Merete Mazzarella

Signe Merete Mazzarella
Born February 4, 1945, Helsinki.

Master of Arts (English Philology), 1968, Doctor of Philosophy (Swedish Literature), 1981, University of Helsinki.

Acting Professor of Nordic Literature, 1995-8, Professor, University of Helsinki, 1998-2008
Lektor, Finnish Literature written in Swedish, University of Helsinki, 1973-95
Author, Literary Critic and Columnist

Literary and Research Interests:
Gender issues, autobiography, essay writing, medical humanities

Awards and Honours:
Längmanska fondens finlandssvenska pris (Längmanska Foundation Finland-Swedes Prize), 2015
Ehrnroothska säätiön kunniapalkinto (Ehrnrooth Foundation Special Award), 2010
State Prize for Public Information, 2008
Honorary Doctor (Medical Faculty), University of Uppsala, 2007
Tegnér Prize, 2007
De nios Prize 2005
Lundequistiska bokhandel prize 2004
State Prize for Art, 2002
Fredrika Runeberg prize, 1995
Folktingets förtjänstmedalj (Swedish parliament’s service medal), 1994
Swedish Literature Society Prize, 1986, 1990

Nominee for Nordic Council’s literature prize (2008), Finlandia prize, non-fiction category (2001), Finlandia Prize (2009), Runeberg Prize for Literature (2014)

Photo: Schildts & Söderströms / Lorna Bartram
Written by Merete Mazzarella (Tomas Sjöblom, ed.)
Translated by John Calton

Courses around the world on Finnish literature written in Swedish

To my shame, I have to admit that over the years I have done my utmost to avoid administration, but I have of course served as expert and external examiner. Most of my tasks have taken place in Sweden: I have given courses on ‘Finland-Swedish’ literature in Umeå and Stockholm, been a visiting lecturer in most of the literature departments there, given cross-disciplinary essay courses at the Faculty of Arts in Uppsala University, and sat in the scientific board of the Practical Knowledge subject at Södertörns högskola.

In addition, I have given courses on Finland-Swedish literature in Newcastle and Madison, Wisconsin, and been a visiting lecturer on the same topic at Yale, Harvard, Berkeley and Stanford.