Per Olov Enquist

Per Olov Enquist (1934-2020) was a Swedish writer, journalist and playwright. After a degree in history of literature at Uppsala University he worked as a newspaper columnist and television debate moderator from 1965 to 1976. He became an influential figure on the Swedish literary scene. From 1970 to 1971 Enquist lived in Berlin on a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service and in 1973 he was a visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been working as an independent writer since 1977. Enquist's work is characterized by a chronic pessimistic view of the world. His plays always describe the restrictions imposed by the epietistical way of living, especially in “March of the Musicians” (1978) and “Lewi's Journey” (2001). He gained international recognition with his novel “The Visit of the Royal Physician” (1999) – the story of Johann Friedrich Struensee, the personal physician to the Danish King Christian VII.