No Bad Assignments: Selma Lagerlöf Took a Yawn-Worthy Topic and Turned It Into Nobel Prize Gold

Selma Lagerlöf

By Debra Moffitt

As speculation flutters about who will win the Nobel Prize for Literature in the coming week, let us tip a titanic, plumy hat to Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf who, in 1909, was the first woman to win the honor.

Mostly unknown in the United States, Lagerlöf’s first novel made her famous in Sweden, but she’s beloved in her home country for her children’s book, “The Wonderful Adventures of Nils.” When Sweden honored Lagerlöf by featuring her face on its c...