The Swedish Writers’ Union

The Swedish Writers’ Union (Sveriges Författarförbund, SFF) is the principal trade union and professional association for authors and literary translators in Sweden. It was formed in 1971 through the merger of four organisations, one of which was the Swedish Authors’ Association (Sveriges Författareförening), founded in 1893. The union represents the professional interests of writers and translators, negotiating contracts, advocating for copyright and freedom of expression, and administering various remuneration schemes. Membership is open to those who have published at least two literary works; in May 2015 the organisation had approximately 3,000 members. The union publishes the magazine Författaren and is organised into four sections: the Fiction Section, the Translators’ Section, the Non-fiction Authors’ Section (Minerva), and the Children’s and Young Adult Literature Section (BULT). The Fiction Section awards the Katapult Prize to the debutant of the year. The current chairperson is the author Anja Gatu. The union is headquartered in Stockholm and maintains an active public presence, including at the Gothenburg Book Fair and through podcasts and campaigns on issues such as AI and copyright. In 2025/2026, the union took over responsibilities following the winding down of ALIS (Administration of Literary Rights in Sweden), offering contract review and advice to rights holders and handling several copyright remunerations.

The Swedish Writers’ Union (Sveriges Författarförbund, SFF) was formed in 1971 through the merger of four organisations: the Swedish Authors’ Association (Sveriges Författareförening), founded in 1893; Minerva, the association for Swedish scientific and popular science authors, founded in 1946; the Swedish Youth Authors’ Association (Sveriges Ungdomsförfattarförening), founded in 1948; and the Swedish Translators’ Association (Svenska Översättarförbundet), founded in 1954. These four had already cooperated since 1956 within the Central Organisation of Free Literary Professionals (FLYCO). The merger created a union with four sections, mirroring the predecessor organisations. The union’s history is documented in Jan Gehlin’s book Floden och virvlarna, published by Albert Bonniers Förlag in 1993. Key milestones in the union’s history include: 1893, founding of the Swedish Authors’ Association; 1903, Sweden’s accession to the Bern Convention on copyright, to which the association’s demands contributed strongly; 1919, formation of the Nordic Authors’ Council; 1925, agreement with the Swedish Publishers’ Association on general rules for publishing contracts; 1931–32, the first radio agreement; 1933, the library remuneration issue gained concreteness through a motion at the association’s meeting; 1941, formation of the Swedish Dramatists’ Union; 1946, formation of Minerva; 1947, the Nordic standard contract was negotiated, and the Swedish Youth Authors’ Association was formed; 1954, the Swedish Translators’ Association was formed, and the Riksdag decided on library remuneration, with the Swedish Authors’ Fund beginning operations the following year; 1956, FLYCO was formed by the four authors’ organisations with assistance from TCO, and the authors’ residence Lilla Hornsberg on Kungsholmen was taken over by FLYCO from the City of Stockholm; 1960, the Swedish Association of Educational Authors was formed under the name Association of Swedish Textbook Authors; 1968, the large state literature inquiry L68 began its work; 1969, the Library Action, where authors emptied the main libraries in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö of books (returning them a few days later) and demanded increased library remuneration, "payment for lending", and the right to negotiate remuneration; the following year the basic amount of library remuneration was raised from 6 to 12 öre, and the state inquiry for the Arts Council began; 1971, the Swedish Writers’ Union was formed by the four associations, with four sections, and the exemption from the so-called gross price ban on books ceased, meaning Sweden moved from fixed to free book prices; 1973, the first bonus agreement regarding compensation for photocopying in education; 1974, SFF submitted a hundred-page opinion on L68’s report Boken; 1975, a KLYS letter to five ministries demanding cooperation for a unified view of state efforts regarding cultural workers, and the "equilibrium Riksdag" adopted a proposal prepared by SFF for state literature support ("publication support"); 1976, the first translators’ agreement including minimum per-sheet fees was concluded with the Publishers’ Association; 1983, the first agreement covering all genres of general literature between SFF and the Publishers’ Association with minimum royalty rates for authors entered into force; 1985, on 12 September, the government and SFF and the photographers’ and illustrators’ organisations concluded an agreement giving the organisations the right to negotiate the basic amount of library remuneration; 1989, SFF moved from the TCO building, Linnégatan/Grev Turegatan, to the Authors’ House, Drottninggatan 88 in Stockholm, fulfilling the old dream of a own house through the agreement concluded in 1986 between the City of Stockholm/Stadsholmen and SFF; Lilla Hornsberg was returned to the City of Stockholm; 1992, the Freedom of Expression Act was introduced alongside the Freedom of the Press Act, and on the initiative of the St Petersburg authors and SFF, a Baltic cruise was carried out with more than 300 authors from 10 countries participating – new cooperation was possible after the fall of the wall; SFF took the initiative for the national campaign "Save the Libraries", which eventually collected over 600,000 signatures for demands for the introduction of a library law and free book loans; 1993, SFF celebrated its 100th anniversary with, among other things, a grand banquet in the Blue Hall of Stockholm City Hall; the union’s scholarship residences on Runmarö in the Stockholm archipelago were inaugurated; 1995, Administration of Literary Rights in Sweden (ALIS) was formed; 1996, the Publishers’ Association terminated the authors’ and translators’ agreements with SFF effective 1 March 1996; from the mid-1990s and for five years, fruitless negotiations were held between the parties on new agreements; 1997, the Library Act (Sweden’s first) entered into force; 2004, SFF issued a model agreement to be kept at hand and observed by members when concluding publishing contracts; 2005, Sweden implemented the EU directive on copyright in the information society. In May 2015, the organisation had approximately 3,000 members. The current chairperson is the author Anja Gatu. In 2025/2026, ALIS ceased operations, and the Swedish Writers’ Union took over the handling of several copyright remunerations and offers contract review and advice to rights holders.

