Per Olof Sundman

Per Olof Sundman (4 September 1922, Vaxholm – 9 October 1992, Stockholm) was a Swedish writer and politician.

Sundman was born in Vaxholm. After World War II, Sundman joined the Centre Party and in 1969 he was elected to the Swedish Parliament, the Riksdag.

Per Olof Sundman released his first book in 1957 and soon became a successful writer, even internationally. His writing has been compared to that of Ernest Hemingway. In 1968, Sundman received the Nordic Council's Literature Prize for his 1967 novel ''Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd'' (The Flight of the Eagle) about the failed attempt of S.A. Andrée to reach the North Pole by a hydrogen balloon.

In 1975 Sundman was elected to the Swedish Academy, on seat 6. Tomas Riad currently holds his seat.

His 1967 novel The Flight of the Eagle was filmed and directed by Jan Troell, and released in 1982. The film starring Max von Sydow was in 1983 nominated for an Oscar for best foreign-language film of the year. Provided by Wikipedia