ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997               TAG: 9701270070
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: B-3  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
                                             TYPE: NEWS OBIT

POET WHO QUIT NOBEL PANEL DEAD AT 78

Swedish poet Werner Aspenstrom, who resigned from the academy that chooses the Nobel Literature prize winner amid a controversy over Salman Rushdie, has died at 78, a Swedish news agency reported Saturday.

TT news agency gave no details of the death, including when he died or of what cause.

In 1989, Aspenstrom was one of three members to resign from the Swedish Academy, whose members are appointed for life.

His two colleagues said they quit in protest of what they considered the academy's weak response to the death order that Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued against Rushdie. Khomeini called Rushdie's novel, ``The Satanic Verses,'' blasphemous to Islam.

The academy's statement did not refer specifically to Rushdie and condemned censorship only in general.

Aspenstrom did not reveal his reasons for resigning but indicated support for a stronger statement on the Rushdie case.

Aspenstrom began his literary career as an editor of the magazine ``40-tal'' (``The '40s'') and was a contributor to many publications.

As a poet, he first gained a wide public following with his third book, 1949's ``Snolegend'' (``Snow Legend''). His last book of poems was ``Varelser'' (``Persons'') in 1989.

- Associated Press

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