I did my doctorate in Slavic Languages at Stockholm University in 1984 with the dissertation The Artist and the Creative Act. A Study of Jurij Olesa's Novel Zavist', and became an Associate Professor (docent) in 1997. I was made Professor of Slavic Languages, especially Polish, in 2004.
I have created and taught courses on Russian Religious Philosophy, Polish Theatre, Polish Female Prose, Poland Yesterday and Today, Polish History of Ideas and Culture, the History of Polish Literature, and the Holocaust in Polish Literature. The latter four courses are still running.
Research profile
My early research focused on Russian literature, especially 1920s prose. My main interest has been to explore the structural peculiarities of textual prose, to uncover its subtextual level and intertextual relations. This is demonstrated in my close readings of Juri Olesa's prose.
After doing my doctorate, I started to specialise in Polish literature, especially in the aesthetics of modernism and its expressions in poetry, prose and drama in the years 1890-1930. I have examined the contextual ties between Polish modernism and its European counterpart. This research has resulted in a number of articles and a monograph on Stanislawa Przybyszewska, which, on the basis of Przybyszewska's hitherto unpublished and little-known theoretical writing, analyse her aesthetics and work in a broad European literary, philosophical and religious context.
I have also explored Russian dystopian thought, as expressed by its chief exponent in literature, Andrej Platonov, and published an article in which I seek to reconstruct the Platonovian utopia's religious roots, especially its Gnostic context.
In recent years, I have mainly studied and written about the "Jewish Question" in Polish writings of history, debate and literature. I have also illustrated aspects of Czeslaw Milosz' poetry.
Publications (from 2009- in Diva)
Monographs
1984
The Artist and the Creative Act. A Study of Jurij Olesa's Novel Zavist´. Stockholm Studies in Russian Literature, nr. 17. Stockholm. (172 pp.)
1994
A Graveyard of Themes. The Genesis of Three Key Works by Iurii Olesha. Stockholm. Studies in Russian Literature, nr. 29. Stockholm. (167 pp.)
1997
A Gnostic Tragedy. A Study in Stanislawa Przybyszewska's Aesthetics and Works. Stockholm Slavic Studies, nr. 26. Stockholm. (217 pp.)
Articles
1982
»The Life/Death Dichotomy in Jurij Olesa's Story ›Liompa›», Studies in 20th Century Russian Prose. Stockholm Slavic Studies, nr. 14. Stockholm. (30 s.)
1988
»Stanislawa Przybyszewska and August Strindberg», Polish-Swedish Literary Contacts. A Symposium in Warsaw September 22-26 1986. Kungl. Vitterhet Historie och Antikvitets Akademiens Konferenser, nr. 19. Stockholm. (Även på polska i: Zwierciadla Polnocy, II. Zwiazki i paralele literatur polskiej i skandynawskiej. Warszawa, 1991.) (12 s.)
1990
»Catastrophism as a Permanent State. Comments on Stanislawa Przybyszewska's Aesthetics», Scando-Slavica, nr. 36. (Även på polska i: Zwierciadla Polnocy, II. Zwiazki i paralele literatur polskiej i skandynawskiej. Warszawa, 1992.) (10 s.)
2000
»Andrej Platonov's Revolutionary Utopia. A Gnostic Reading», Wiener Slawistischer Almanach, nr. 46. (26 s.)
2006
»Mary Magdalen and I – a Commentary on Czeslaw Milosz's Poetry». Appendix: »Czeslaw Milosz on God, Affirmation and Doubt (interview)», Przekraczanie granic. Ewie Teodorowicz-Hellman z okazji 60. rocznicy urodzin. Stockholm. (27 s.)
Publicistik
1986
»Om Stanislawa Przybyszewska» (i samband med Unga Klaras uppsättning av ›Fallet Danton›), Stadsteaterns programhäfte.
1999
»Nationalism har blivit den sista utopin» (under strecket), Svenska Dagbladet 12/9.
1999
»Ryssland betalar sin plats i historien med blod» (om den nyeurasiska rörelsen och Alexander Dugin), Svenska Dagbladet 11/4.
2000
»Världen och varandet, människan och Gud» (under strecket, om Czeslaw Milosz), Svenska Dagbladet 24/9.
»Przybyszewskas ambivalens inför Strindberg» (under strecket), Svenska Dagbladet 25/1.
2001
»Platonovs skildring av kommunismen saknar motstycke» (under strecket), Svenska Dagbladet 18/6.
»Skratt och kärlek Jedwabnes förlösning?», Svenska Dagbladet 10/7.
»Ondskan och bron till motsatsens strand (om Czeslaw Milosz' poesi)», Signum nr. 9.
2003
»Polens problematiska nationalism» (under strecket), Svenska Dagbladet 4/6.
»Att födas till döden i en svart tid», Signum nr. 3.
2004
»Varat centralt i Miloszs tankevärld» (under strecket), Svenska Dagbladet 23/8.
2005
»Den betvingade förtvivlans mästare» (recension av Czeslaw Milosz' diktsamling »Det»), Signum nr. 6.
2007
»De riskerade livet för barnen i gettot» (under strecket), Svenska Dagbladet 24/5.
»Politiseringen hotar klyva kyrkan i Polen» (under strecket), Svenska Dagbladet 3/8.
2008
»Förintelsen fortsatte efter kriget i Polen» (under strecket), Svenska Dagbladet 23/4.