“Nigger leader”. That is how Dr. Martin Luther King is described in the prescribed book Litteraturens historia i världen (“Literary History of the World”).The department is now considering removing the book from the list.
In 1990, the book Litteraturens historia i världen was published by Bernt Olsson and Ingemar Algulin. The book has been used at the University on Comparative Literature programs as well as on the teaching program. The book is currently being used as an historical complement to literary compositions included in the course, which is usually the core theme for the introduction course in Comparative Literature.
“The authors have opted to consistently use the word “nigger” throughout the entire book. Not only in contexts in which it could be regarded as paraphrasing or quotes. For instance, Dr Martin Luther King is introduced as ‘Martin Luther King – the nigger leader’,” says Malte Grahm, who is taking the introduction course in Comparative Literature, and who perceives the book to be racist in certain instances.
Are there more examples?
“Yes, for instance, when the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is described. In those instances, the authors have opted to use words such as the ‘nigger slavery’ and ‘nigger slaves’ instead of ‘slavery’ and ‘slaves’, and this is nothing that I am aware of being present in the original work, even though the word ‘nigger’ does occur at times,” says Malte Grahm.
Controversies are to be criticized
On the Comparative Literature course, discussions are an important part of the lectures. Controversial paragraphs are often highlighted and extracted from their context to be subjected to criticism.
“We’ve discussed similar problems in literature, and there are several other authors who bring up racism, but we’ve never discussed the book Litteraturens historia i världen in a criticizing fashion on our lectures,” says Malte Grahm.
“It is our responsibility”
Karin Nykvist is the Comparative Literature course Director of Studies at the Center for Languages and Literature. She says that the professors mainly lecture on literary compositions, which are the central theme on the course.
Has anybody previously commented on the usage of the word “nigger”?
“No, and I must admit that I haven’t read the book since I was a student in 1994, but even at that time it was already controversial to use such expressions,” says Karin Nykvist.
How could this have been passed students as well as course directors and the department?
“It is in fact our responsibility to ensure that the course literature lives up to department standards, and this is a flaw,” she says, and continues:
“We ask the students on every course to see if they have any opinions on the course literature, since they have been reading it most recently. We always appreciate shortcomings in the course literature being highlighted,” says Karin Nykvist.
On the course, the students usually discuss controversial pieces from literary compositions, but not as it pertains to this technical book? Why is that?
“One of the most important tasks for our subject is to show how current ideologies are reflected in art and literature, and how there is a transformation in what is important and correct in literary compositions in different eras. That is why it is especially sad that there has been course literature, which in that sense, is obsolete,” says Karin Nykvist.
No reaction
The book has been a part of the course literature for several years without the university, professors or students having shed any light on this issue.
“Naturally, that should be perceived as criticism of the students and myself since this issue hasn’t been brought up until now, and it also describes how homogenous the academic community still is,” says Malte Grahm.
Director of Studies, Karin Nykvist, says the book will be subjected to review by the course administration, and that is where they will decide whether they will contact the publisher or have the book removed from the list.
“We will have to decide whether we’ll contact the publisher or have the book removed from the list. Previously, we’ve had the book up for discussion without succeeding to come up with a unanimous decision, but at that point, we didn’t know magnitude of it,” says Karin Nykvist.
The book will be revised
Studentlitteratur AB, the publisher of Litteraturens historia i världen, has not been cognizant about the controversial wordings. The fact that the expressions present haven’t been deleted at an earlier stage is a question for the Norstedts, who published revised editions of this book in the 90s.
“These questions should be directed to Norstedts. The book has been present for many years without the expressions having been discussed. We haven’t produced the book, we have only received it ‘as is’,” says Karin Palmkvist, Studentlitteratur AB editor.
Has Studentlitteratur AB published its own version since you bought the rights from Norstedts?
“We will revise it, but so far we’ve only reprinted it,” says Karin Palmkvist, Studentlitteratur AB editor.
Why do you publish a book without reading it?
“Because in that case, the students wouldn’t have had any books on their courses, since it wouldn’t have been published. It takes time to revise. This is an established book, having been used for almost 25 years.
Text: Daniel Kindstrand
Translation: Maximilian Aleman-Tennell
Note from the editorial
This article brings up an extremely sensitive issue, causing journalists as well as translators having to choose their words very carefully. The Swedish texts mentions the Swedish word “neger”, which by the Swedish students on a certain course is perceived as highly offensive. Apart from the fact that the presence of the word in the Swedish article is politically incorrect, it also comes across as being linguistically questionably combined with other words. The Swedish word could potentially be translated in two different ways into English. The purpose of the usage of the word “nigger” in the translation is a deliberate attempt to transfer the indignation that the Swedish audience potentially might face when reading the Swedish article. Using the word “negro” would in this case have rendered the magnitude of the impact of the Swedish article considerably weaker. Lundagård International Editorial Staff’s aim is to reflect the Swedish article as far as possible, so that the international audience will be able fathom the magnitude of the indignation suffered by the audience of the Swedish journalist. However, it is important and imperative to emphasize that the usage of the mentioned words is not to be taken lightly by anyone, and naturally other alternatives, as it pertains to choice of expressions, have been considered as well as and reflected upon prior to publishing the article.
