Background

The establishment of The Swedish Union of Playwrights in 1941.

From the left: Karl Ragnar Gierow, Hjalmar Gullberg, Eric Wennerholm and Wilhelm Moberg
Photo: Scanpix

In 1941, when Swedish Union of Playwrights held it's first meeting, war was raging in Europe. Playwright and novelist Vilhelm Moberg gathered a group of notable cultural figures in the Schartaus Law Offices; dramatists as well as representatives from other cultural fields.
Attending this very first board meeting of the Swedish Playwrights Union that summer evening in 1941 alongside Vilhelm Moberg were Herbert Grevenius, Karl Ragnar Gierow, Ragnar Josephson, Fredrik Ström, Gustaf Colljin, Brita von Horn, Carl af Ugglas, Eric Wennerholm, and Hjalmar Gullberg. This last named was at the time head of the Swedish National Broadcasting Service's Radio Theatre. He became the first chairman of the board for the Playwrights Union. Subsequent chairpersons have been:
* Hjalmar Gullberg 1941-1948
* Karl Ragnar Gierow 1949-1951
* Vilhelm Moberg 1952-1954
* Ivar Harrie 1955-1956
* Tore Zetterholm 1957-1966
* Karl Ragnar Gierow 1967-1968
* Tore Zetterholm 1969-1972
* Lars Björkman 1973-1976
* Reidar Jönsson 1979-1979
* Gottfried Grafström 1980-1983
* Reidar Jönsson 1984-1984
* Margareta Garpe 1985-1986
* Carl-Johan Seth 1987-1987
* Birgit Hageby 1988-1989
* Ture Rangström 1990-2000
* Rolf Börjlind 2001-2011
* Camilla Ahlgren 2011-