 Through her studies at the Royal Women's Superior Training Academy in Stockholm, Lagerlöf reacted against the realism of contemporary Swedish-language writers such as August Strindberg.She began her first novel, "Gösta Berling's Saga," while working as a teacher in Landskrona.Her first break as a writer came when she submitted the first chapters to a literary contest in the magazine" Idun", and won a publishing contract for the whole book.