Olsson, Hagar (1893–1978)

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Olsson, Hagar (1893–1978)

Finnish poet, essayist and novelist. Born 1893 in Gustavs (Kustavi), Finland; died Feb 21, 1978, in Helsinki; dau. of a Protestant minister; attended Swedish School of Economics, 1913–14, and University of Helsinki; never married.

Introduced modernism and Expressionist drama into Finnish and Swedish literature and theater; works, which focus on young female protagonists and are often heavily experimental, include Lars Thormann och döden (Lars Thormann and Death, 1916), Själarnas ansikten (The Faces of the Souls, 1917), Kvinnan och nåden (Woman and Grace, 1919), the partly autographical novel Chitambo (1933), which is now considered a classic, (essays) Ny generation (1925), Lumisota (1939), Hurskaat Herjaajat (1946), Hemkost (1961) and Riddaren och andra berättelser (1968); was a close friend of Edith Sodergran.