Even if francophone literature is expanding its territory throughout the world, its status remains ambiguous on the global field and in processes of canonization. The results in this article show for the first time which status and function are granted to francophone literature in higher education abroad, in this case in Sweden and specifically in courses of French as a Foreign Language. The study is based on a classification of the most taught literary works in French during the last 15 years at three strategically chosen universities. The analysis is focusing on a revaluation of the literary canon in the academic context abroad. Various didactic demands are revealed as essential criteria for a selection diverging from the traditional canon. Furthermore, it is brought to light that awarded literature (for example Nobel and Goncourt) as well as extra-occidental francophone literature less covered by media, make their way to the North. Probably, Sweden wishes to stay accommodating and neutral when choosing to receive and teach the whole range of literature published in French.

Même si la circulation de la littérature francophone est aujourd’hui en pleine expansion à travers le monde, sa diffusion et, par conséquent, sa place dans les circuits de canonisation, reste encore inégale. Cet article analyse la place octroyée aux lettres francophones dans l’enseignement universitaire du français langue étrangère en Suède. Proposant une réflexion sur le canon littéraire traditionnel et montrant la nécessité de reconsidérer sa valeur dans un contexte universitaire étranger, la Suède apparaît tantôt comme le pays promoteur de la haute-culture française tantôt comme le bastion des littératures francophones souvent contemporaines et/ou de la littérature couronnée de prix littéraires.