Selma Lagerlof Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf (1858 - 1940) was a Swedish author and teacher. She was the first female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature and is best remembered for her children's book The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. Lagerlof was asked by he National Teacher's Association in 1902 to write a geography book for children. She interestingly combined informative facts of Sweden's geography with a boy named Nils Holgersson. When the boy got in trouble, he traveled to many different provinces, allowing children to learn about Sweden while staying interested. Read More Read Less