Translating into the Swedish Academy, Svenska Akademien is an independent cultural institution, founded in 1786 by Swedish King Gustav III in order to advance Swedish language and literature.

Svenska Akademien has also been responsible for selecting the receiver of the Nobel Prize for Literature since 1901. Svenska Akademien has eighteen members, all appointed for life. When one of the members die or is forced to resign (no one ever leaves the Academy by choice), the remaining seventeen elect a new one; who must then be approved by the King (currently His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf).

The current members of Svenska Akademien are:

  1. Bo Ralph, b. 1945 (elected 1999)
  2. Sture Allén, b. 1928 (elected 1980)
  3. Lars Forssell, b. 1928 (elected 1971)
  4. Göran Malmqvist, b. 1924 (elected 1985)
  5. Birgitta Trotzig, b. 1929 (elected 1993)
  6. Knut Ahnlund, b. 1923 (elected 1983)
  7. Östen Sjöstrand, b. 1925 (elected 1975)
  8. Torgny Lindgren, b. 1938 (elected 1991)
  9. Peter Englund, b. 1957 (elected 2002)
  10. Erik Lönnroth, b. 1910 (elected 1962)
  11. Ulf Linde, b. 1929 (elected 1977)
  12. Per Wästberg, b. 1933 (elected 1997)
  13. Gunnel Vallquist, b. 1918 (elected 1982)
  14. Lars Gyllensten, b. 1921 (elected 1966)
  15. Kerstin Ekman, b. 1933 (elected 1978)
  16. Kjell Espmark, b. 1930 (elected 1981)
  17. Horace Engdahl, permanent secretary, b. 1948 (elected 1997)
  18. Katarina Frostenson, b. 1953 (elected 1992)