Stig Halvard Dagerman (5.10.1923 – 4.11.1954) was a Swedish journalist and writer active in the aftermath of World War II, but whose existential texts transcend time and place, and continue to be widely published in Sweden and abroad. Born in Älvkarleby, Uppsala County, over the course of five years (1945–49) he enjoyed phenomenal success with four novels, a collection of short stories, a book about postwar Germany, five plays, hundreds of poems and satirical verses, several essays and a large amount of journalism. Then, he suddenly fell silent, until he commetted suicide in the fall of 1954. Dagerman’s works have been translated into many languages, and his works continue to inspire readers, writers, musicians and filmmakers. His collected works are available in eleven volumes, and scholars have examined his writing from every possible angle: philosophical, political, psychological, journalistic, its relationship to the medium of film, and why French and Italian readers have found him particularly appealing. Artists continue to put music to his texts, and films have been made of his short stories, novels and of his famous essay “Our Need for Consolation Is Insatiable”. Today the Stig Dagerman Society in Sweden annually awards the Stig Dagerman Prize to individuals who promote empathy and understanding through their work.
