Nobel Prize in Literature Recipient. Erik Alex Karlfedt received recognition for being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, according to the Nobel Prize committee, "for the insight into the Swedish people's way of life," in his collection, "The poetry of Erik Axel Karlfeldt." Starting in 1916, he had 10 nominations for the Nobel Prize. Anders Österling, a member of the Nobel Prize Committee, gave a speech to honor Karlfedt at the Nobel Prize ceremony on December 10, 1931 saying, "the decision to honor the poetry of Erik Axel Karlfeldt with this year's Nobel Prize is intended as an expression of justice by international standards. Death has stepped between the laureate and his reward; under the circumstances the Prize will be given to his family. He has left us, but his work remain." Karlfeldt was named the Nobel Prize in Literature recipient in 1918 but declined the award as he was the Secretary to the Swedish Academy and felt there was a conflict of interest. Born in a rural part of Sweden, his parents were Erik Janson and Anna Stina Jansdotter, both of whom came from old hard-working mining families. He had an older half-brother and two half-sisters, and three younger brothers. After his father was found guilty of a crime and sent to prison at hard labor for two years, the family farm was sold at auction. Within a couple of years of being released from prison, his father died. At this point, he took the surname Karlfedt in 1889 and left the area. Finishing local schools, he entered the the University of Uppsala in 1885, earning a degree in 1898, while working at various jobs to support himself including writing for a newspaper. Impressed with his ability to write, the editor of the newspaper collected money for him to continue with his education. His first collection of poems, "Songs of the Wilderness and Love" or "Vildmarks och kaerleksvisor" was published in 1895 while he was still in college. After graduating, he taught school and worked for the newspaper. He held a five-year position at the Royal Library in Stockholm, while continuing to write poetry. Being recognized as a worthy poet, he was a prolific writer with over forty books published, many posthumously. In 1904 he was elected to the Swedish Academy. In 1905 he became a member of the Nobel Institute of the Academy, and in 1907 a member of the Nobel Committee. He was appointed permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy in 1912. From that point on, he devoted his time to that position, the Nobel Committee, and his poetry. In 1916 he was the recipient of The Society of Nine Prize, a Swedish literary award, and in 1917 was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Uppsala. In 1918, he declined the Nobel Prize. In 1901 he published "Fridolin's Pleasure Garden," which included poems describing the traditional wall painting that decorated the walls of farmhouses showing scenes from the Bible. He had such insight in his hardworking ancestors, along with a sense of guilt for having abandoned their way of life, willingly or not. He wrote short biographies of two Swedish poets, Lars Johansson Lucidor and Carl Fredrik Dahlgren. In 1904 Karlfeldt was elected to the Swedish Academy. In following Alfred Nobel's intention, he was posthumously awarded the 1931 Nobel Prize in Literature and a collection of his speeches appeared in print shortly after. As of 1974, the Nobel Prize will not be awarded posthumously. Two of his writings were translated early into English, "Why Sinclair Lewis Got the Nobel Prize" in 1931 and "Selected Poems of Erik Axel Karifedt." American author Judith Moffett's collection of 19th century Swedish poets, "The North! To the North!" was published in 2001 contains five of his poems in English. In 1916 he married his long-time housekeeper, Gerda Holmberg. His nineteen-year younger bride had their fourth child in 1917 and a fifth a few years later. He was a good father and concern about his sons' education. In 1922 the family left Stockholm to live on a farm, where he enjoyed gardening along with his writing. Sources say he declined the Nobel Prize partly because he was on the Nobel Prize committee, but others hint that he did not want the international recognition and having his private life becoming public.