معرفی
Maria Lassén-Seger is a Senior Lecturer and Docent in the Department of Culture, History and Philosophy at Åbo Akademi University, under the Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology. She is an active researcher in Swedish-language children's literature in Finland, with a strong focus on literary criticism, multilingualism, and picturebook studies. Her work is institutionally anchored through her role as a Co-Investigator in the ongoing project Den svenska childlitteraturforskningen och -kritiken i Finland (2022–2026), funded by the Svenska Litteratursällskapet i Finland.
Her research interests span children's literature, Swedish-language literature in Finland, literary criticism, multilingualism in literature, picturebooks, and Scandinavian literary studies. She investigates how national policies—such as the Finnish Baby Box program—reflect and promote multilingual identity through children's books. Her recent work analyzes the artistic innovations of illustrators like Pija Lindenbaum and Linda Bondestam, emphasizing visual narrative and materiality.
The trends in her recent publications (2023–2025) reveal a strong engagement with literary multilingualism, iconotext, and critical discourse in Finland-Swedish media. She frequently collaborates with scholar Maria Österlund and contributes to both academic and public discussions on children's literature. Her editorial work, such as co-editing a 2025 special issue of Barnboken, highlights her leadership in the field.
Her scientific recognition includes:
- Författare och författarskaps jubileumspris (2024)
- Stiftelsen Solkattens stipendium (2024)
- Vanessapriset 2022 för barnlitteraturkritik (2022)
- Hagforsmedaljen (2010)
Maria Lassén-Seger is deeply involved in academic service, including supervising students, peer-reviewing publications, serving on dissertation committees, and organizing workshops. She has acted as an opponent and examiner for doctoral theses at institutions like Umeå University and Tampere University. Her public engagement includes media interviews with outlets like YLE and contributions to research blogs, where she discusses the Tippelill project and the state of children's literature criticism. She is a key figure in fostering scholarly and public dialogue around children’s literature in the Nordic context.
