Eyvind Johnson

“In the world of the present, in our time, we feel that suffering, anguish, the torments of body and soul, are greater than ever before in the history of mankind.”

“From the throes of inspiration and the eddies of thought the poet may at last be able to arrive at, and convey the right admixture of words and meaning.”

“And this we should believe: that hope and volition can bring us closer to our ultimate goal: justice for all, injustice for no-one.”

“Many men of science and poets have in their own manner, by various ways and means, and aided by others, sought unceasingly to create a more tolerable world for everyone.”

“A poet or prose narrator usually looks back on what he has achieved against a backdrop of the years that have passed, generally finding that some of these achievements are acceptable, while others are less so.”

“A writer's work often reflects what he or she has been exposed to in life; experiences which are the groundwork of a poem or a story.”