Sara Danius was the first woman to become permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy. In April 2018, she resigned.
The author and debater Katarina Wennstam spoke at the flare-up event that took place outside the Stockholm Stock Exchange after Sara Danius was forced out as permanent secretary.
- Sara was and remains the person who completely broke the tradition of silence culture that existed in the Swedish Academy. It was something quite unique in how she quickly took a position that the accusations against the Academy for crimes would be tried legally, she says.
"We talked a lot about women's vulnerability"According to Katarina Wennstam, Sara Danius' actions in connection with the crisis in the Swedish Academy have been of great importance both to the women who testified about now rape convicted Jean Claude Arnault, and to other women who in various ways have been subjected to sexual abuse.
- Her way of talking about this and listening has meant an incredible amount to many, she says.
After the crisis in the Swedish Academy, Katarina Wennstam and Sara Danius met privately.
- We talked a lot about women's vulnerability. Men's violence against women, sexual abuse and culture of silence throughout history, she says.
- Now she's gone and it's a terrible grief. She had so much left to give. She was a rare combination of the intellectuals that the Swedish Academy stands for, and publicity. I really think she will go to history as a counterpart to a mourning of friendship corruption, self-loathing and unknowable values.
"A tragedy for the cultural public"The literary scientist, professor and author Ebba Witt-Brattström also mourn the passing of Danius.
- This is a tragedy for the Swedish cultural public. We need our cultural women and Sara Danius could have added so much more, she says.
Ebba Witt-Brattström believes that Sara Danius could have reformed the Swedish Academy if she had to continue working. That her leadership was questioned, she believes, is because Danius governed the Swedish Academy, as permanent secretaries have done before her. The difference is that they were men.
- She could have made a big difference. Not least in award-winning committees to let women enjoy awards. We had hoped it could be different. Now her legacy is instead about courage and suffering. Not caring to lose everything, lest you walk the paths of the traditionally male-dominated cultural tradition. It is a great inspiration for young women, young intellectuals.
Ebba Witt-Brattström sees what happened in the Swedish Academy for a symbolic drama between cultural men and cultural women, which ended with Sara Danius being maneuvered.
- Very few women have that courage. Once she decided, she did it fully. I can really admire that with her. I hope she as a role model can teach us others. Cost what it costs - the truth should be out. It's big, ”says Ebba Witt-Brattström.
"A tragic irony"The author Agneta Pleijel received the Swedish Academy Award Nordic 2018. In conjunction with this she met Sara Danius.
- I have very fond memories of her. I'm really sad about her death. I did not know her closely, I met her the most when I received the award last year, then we saw a few times and talked. I belong to those who think she behaved in a straightforward and fair way when the mess broke out in the Academy in the fall of 2017. She had to receive very stingy reviews in connection with it. Not to mention awful from another academy member. I thought it was awful, she says.
- There is a tragic irony in her passing away after such a year.
SVT's former head of culture Eva Beckman describes her old university friend Sara Danius as "a little more intelligent and a little more fun" than everyone else.
Daniel Sandström is a literary scholar, publisher and close friend of Sara Danius.
- Many are either professors or journalists, or writers. Sara was everything in one, she had a width and a point at the same time which is very unusual, he tells SVT News.