Gunnar Ekelöf

Often hailed as Sweden's first surrealist poet, Gunnar Ekelöf defied conventional literary norms with his 1932 debut. His early works, steeped in surrealism, fractured traditional syntax and language, mirroring his rebellious spirit and inner turmoil. As his career progressed, Ekelöf matured, masterfully blending romanticism and surrealism, resulting in a body of poetry that became a hallmark of sophistication and influenced subsequent generations of Swedish poets. His profound engagement with literary traditions and continuous stylistic reinvention established him as a significant modernist voice and a living classic of 20th-century Swedish poetry.