• 1993

  SFF celebrates its 100th anniversary; scholarship residences on Runmarö are inaugurated.

• 1992

  Freedom of Expression Act is introduced; Baltic cruise with more than 300 authors from 10 countries; SFF initiates the national campaign "Save the Libraries".

• 1989

  SFF moves to the Authors’ House, Drottninggatan 88 in Stockholm; Lilla Hornsberg is returned to the City of Stockholm.

• 1985

  Government and SFF and photographers’ and illustrators’ organisations conclude an agreement giving the organisations the right to negotiate the basic amount of library remuneration.

• 1983

  First agreement covering all genres of general literature between SFF and the Publishers’ Association with minimum royalty rates enters into force.

• 1976

  First translators’ agreement including minimum per-sheet fees is concluded with the Publishers’ Association.

• 1975

  KLYS letter to five ministries; the Riksdag adopts a proposal prepared by SFF for state literature support.

• 1974

  SFF submits a hundred-page opinion on L68’s report Boken.

• 1973

  First bonus agreement regarding compensation for photocopying in education.

• 1971

  Swedish Writers’ Union is formed by the four associations; Sweden moves from fixed to free book prices.

• 1969

  Library Action: authors empty main libraries in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö; library remuneration basic amount raised from 6 to 12 öre the following year.

• 1968

  The large state literature inquiry L68 begins its work.

• 1960

  Swedish Association of Educational Authors is formed under the name Association of Swedish Textbook Authors.

• 1956

  FLYCO is formed by the four authors’ organisations with assistance from TCO; Lilla Hornsberg is taken over.

• 1954

  Swedish Translators’ Association is formed; Riksdag decides on library remuneration.

• 1947

  Nordic standard contract negotiated; Swedish Youth Authors’ Association is formed.

• 1946

  Minerva, the organisation for non-fiction authors, is formed.

• 1941

  Swedish Dramatists’ Union is formed.

• 1933

  Library remuneration issue gains concreteness through a motion at the SFF meeting.

• 1931

  First radio agreement (1931–32).

• 1925

  Agreement between the Publishers’ Association and SFF on general rules for publishing contracts.

• 1919

  Nordic Authors’ Council is formed.

• 1903

  Sweden decides to accede to the Bern Convention on copyright; the association’s demands contributed strongly.

• 1893

  Swedish Authors’ Association (Sveriges Författareförening) is founded.

The central trade union and professional organisation for Swedish authors and literary translators, advocating for fair contracts, copyright, and freedom of expression.

• Membership services

  Membership for authors and literary translators who have published at least two literary works.

• Contract review and advice

  Offering rights holders contract review and advice on reuse, especially after ALIS wound down.

• Copyright remuneration administration

  Handling several copyright remunerations and making payments to affected rights holders.

• Författaren magazine

  The union’s member magazine, published in print and partly as an online journal.

• Katapult Prize

  Awarded by the Fiction Section to the debutant of the year; prize sum 50,000 SEK, financed by sponsors.

1. 1Författarförbundet - Huvudorganisation för Sveriges författare och översättare.forfattarforbundet.se
2. 2The Swedish Writers’ Union - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Sveriges Författarförbund - Wikipediasv.wikipedia.org