Poetry for a cause: Bureaucrat Poetry raises SEK 65,000 for Stockholms Stadsmission

About the initiative

What began as a leadership exercise has become both a published poetry collection and a charitable initiative.

Now in its third printing, Byråkratpoesi has found readers well beyond the Public Sector Management Program at SSE Executive Education. During the spring, the book generated its first donation of SEK 65,000 to Stockholms Stadsmission, with 90 percent of all sales proceeds supporting the organization's work.

The poetry collection Byråkratpoesi is created by participants in the Public Sector Management Program. Photo: Johanna Ståhlberg

Poetry as leadership development

Byråkratpoesi brings together poems written by participants in the Public Sector Management Program over the past ten years. As part of the program, senior public-sector leaders are invited to step outside their everyday roles and explore leadership through poetry and creative reflection.

The poems capture the realities of public leadership - balancing system loyalty with empathy, navigating difficult decisions, and finding meaning in complex responsibilities.

As co-editor Susanna Alexius, Associate Professor and researcher at the House of Governance and Public Policy (GaPP), explains:

"The collection brings together both humor and seriousness, pride and frustration - and more than a few lines that bring tears to your eyes. It reflects how public leaders experience their complex responsibilities, often caught between loyalty to systems and empathy for the individual."

Susanna Alexius and Pernilla Petrelius Karlberg, editors of Byråkratpoesi during the launch last year at the Stockholm School of Economics. Photo: Johanna Ståhlberg

Creating space for courage and reflection

The collection was launched at the Stockholm School of Economics last year, marking the 30th anniversary of the Public Sector Management Program, where participants shared readings and discussed how creative expression can strengthen leadership.

More recently, Byråkratpoesi was featured at the Kreativ Byråkratifestival during Almedalsveckan, a festival dedicated to strengthening democracy, innovation, and problem-solving in the public sector. There, public leaders performed new poems and reflected on the importance of courage, empathy, and professional judgment.

As co-editor Pernilla Petrelius Karlberg says:

"The festival highlighted the importance of practicing courage, empathy, and judgment - of daring to step outside your comfort zone, while also embracing playfulness and taking yourself seriously.”

Pernilla and public leaders performing new poems at Kreativ Byråkratifestival during Almedalsveckan 2026. Photos: Pernilla Petrelius Karlberg

Research, leadership, and societal impact

The initiative reflects the broader work of the House of Governance and Public Policy (GaPP) to combine research, leadership development, and public engagement in new ways.

Beyond highlighting the human side of bureaucracy, Byråkratpoesi has also created tangible societal impact through its support of Stockholms Stadsmission - showing that leadership development can inspire both personal reflection and collective action.

Order the book

The book can be ordered for SEK 80 plus postage, with discounted prices for orders of 10 copies or more. Ninety percent of all sales proceeds continue to support Stockholms Stadsmission, meaning every new copy contributes to future donations.

Order by email: susanna.alexius@score.su.se