Gabriel Jönsson
Gabriel Jönsson was a Swedish author and poet. He is best known for his works inspired by Öresund and farming. He was one of the first members of the Scanian Academy in Sweden.
Early life
Jönsson was born into a Baptist family. His father, Peter, was a seaman, but due to back injuries caused by carrying bricks, he started a trading post in Ålabodarna, and later on the island Ven, Husvik. Jönsson's mother was hired to work at the Husvik store and later married Jönsson's father. Peter Jönsson died in 1901, when Jönsson was 7. At that time he had two brothers and one sister.Jönsson’s wish was to become a seaman like his father, but his mother, a businesswoman, wanted him to be educated. She paid for her three sons' education. Jönsson studied first in Helsingborg, at the Högre Allmänna Läroverket "Higher Public Learning Institute" and later at Lund University, although he did not graduate.
Career
He was a journalist at Svenska Dagbladet, Stockholms-Tidningen and Sydsvenska Dagbladet. He wrote many poems from 1920 until 1991. He also wrote two screenplays, Country life and The Girl from Backafall. He received multiple prizes, including The Nine Grand Prix, Sydsvenska Dagbladet's culture prize, Rural Writers' Scholarship and Skane of the year. In 2013 he received a memorial stone on Landskrona's Walk of Fame, inaugurated by King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf."The Girl from Backafall" ("Flickan från Backafall")
The poem "Vid Vakten" from the book Flaskpost "Message in a bottle" was turned into a popular song in Sweden "Flickan från Backafall" by Gunnar Turesson and is today a signature song of the island Ven, where Backafall is located. Backafall translated to English means "falling slope" and is a reference to the area between the white church on the island of Ven's west side and small harbor of the same name below.The song describes a young seaman in the Caribbean on a long voyage, longing for his girlfriend waiting for him at home.
Published works
Source:- 1920 Flaskpost
- 1927 Årsringar
- 1935 Skånska somrar, Bonniers
- 1936 Mina skepp
- 1941 Kustland
- 1944 Skånehistorier
- 1946 Himmel och blandsäd
- 1948 Diktens Skåne
- 1952 Dikter
- 1954 Än sjunger Öresund
- 1956 Min strand
- 1964 Skåne i kameraögat
- 1975 Minnen från kustlandet och betland
- 1978 Ung mellan backar och böljor, Bernces
- 1980 Porträtt och Poesier, Bernces
- 1991 Fotboll är också poesi, Förlagsband Förlaga Viken
Prizes and awards
- 1954 De Nios Stora Pris
- 1956 Sydsvenska Dagbladets Kulturpris
- 1971 Landsbygdens författarstipendium
- 1977 Årets skåning
- 2013 He got a memorial stone on Landskronas Walk of Fame which was inaugurated by the Swedish king Carl XVI Gustaf.