From the Torgny Segerstedt Memorial Foundation
The Torgny Segerstedt Memorial Foundation is offering three grants of 5,000 SEK each to essay writers at C/D level who have contributed to knowledge in the areas promoted by the foundation in the spirit of Segerstedt: democracy, freedom of expression, human rights, freedom of religion and civil courage. Essays eligible for the prize may therefore be written within a variety of academic disciplines.
The Foundation aims to promote interdisciplinary research in the above fields of study, and to this end has, amongst other things, funded an annual visiting professorship at the University of Gothenburg, awards a Freedom Pen, a Freedom Tone and several school scholarships, and organises annual public lectures and debates.
The three essays to be awarded prizes must have been written during the 2025–2026 academic year and will be assessed by a jury comprising Senior Lecturer Ulla Berglindh, lawyer Lave Beck-Friis, Associate Professor Maria Edström and Senior Lecturer Fredrika Lagergren-Wahlin.
Essays must be submitted by 1 September 2026 to , or to the Foundation Secretary, Deta Kinding (see the website www.torgnysegerstedt.se), as an email attachment, together with a personal statement explaining the essay’s relevance to the competition.
The grants will be awarded at the ceremony for this year’s Freedom Pen in autumn 2026