Malte Persson

“For me, there are no strict boundaries between genres or forms of expression, I simply do what I find enjoyable.”

To briefly summarise Malte Persson’s wide-ranging literary career is nearly impossible. Poetry, often metrical or rhymed, narrative prose, essays, and children’s literature. Epigrams, columns, literary criticism, translations, and even poetry inscribed on street manhole covers. Since his 2002 debut novel Livet på den här planeten (Life on This Planet), he has published nearly twenty books. His most recent works, the poetry collection Skapelser (Creations) and the children’s book Knut och Klas på knytkalas (Potluck with Pat and Puck), were both released in 2024.

Motivation:

Born in Gothenburg and now based in Berlin, Malte Persson is a multifaceted writer and essayist who has published around twenty books. His work spans poetry, novels, children’s books, essays, journalism, literary criticism, and translations – demonstrating remarkable breadth and linguistic command.

From his 2002 debut Livet på den här planeten (Life on this Planet) to Skapelser (Creations) and the fifth children’s book Knut och Klas på knytkalas (Potluck with Pat and Puck) 2024, Persson emerges as a wordsmith and master of rhyme who, with both wit and insight, handles language in all its registers.

For his versatile authorship and his outstanding ability to navigate language, with equal parts classical precision and experimental flair, humour, and gravity, Malte Persson is awarded the 2025 Scholarship from the Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture.