Björn Kohlström

Born in 1967 in Umeå in the northern part of Sweden, Björn Kohlström moved to Jönköping in the southern part in late 1900s to begin a career as a teacher in language and literature in an upper secondary school. Since 2006, he has published online book reviews under the moniker bernur (Early Old Swedish word for his first name, which translates as ‘bear’). In 2010, he published Virginia Woolf, a life and letters book length study. In addition to being a teacher, he works as a freelance writer for several newspapers and magazines. Some authors he has written extensively about are, apart from Woolf, Clarice Lispector, Sylvia Plath, Anne Carson, Flannery O’Connor. In 2021, he was awarded the Madeleine Gustafsson prize for literary criticism. Frequently, he puts down work in different jury groups for Swedish literary prizes and awards. 

 

Photo by Jore Dirgelaite