Växjö
- 2012
Member: The Municipality of Växjö
Managing institutions/partners: Culture and leisure services/The House for Free Speech
Växjö joined the ICORN in 2012 and was then the fifth and hitherto smallest town in Sweden to become a safe haven for writers. The membership in ICORN is part of the culture and leisure management and the House for Free Speech that works to combine the literary heritage in the region and the struggle for the right to free speech today – this for all citizens to make their voices heard - in Småland and in the world.
From 2012 to 2014 Växjö had its first writer staying in the city under the residency program, Nasrin Madani (Iran). In mid-September 2022, the city welcomed its most recent ICORN resident- the journalist, editor, and activist Aslı Ceren Aslan from Turkey.
Växjö offers guest writers in residence a chance to take part in the culture life in various ways, both with literary events already taking place etc, but also to make it possible for the guests to create their own project. Växjö is also the pilot area for a new project called “Colleague to colleague” by Swedish Pen and the Swedish Writers Union, which will connect Swedish writers with the guest writers to form a network.
Literary/artistic resources in the city:
The House of Free Speech
Kronoberg Book Fair/ Växjö city library
Swedish Writers Unions regional members
Växjö Art Gallery
The Regional Theatre
The literary organizations in the region
Vilhelm Moberg
Elin Wägner
The house of Elin Wägner
Pär Lagerkvist
Kulturparken Småland which includes the Smålands Museum, The House of Emigrants, The Swedish Glass Museum
Musik i Syd – a regional music institution
ICORN writers/artists in this city
