Elsi Elisabeth Rydsjö grew up in the town of Bosarp in Scania. She was the daughter of the dialect poet and folklore collector Daniel Rydsjö. She made her debut as author of girls’ books in 1940 and subsequently wrote five more books for girls before she published the poetry collection Dedikation in 1962.
In 1963 she published her first novel Kavalkad and went on to become a prolific and widely read author specialising in women, love, and history. She writes dramatically and with sympathetic understanding about strong, perservering women who feel a deep-rooted loyalty towards their local region, family, and each other. Many of her novels are set in the countryside of eastern Scania, with Scania’s history playing a key role in her novels Karolinas Poltava, 1992, and the sequels Kommer aldrig solen?, 1993, and Det blåser vind från Östansjö, 1995.
In her novels En doft av timjan, 1987, Liten flöjt av silver, 1988, and De röda bergen, 1989, she portrays the reign of the Swedish King Charles XII and the military campaigns on the continent, while also painting a vivid picture of life in the farmhouses around the alum works in Andrarum that was run by Christina Piper.
Additions by the editorial team 2011:
The above biography was first published in 1998. Since then, Elsi Elisabeth Rydsjö has published Allting har sin tid, 1999, Susanna, 2000, Kära min syster, 2002, Vinden drar, 2003, Dit du går, 2004, and Flicka genom sekel, 2005.