28 June 2022 (19:00 - 20:00)
Carl Michael Bellman
30 June 2022 (18:00 - 21:30)
College of Arms talk & supper
7 September 2022 (18:00 - 19:00)
Märta Måås-Fjetterström
9 November 2022 (18:00 - 20:00)
Reception and concert
12 November 2022 (18:30 - 1:00)
2022 Punsch Ball
The Anglo-Swedish Society is pleased to welcome the Linnean Society of London as its newest Corporate Member. The two societies have had an association for many decades and it is hoped that this marks an even closer connection in the future.
Dr Isabelle Charmantier of the Linnean Society of London gave the Anglo-Swedish Society a virtual tour of the Linnean Society and a talk about Carl Linnaeus. She was supported by Dr Will Beharrell. An edited version of the talk, including the Q&A session, will be published on our YouTube Channel.
The prestigious CoScan Nordic Person of the Year Award recognises achievements and outstanding merit of an individual, body or group related to one or more of the five Nordic countries. The 2020 award was presented to Jo Nesbø, the renowned Norwegian author. You can see a video of the ceremony on the CoScan YouTube channel....
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In a talk with the title “How Swedish Art achieved its own identity in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century“, Christina Cadogan, Art Advisor and Director of Cadogan Fine Arts, spoke about how artists in Sweden forged a Nordic identity and celebrated their culture through painting by turning to history, folklore, literature and the unique...
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The CoScan Travel Award helps young British people visit a Scandinavian country. It is open to anyone between the ages of 15 and 25, planning to undertake a worthwhile project of a broadly educational nature. READ MORE The closing date for applications for a Travel Award grant is 31st March 2021. DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM. CoScan...
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We were delighted to see so many members and friends join us for a virtual talk by Dr Claire Thomson (UCL) on the classic Swedish film The Phantom Carriage (Körkarlen) on 1 December. This talk marks the centenary of the première of the film on 1 January 1921. Adapted from the 1912 novella by Selma...
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We were delighted to see many of our members and friends at a Zoom gala event hosted by our sister organisation, the Swedish-British Society (Stockholm), celebrating St Andrew’s Day 28 November. Traditionally a ball, the event was successfully held as a virtual event with over 60 people joining. We sang and listened to music and...
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We are delighted to announce that The Right Honourable the Lord Beith PC was elected as the new President of the Anglo-Swedish Society at the Annual General Meeting on Friday 6 November. Lord Beith succeeds his late wife, Baroness Maddock (1945 – 2020), and has been a great supporter of the Anglo-Swedish Society since their marriage in 2001. Lord Beith is...
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Charles Stern (2010-11 scholar) gave a talk about the innovative work of Studio Stern. The application of the latest digital fabrication technologies to traditional glass and ceramic production is yielding some astonishing results. Current music scholar Ami-Louise Johnsson (violin & viola), accompanied by Pau Vendrell Vilardaga (piano) performed pieces by Bartok, Milhaud and Faurè. Johan...
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Linda Bondestam gave an excellent presentation to the Society’s largest gathering to date. Members and friends particularly enjoyed her charming poetry readings from some of the children’s books that she has illustrated. Linda is one of the Nordic’s Countries’ best-known artists, illustrators and authors, and her playful use of colour is delicately balanced with the appropriate...
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Caroline Boggis-Rolfe, noted lecturer and historian, gave a talk based on her recent book “The Baltic Story: A Thousand-Year History of Its Lands, Seas and Peoples” (Amberley Publishing 2019). She answered questions after the Zoom talk. David Goldsmith and Eric Orlowski were on hand to ensure that the discussion was both memorable and informative.
Paul Bindiing is a literary critic, novelist, and a renowned expert in Scandinavian literature. He gave an engaging and highly informative talk via Zoom on the work of Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940). Paul Binding describes her as a truly great writer – profound, original and virtuous. SShe was the first woman to be awarded the Nobel...
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Journalist Charlotta Buxton described what she sees as three British legends and historical events that have informed both Brexit and the British response to Covid-19. From a mostly forgotten myth that speaks of Britain’s founding father to two great fires and an intrepid scientist’s attempt to prove everyone else wrong – these stories can shine...
