The event also marked the 30th anniversary of the Public Sector Management Program at SSE Executive Education. Over the years, participants in the program have been invited to write poetry as part of their leadership development - a practice that has now resulted in this published collection.

The program began with five moving poetry readings by the bureaucrat-poets themselves, followed by a panel discussion on what poetry can teach us about public leadership today. Panelists included Emma Stenström, researcher and lecturer in arts and management at SSE, Göran Sundström, professor of political science at Stockholm University, and Pernilla Glaser, cultural profile engaged in innovation and organizational development.

During one of the engaging poetry readings.

The discussion was moderated by the book’s editors, Susanna Alexius and Pernilla Petrelius Karlberg, both leadership researchers and program directors. A video greeting from Stockholm School of Economics President Lars Strannegård also highlighted the initiative, linking it to SSE’s vision FREE - Facts, Reflection, Empathy and Entrepreneurship.

Through the poems, themes of pride, doubt, responsibility and resilience were brought to life, showing bureaucracy not as grey or faceless, but as deeply human. The collection offers a rare and personal insight into the realities of public leadership, where ideals and everyday challenges constantly meet.

The launch underlined GaPP’s commitment to exploring governance and public policy in new and engaging ways - at the intersection of research, practice and creative expression.

Read more here about the Public Sector Management Program.

The book "Byråkratpoesi".