poems. Some of his poetry collections are Tio atmosfärer (1963) and En avlägsen likhet (1983).
Books About Africa
He has a special interest in Africa and has written several books about the continent. These include Förbjudet område (1960) and Afrika berättar (1961). These books often share his experiences and thoughts from his travels and time spent in Africa.
Biographies and Essays
Wästberg has written biographies, which tell the life stories of real people. For example, he wrote about Anders Sparrman, a Swedish scientist who studied animals. Wästberg described Sparrman as someone who made important discoveries but didn't become famous. He has also written many essays, which are short pieces of writing that share his thoughts on different topics.
See also
In Spanish: Per Wästberg para niños
