Karin Boye was born in 1900 in Gothenburg. Her mother was an alcoholic who favored the youngest son, while her father supported the family and ensured that his daughter had the opportunity to study at a university— a privilege that, at the time, was mostly reserved for men.

Karin Boye started writing at an early age. As a child, she wrote several poems, later expanding into plays and short literary forms.

In her personal life, Boye had romantic relationships with both men and women, which in those days caused her frustration and inner turmoil. She even sought therapy in Berlin, though it did not yield the intended results. Instead, it led to a new love—Margot Hanel, a German Jewish woman who eventually moved in with Boye in Stockholm. It was in Berlin that Karin witnessed Nazi parades and speeches firsthand. She was terrified of what might come. Her fears and pessimistic thoughts deepened after a trip to the Soviet Union. These experiences culminated in her dystopian novel Kallocain, which quickly became a publishing success.

In 1941, Karin Boye’s frozen body was found in a forest near Alingsås. She had died from an overdose of sleeping pills.

Today, Boye is recognized and appreciated worldwide. She is best known for her poetry and the novel Kallocain.