Göran Tunström

Göran Tunström (14 May 1937 – 5 February 2000) was a Swedish author. He grew up in Sunne, Värmland County. Tunström's style is personal and intimate, and has a clear autobiographical tone. Although active as an established author for nearly four decades, it was particularly after his Juloratoriet (The Christmas Oratorio) was adapted as a movie in 1996 that he became widely known to the (Swedish) public. He participated in the Oslo International Poetry Festival.

He was married to artist Lena Cronqvist, and was the father of theatre and film director Linus Tunström [sv].

Tunström, the son of a pastor was raised in Sunne, Värmland County. He was twelve years old when his father died. Tunström made his debut as a writer with the poetry collection Inringning published in 1958 when he was 21 years old.

Inspired by the example of Norwegian author Axel Jensen Tunström moved to the Greek island of Hydra, in late 1957 or early 1958 and rented a house. He subsequently became friends with Jensen and his girlfriend, later wife Marianne Ihlen. Jensen was to model the character of Lorenzo in his 1961 novel Joacim on Tunström. He also became friends with the Canadian singer, writer and poet Leonard Cohen after his move to the island in 1960.

Following his debut Tunström subsequently published other collections of poems, novels, plays and short stories.

In 1983, Tunström made his breakthrough with Juloratoriet which depicted the sufferings and tribulations of three generations of the Nordensson family in Sweden in the 20th century. A major critical success it was translated into several languages. Juloratoriet was adapted into a film version in 1996. The last novel published during his lifetime, Berömda män som varit i Sunne, won the August Prize in 1998.

Tunström died at the age of 62 at his home in Stockholm on 5 February 2000.

Tunström left behind an unfinished manuscript which he had begun in 1996. It was published in 2002 as Försök med ett århundrade.

In 2021 Birgitta Holm wrote a biography of Tunström titled Vår ljusaste tragiker: Göran Tunströms textvärld.