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World Scientific Publishing is proud to announce that they will publish “Ocean Bound Women” by Anglo-Swedish member and former speaker, Professor Anders Hallengren. This is the history of the Swedish sailing-ship Atlantic (1876–1911) and its crew, including its master mariner Johan Axel Söderström and his seafaring family. A main feature of the book is the first diary from a circumnavigation written by a Scandinavian woman, which stands out as a uniting text for the whole storyline. The publishers will be offering members of the Anglo-Swedish Society an exclusive discount and we hope to hold a book launch in spring 2021.
Professor David Goldsmith and Eric Orlowski gave their third joint talk. This time the topic was “Tea and Coffee in Great Britain and Sweden”, which provided a springboard for an exploration of two nations’ customs, histories and international trade routes. In England (in particular) the archetypal cup of breakfast or afternoon, tea is a cultural...
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It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Diana Margaret Maddock, Baroness Maddock, Lady Beith. She succeeded Inga-Stina Robson, Baroness Robson of Kiddington, as our President in 1999. Baroness Maddock's tireless and enthusiastic work for the Anglo-Swedish Society will be honoured by the creation of a scholarship in her name. She served as Member of Parliament for Christchurch from 1993 to 1997 and was created life peer as Baroness Maddock of Christchurch in the County of Dorset on 30 October 1997. From 1998 to 2000, she was President of the Liberal Democrats. She had an active career at the House of Lords. At the time of her death, she was co-chair of the British-Swedish All-Party Parliamentary Group. READ MORE
We are proud to announce that our sister organisation, the Anglo-Swedish Society of Gothenburg, will receive a Swedish flag on Sweden’s National Day. Only ten flags are awarded each year to organisations who have made a significant contribution to Swedish society. The presentation is usually made by HM The King at Skansen in Stockholm. However,...
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Members of the Anglo-Swedish Society joined the Swedish British Society in Stockholm to meet (via Zoom) Alison Allfrey, author of “So Sweden – Living Differently“. Alison moved with her family to Sweden in 2012. The book describes “a journey from apprehension to almost unconditional adoration of a cool, distinct country, admired from afar, little known....
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The Anglo-Swedish Society hosted the opening of the 3-day International 2015 Carl Bernhard Wadstrom Conference on Human Rights and the Abolition of Slavery was the Mansion House in London. The papers presented, including those by Alderman Sir Roger Gifford, Professor Neil Kent, Mark Florman and Anders Hallengren have been edited by Professor Anders Hallengren and are available from Amazon.
Peter Stein and Professor Emil Uddhammar gave a fascinating talk on Sweden’s trade links with sub-Saharan Africa, from the slave trade to IT. Many members of the Anglo-Swedish Society turn out to have strong links with Africa – through upbringing, ancestry and business. One member present was the cousin once removed of Karen Blixen, the...
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Professor Wilhelm Engström has published “Sverige och Storbritannien 1919-2019” (in Swedish) telling the story of the relationship between Sweden and Great Britain through the perspective of the first hundred years of our sister society, the Swedish British Society in Stockholm. He has generously donated 50 copies of the book to be given to the first...
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Members of the Anglo-Swedish Society shared the Anglo-Danish Society’s celebration of the 60th Anniversary of their scholarships and awards programme. The evening was hosted by chairman Wayne Harber and Marguerite Harber at the Drapers’ Hall in the City of London. Her Majesty Queen Margrethe was guest of honour. Also present were HRH The Duchess of...
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Dr Lisbet Rausing received the 2019 CoScan International Award at the Swedish Ambassador's Residence, in recognition of her work to preserve culture and the environment throughout the world. Alexander Malmaeus conducted an informal interview with Dr Rausing along the lines of BBC Radio’s "Desert Island Discs". Music was performed by Ami-Louise Johnsson, Alexandria Wreggelsworth and the London Nordic Choir.
Our sister Swedish-Bristish Society, celebrated its Centenary at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm. A ball was hosted by president Helene Crossfield and the British Ambassador, Ms Judith Gough CMG, proposed the toast to the society. Richard Nyström was Master of Ceremonies and the Anglo-Swedish Society was represented by its chairman Alexander Malmaeus and Jacqueline Appel-Malmaeus.