After seven years in the role, Mats Malm is stepping down as permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, to be replaced by Ingrid Carlberg. The announcement came during the academy's ceremonial assembly on December 20, 2025. Carlberg will be the second woman in the position after Sara Danius.
Mats Malm, a 61-year-old literature historian and translator, has held seat 11 in the Swedish Academy since October 19, 2018. He assumed the role of permanent secretary on June 1, 2019, succeeding Anders Olsson, who had followed Sara Danius after her resignation in spring 2018. Malm announced his departure during the academy's ceremonial assembly on December 20, 2025, and will leave the position on June 1, 2026.
"It has been a privilege to work for the Academy as permanent secretary. Seven years is a reasonable term, and as part of the role, I have prepared a transition. I have the utmost confidence in Ingrid and look forward to our continued collaboration in changed forms," Malm said in a press release.
His successor is Ingrid Carlberg, 64, a journalist and author who has held seat 5 since her election in 2020. The decision was made in late May 2025 but kept secret. "It is enormously overwhelming and honoring in every way to receive this trust from the Academy. At the same time, I feel great humility toward the task ahead," Carlberg said. She added: "I am not the kind of person who has yearned for such positions... But after some consideration, I really want this. I am passionate about the Swedish language and literature and the work for reading."
The background to Malm's tenure is marked by the academy's recovery from crises in 2018, linked to Jean-Claude Arnault, which led to the cancellation of the Nobel Prize in Literature and internal conflicts. Today, Carlberg describes the atmosphere as positive: "The Academy is doing very well now. We have a fine and close collaboration, and all this is thanks to Mats Malm." She looks forward to building on his efforts in literature, language, and reading, especially in schools.
