Helena Eriksson

Helena Eriksson (born 1962) is a Swedish poet. Her sixth collection of poetry, Strata, was published in English in 2014.

Biography Born in Nyköping, Eriksson was raised in the countryside. After graduating in philosophy and art at University of Gothenburg, she worked as an editor for the cultural journal Ord & Bild. She has also worked as a translator. In 1990, she completed her first lyrical collection, Byggnad åt mig (A building for me). Spott ur en änglamun (Spit from an angel's mouth, 1993) depicts a strange fairytale world seen through the eyes of little girls in red dresses who meet Bambi and Fox. She frequently introduces allusions to violence, desire and rupture, sometimes emphasized by the sensuous tactile effects of necklaces and clothing, as in Strata. She won the 2019 Swedish Academy's prize for her literary translation of Eileen Myles's works.