Samfundet De Nio (The Nine Society or Society of the Nine) is a Swedish literary society founded on 14 February 1913 in Stockholm by a testamentary donation from writer Lotten von Kraemer. The society has nine members who are elected for life. Its purpose is to promote Swedish literature, peace and women's issues. It mainly presents a number of literary awards. It was started as an alternative to the Swedish Academy and is often compared to its more noted cousin.
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Membership
Four seats are always held by women and four by men. Seat number one, the chair, alternates between men and women.
Current members
Seat 1: Anna Williams (chair), professor, since 2019.
Seat 2: Nina Burton, author, since 1994
Seat 3: Jonas Ellerström, author, translator, publisher, since 2017
Seat 4: Marie Lundquist, author, since 2022
Seat 5: Gunnar Harding, author, since 1993
Seat 6: Sara Stridsberg, author, since 2021
Seat 7: Niklas Rådström, author, since 1995
Seat 8: Madeleine Gustafsson, author, arts critic, since 1999
Seat 9: Johan Svedjedal, professor, literary critic, since 1995
Historical members
Original members: Viktor Almquist (chair), Selma Lagerlöf, Karl Wåhlin, Ellen Key, Erik Hedén, Kerstin Hård af Segerstad, Göran Björkman, Anna-Maria Roos, John Landquist
Some notable members over the years have been Astrid Lindgren, Elin Wägner, Marika Stiernstedt, Karin Boye, Hjalmar Gullberg, Karl Vennberg, Gunnel Vallquist, Kerstin Ekman, Sara Lidman, Birgitta Trotzig, Knut Ahnlund and Anders Olsson.
Prizes
Samfundet De Nios stora pris (Grand Prize), the main prize to Swedish literary writers, has been awarded annually since 1921.
Originally 10,000 Swedish krona. As of 2008 it is 250 000 SEK (about €23,000 or US$32,000).
Lotten von Kraemer's prize (essays)
De Nios translator's prize
Stina Aronson's prize
John Landquist's prize (essayist/idea historian/critic)
Karl Vennberg's prize (young poets)
De Nios Winter prize
De Nios Astrid Lindgren prize
Anders and Veronica Öhman's prize
De Nios Lyric poetry prize
De Nios Special prizes
List of all winners
Publications
The annual publication Vår Tid (Our Time) was published 1916–1925 and 1930. Svensk Litteraturtidskrift (ISSN 0039-663X) was published from 1938 to 1983. It contained essays, reviews and other texts about Swedish literature. Editors have included Olle Holmberg, Algot Werin and Knut Ahnlund. Samfundet De Nio also published Artes (1975–2005) together with the Swedish Academy, Royal Swedish Academy of Music and the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. Since 2003 they publish a literary calendar together with Norstedts Förlag.