Amalia Wilhelmina Fahlstedt (8 January 1853 – 29 January 1923) was a Swedish writer, educator, and translator. Throughout her career, she wrote numerous books, and was an active member of the 19th century women's movement.

Amalia Fahlstedt
Amalia Fahlstedt
Born
Amalia Wilhelmina Fahlstedt

(1853-01-08)8 January 1853
Died29 January 1923(1923-01-29) (aged 70)
Djursholm, Sweden
NationalitySwedish
Occupations
  • Writer
  • educator
  • translator
Parents
  • Anders Gustaf Fahlstedt
  • Johanna Wilhelmina Bergström

Life edit

Amalia Fahlstedt was born on 8 January 1853 in Stockholm, Sweden. She was the fifth of six children born to Anders Gustaf Fahlstedt, a shopkeeper, and his wife Johanna Wilhelmina Bergström. Fahlstedt undertook the Rossander Course of teacher's training, where she received lessons on language teaching. After her father's death, the family started struggling financially. In order to overcome the financial strain, Fahlstedt taught students and in 1877, she established her own school with the help of her sister Bertha.[1][2][3]

Fahlstedt met Swedish playwright August Strindberg, who inspired her to start writing. In 1883, she published her first literary work I flygten, a collection of short stories. She followed this with Ax och Halm (1887), a polemic which explores the themes of marriage, as well as female education and employment. She also published the short story Ett lefnadsmål which was influenced by the contemporary reform pedagogy ideas. Fahlstedt wrote two novels, En passionshistoria (1897) and I dödvattnet (1889), under the pen name Rafael. She also published a pair of short story anthologies, and books for children and young adults. She wrote for several newspapers and journals, and translated works in Italian and Dutch to Swedish.[1][2][4]

Fahlstedt became a close friend of Swedish difference feminist writer Ellen Key. The two co-founded Tolfterna, an association which connected working women with educated middle-class women, and served as an influential forum for social and cultural discussions.[1][2][3]

Fahlstedt died in Djursholm, on 29 January 1923.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Heggestad, Eva (8 March 2018). "Amalia Wilhelmina Fahlstedt". Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Lager, Birgitta. "Amalia Wilhelmina Fahlstedt". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Amalia Fahlstedt (1853–1923)" (in Swedish). Swedish Literature Bank. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  4. ^ Heggestad, Eva (2007). Fången och fri: 1880-talets svenska kvinnliga författare om hemmet, yrkeslivet och konstnärskapet (in Swedish). Gothenburg: Avdelningen för litteratursociologi vid Litteraturvetenskapliga institutionen, Uppsala University. ISBN 978-9185178193.

Further reading edit