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Categories: art and literature

  • Art history and cultural analysis methods. Photo: Azul Tarazona Machicao (Image from SciFest, not connected to the institute)

    Major donation to new research institute for culture and creativity

    Anders Sandrew Foundation donates SEK 50 million over five years (possible extension of a further five) to establish a brand new institute – the Anders Sandrew Institute for Culture and Creativity, and a Chair in Digital Art History. It will concentrate the University’s research in the broad field of culture and creativity, and show the importance of culture for social and community cohesion.

  • Karl Berglund and Johan Svedjedal have written a book which analyses stylistic differences between Selma Lagerlöf, Karin Boye, Henning Mankell and other famous authors. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt/Katharina Leibring

    New book charts stylistic patterns in Swedish novels

    What are the stylistic differences between well-known Swedish authors? And is it possible to distinguish a prestigious writer from a more popular one? The answer is that there seem to be many different ways for authors to capture their audience. This is the conclusion reached by Karl Berglund and Johan Svedjedal, who have used computer-aided analysis to map 20th century Swedish literature.

  • The antechamber in the University Main Building. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt

    "A unique position in Swedish architecture"

    Uppsala University’s Main Building is one of the few well-preserved intact milieus from the 1880s and has a unique position in Swedish architecture. This applies to both the façade and the entire interior, where the colour scheme, decoration, artworks and furniture have largely remained exactly as they were when the building was inaugurated, writes curator Anna Hamberg in her new thesis.

  • Daniel Kane, Professor of American literature who has written a new book about Joe Brainard. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt

    Joe Brainard’s surprising letters

    The American artist and author Joe Brainard (1942–1994) stood out with his strikingly unique style of writing, manifested among other ways in his many years of correspondence with other well-known artists and writers. Selections from his letters have now been published in a new volume with comments and analyses by Daniel Kane, professor of American literature at Uppsala University.

  • Painting: Norwegian landscape, Charles XV, 1856. Gustavianum Uppsala University Museum

    Charles XV’s Norwegian Landscape painted in Romsdalen

    King Charles XV (1826–1872) was known for his paintings, but elements of his artistic output have remained obscure until now. A researcher at Uppsala University has now discovered great similarities between one of the king’s most famous works, Norwegian Landscape, and that of the painting from Romsdalen by Norwegian artist Thomas Fearnley (1802–1842) .

  • From the book "Blå ugglan" by Lotta Geffenblad (2023) with permission. Image: Lotta Geffenblad

    Death and grief in Swedish children’s books

    Death is blue, or a flying animal. This is how death is most commonly illustrated in Swedish children’s literature, according to a new study from Uppsala University based on analyses of 62 books. Just six out of ten books use the word ‘dead’, which may be a problem.

  • New book highlights impact of streamed reading

    More and more readers are opting to stream audiobooks , preferably in the crime fiction or romance genres. For many, it has become a way to fall asleep at night. "We can see this by the fact that many users start listening late at night – sleep sessions that end exactly after 30 minutes or three hours. They’ve simply fallen asleep," notes literary scholar Karl Berglund.

  •  Jana Rüegg has submitted her doctoral thesis at the Department of Literature, Uppsala University. Photo: Ute Rüegg

    Small publishers increasingly important for translated literature

    Over the period 1970–2016, small publishing houses became increasingly important for the publication of literature in translation in Sweden. More than ever, Nobel laureates are being published by relatively small independent publishers. A specialisation in translations often stems from a publisher’s personal interest in a language or geographical area.

  • Uppåt (Upwards) Part of light and sound installation at Odarslöv Church (2018). Artist and photographer: Jesper Wachtmeister

    From living heritage to zombie churches

    Churches are preserved by an antiquarian system that risks killing them instead of keeping them alive. The Swedish State and the Church of Sweden therefore need to define new joint visions and goals to enable the ecclesiastical cultural heritage to be used and developed. This is shown by historian of art Henrik Lindblad in a new doctoral thesis from Uppsala University.