O. Fritiof Ander Symposium 2026
The 2026 O. Fritiof Ander Symposium brings together scholars, journalists, and public figures from Sweden and the United States to examine elections and democracy in both countries.
Through a keynote lecture and panel discussion, the symposium considers how political institutions, public debate, and changing voter priorities are shaping democracy—and what the experiences of Sweden and the United States can illuminate about the road ahead.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Joakim Palme, professor of political science at Uppsala University. In addition, Dr. Palme is chairman of the Migration Studies Delegation and vice president of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities.
The symposium is free and open to the public. A public reception will follow the program.
Nordic Book Club: 'Notes from a Summer Cottage'
Join the Swenson Center's monthly book club to discuss books on Nordic topics or by Nordic authors.
In June, the group will read "Notes from a Summer Cottage" by Nina Burton, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles. The book is a beautifully written nature memoir about the time spent renovating a cottage in the Swedish countryside, and all the species that she encountered her during her stay.
Nordic Book Club: 'The Singularity'
Join the Swenson Center's monthly book club to discuss books on Nordic topics or by Nordic authors.
In May, the group will read "The Singularity" by Balsam Karam, translated by Saskia Vogel. The book is a breathtaking study of grief, migration, and motherhood from one of Sweden’s most exciting new novelists.
About the book
In an unnamed coastal city filled with refugees, the mother of a displaced family calls out her daughter’s name as she wanders the cliffside road where the child once worked. The mother searches and searches until, spent from grief, she throws herself into the sea, leaving her other children behind. Bearing witness to the suicide is another woman—on a business trip, with a swollen belly that later gives birth to a stillborn baby. In the wake of her pain, the second woman remembers other losses—of a language, a country, an identity—when once, her family fled a distant war.
Nordic Book Club: 'Big in Sweden'
Join the Swenson Center's monthly book club to discuss books on Nordic topics or by Nordic authors.
In April, the group will read "Big in Sweden" by Sally Franson. This comedic novel is about an American woman with Swedish heritage who travels to Sweden to compete in a reality television gameshow.
About the book
Paulie Johansson has never put much stock in the idea of family: she has her long-term boyfriend Declan and beloved best friend Jemma, and that’s more than enough for her. Yet one night on a lark, she lets Jemma convince her to audition for Sverige och Mig, a show on Swedish television where Swedish-Americans compete to win the ultimate prize: a reunion with their Swedish relatives. Much to her shock, her drunken submission video wins her a spot on the show, and against Declan’s advice Paulie decides to go for it. Armed with her Polaroid camera, a beat-up copy of Pippi Longstocking, and an unquenchable sense of possibility, Paulie hops on a plane to Sweden and launches into the contest with seven other Americans, all under the watchful eye of a camera crew. At first, Paulie is certain that she and her competitors have nothing in common besides their passports and views their bloodthirsty ambitions with suspicion. Yet amid the increasingly absurd challenges—rowing from Denmark to Sweden in the freezing rain, battling through obstacle courses, competing in a pickled herring eating contest—Paulie finds herself rethinking her snap judgments about her fellow countrymen, while her growing attachment to her Swedish roots increases her resolve to win the competition herself.
Grappling with long-held notions of family, friendship, and love—not to mention her feelings for the distractingly handsome Swedish cameraman who’s been assigned to follow her around—Paulie starts to reconsider her past and rethink what she wants for the future. A fish-out-of-water tale filled with warmth, optimism, and wit, Big in Sweden is at its heart a love story: love for family, friends, country, and—most importantly—oneself.
Ander Lecture: Transatlantic Performances of Swedishness: The Opera Divas Jenny Lind and Christina Nilsson in the U.S. in the 19th Century
Dr. Hélène Ohlsson will present this year's O. Fritiof Ander Lecture in Immigration History: "Transatlantic Performances of Swedishness: The Opera Divas Jenny Lind and Christina Nilsson in the U.S. in the 19th Century."
The annual Ander Lecture invites a prominent scholar in the field of immigration studies to give a lecture on the Augustana campus.
This year's lecture will take place virtually at noon. To watch it live and also hear a Q&A with Dr. Ohlsson, please register in advance.
The lecture is offered in conjunction with the Association of Swedish Teachers and Researchers in America conference, on occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Jenny Lind.
Dr. Ohlsson has a Ph.D. in theatre studies from Stockholm University. Her research has focuses on femininity and divas in 19th century theater.
Julbord Dinner
The Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at Augustana will serve its annual Julbord Dinner from 5-6:30 p.m. Julbord in Swedish means "Christmas table."
Guests may arrive at any time. There will be brief remarks at 5:30.
Traditional Swedish-American Christmas smörgåsbord fare will be served, including salads, relishes, fruit, herring, bread, cheese, potatoes, salmon, potato sausage, meatballs, rice pudding and Christmas desserts.
After dinner, the annual Sankta Lucia Festival begins at 7 p.m. in nearby Ascension Chapel. Students perform traditional Swedish and Swedish-American songs and readings. Cookies and beverages are served. The program is free.
If you prefer not to pay online, mail checks made out to “Swenson Center” (Swenson Center, Augustana College, 639 38th St., Rock Island, Ill., 61201) or call 309-794-7204 weekdays with a credit card.
Parking is available in the faculty/staff lot at 34th St and 9-1/2 Ave. near the Gerber Center. Please do not use student parking.
O. Fritiof Ander Lecture in Immigration History: Ola Larsmo
Ola Larsmo, author of the recent best-selling novel "Swede Hollow," will deliver the Swenson Center's annual O. Fritiof Ander Lecture in Immigration History. The title of his talk is "Swede Hollow: A Different Swedish-American Story."
"Swede Hollow" was published in Sweden in 2016. It tells of a group of Swedes who settled in Swede Hollow, St. Paul, Minnesota, home to many immigrants. The English translation will be available from the University of Minnesota Press in October.
Ola Larsmo is a critic and columnist for the leading Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter. He is the author of nine novels and several collections of short stories and essays. He has received the Bjørnson Prize from the Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression, the Lagercrantz Critics' Prize from Dagens Nyheter, and Natur & Kultur's cultural prize.
Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center Open House
The Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center will hold an open house from 4-5:30 p.m.
Stop by, learn what the center does, see the current exhibit, and eat Scandinavian fortune cookies with Ole and Lena jokes inside.
Mapping Swedish Migration in the Quad Cities
Dr. Chris Strunk, Augustana College associate professor of geography, will present "Mapping Swedish Migration in the Quad Cities: Teaching Cultural Geography with the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center."
His talk is part of the Lunchtime Lecture Series highlighting the work of scholars using materials in the Swenson Center library and archive.
The spring 2021 series features speakers who have been past recipients of the center's visiting scholar award and faculty research stipend. They highlight the depth and breadth of academic work done regarding Sweden and Swedish-America.
Lectures will include a Q&A session. Those who register will receive a Zoom link by email.
Nordic Book Club, February
February's book is Cows on Ice and Owls in the Bog: The Weird and Wonderful World of Scandinavian Sayings by Katarina Montnémery, 2019
"This witty, enlightening book will give you 50 phrases you never knew you needed in your life, explaining their origin and literal translations, with fun color illustrations throughout." -- Amazon
Join the Swenson Center's monthly book club to discuss books on Nordic topics or by Nordic authors.