perhaps it is one of the characters in this collection, a sharp

new
swedish
bo
oks
for young
readers
New Swedish Books for Young Readers
By Karin Mossed
picture books 2007-2009 p. 3
books for older children: p. 15
books for teenagers: p. 19
Author facts: p. 24
literature develops our imagination, everyone is in agreement about that. Through the
world of books we get to know ourselves and others, we gain knowledge, perspective, and approval
– while at the same time we want to be entertained. This of course applies particularly to books for
children and young people, and this target group is perhaps the most difficult to please and the most
sensitive to trends. Young people also want to be amused. They can immediately see through a false
tone, and will not accept overt pointers or hidden messages.
Literature for children and young people is one of Sweden’s most significant exports. It is creative
and experimental in terms of both form and content, it is always on the side of the child, and it does
not shy away from difficult issues.
Karin Mossed, blogger and children’s librarian from Stockholm, has been asked by the Swedish Arts
Council [Kulturrådet] to introduce the latest Swedish publications for children and young people to
the 2009 international book fairs. Both the selection and the commentary are Karin’s own, and it is
hoped that the information provided will tempt the reader to find out more. Anyone who is interested
in learning more about the books and their authors is welcome to contact the relevant publishers.
Helen Sigeland
Swedish Arts Council
picture front cover: from “the crow orchestra”. © erika kallasmaa/alfabeta. photos above: see page 24-35
Picture Books 2007-2009
above: high heels and football in “kennie and
dolly”. © pija lindenbaum/rabén & sjögren.
left: pia and nils in “Let’s Play! I’ll be Super
Hero”. © emma adbåge/alfabeta
sweden has a long tradition of
internationally renowned creators of
picture books. Contemporary Swedish picture books, which are often
experimental, artistic works pushing the
boundaries of the picture book genre,
rest on this firm foundation. For that
reason, last year’s discussion on “quality
marking”, a guarantee that published
books have been scrutinised from the
point of view of democracy, equality
and diversity, met with mixed reactions.
A statement of intent such as this could
be regarded as a limitation of artistic
expression, and a return to an oldfashioned and pedagogical concept.
Quality marking or no quality marking,
many of the picture books published in
recent years portray children pushing the boundaries of gender roles.
The second
book by highly
S L individual
UT
productive illustrator Emma Adbåge
is an excellent example of an artistically
genuine picture book which proves that
everything is possible in the world of
play. In the inventive Jag var superhjälte,
säger vi! (Let’s Play! I’ll be Super Hero),
little Pia plays with Nils, a boy who is
older than her. But Pia does not simply
conform to the role allocated to her by
Nils, that of a submissive little kitten.
This kitten is much tougher and has
far more superpowers than Nils could
have suspected. Suddenly, playing with
Pia becomes much more enjoyable than
Nils could ever have imagined. Adbåge’s
flowing illustrations of the chairs, tables
3
and breakfast sandwiches of reality are
united with lethal snakes and desert
islands on a sea of imagination in
headlong chaos.
Pija Lindenbaum’s books always take
children’s major questions seriously,
without being over-explicit; they could
be described as magnificent minidramas. In Kenta och barbisarna (Kennie
and Dolly), Kenta really wants to play
with the girls. However, the other boys
want him to play with them, and he
normally ends up on the football pitch
as usual. Despite the fact that Kenta is
the best footballer, his whole body aches
to be in the doll’s corner. In this book
there is a genuine interplay between
illustrations and text. Kenta’s yearning
trim and friends in “in the woods” by eva lindström. © eva lindström/alfabeta
gaze follows the girls’ games with their
Barbie dolls as he joins in with the boys’
rougher shooting and football games.
At last Kenta is invited to join in with
the girls’ games, and a wild adventure
ensues: the Barbie dolls have babies and
fight man-eating giraffes and lions. The
turning point comes when Kenta and
the girls dress up as princesses, and are
caught out by the boys. But it turns out
that everyone can dress up in pink, gold,
and high heels – and play football!
Pija Lindenbaum has a supreme ability
to tell stories with a real insight into
the perspective of a child, and this skill
permeates everything she produces – 19
titles so far. A considerable amount of
the action takes place directly in the
pictures, without any comment in the
text. Kennie and Dolly provides a subtle
picture of both gender roles and play.
In her latest book I skogen (In the
Woods), Eva Lindström portrays the
individual as an outsider and his or
her simultaneous need to be in control
by describing the relationship of three
characters to nature. It is a little unclear
4
Tocke takes out his disappointment on Syrma in “Aunt Syrma and Tubby Mr Broms”. © gunna grähs/alfabeta
whether these figures are children or
adults, or whether they are human
beings or animals. The narrative voice
belongs to Trim, a human-like figure
in a dress and with a dog’s snout. The
friends live together in the forest where
they play, clean, and simply exist. The
weather and the seasons change. When
the weather is right, Trim and her
friends experience a feeling of being in
control: “We let it rain, we are the ones
who have decided it’s going to be wet”.
On the next page, when the birch and
pine trees have literally grown feet and
are setting off to meet the autumn, the
friends suddenly lose their perceived
control over the environment: “It’s cold.
Who decided it was going to be cold? It
wasn’t us, anyway.” The narrative tone
is laconic in a way that is typical of Eva
Lindström, and nature is depicted in
soft watercolours. In the Woods is a unusual book in terms of its themes, and an
unusually beautiful book in its execution.
As always in Eva Lindström’s books,
text and illustrations work together in an
inventive way, and the action is made up
of a series of apparently chance events.
This makes the story unpredictable and
absurd – it is not for nothing that Eva
Lindström has been called the Samuel
Beckett of the picture book!
Artistic ambition is also to be found in
Gunna Grähs’ highly praised Hejhej
series. The books embody a warm,
friendly social realism. The stories
revolve around everyday events in a
completely normal Stockholm suburb,
and together they form a kind of collective novel with several different voices.
Some of the characters recur in several
5
stories. The books are small in terms of
both format and the scope of the text,
but they contain a considerable amount
of wisdom and humour. In the latest
book, Syrma och Tocke Broms (Aunt
Syrma and Tubby Mr Broms), miserable
old man Tocke meets Syrma the kiosk
owner, who is almost always particularly
nice, when he buys a lottery ticket in the
hope of winning the top prize. However,
like most other people who buy a lottery
ticket, Tocke wins nothing – and takes
out his disappointment on Syrma.
In Pärlor till pappa (Pearls for Daddy),
Maud Mangold (text) and Sassa
Buregren (illustrations) take a completely different approach to the sometimes
harsh conditions of reality, combining
social pathos with artistic sharpness.
Maud Mangold’s text is matter-of-fact in
its narrative tone, while Sassa Buregren’s
illustrations reflect the small child’s feelings when confronted with her father’s
spell in prison. Beautiful watercolours
illustrate little Sonja’s road to her father’s
Away; she has to pass deep holes where
dangerous monsters lurk, for example
the terrible Mudgrubber.
Just when the darkness is at its
peak, Sonja hugs her rucksack to give
her courage, and despite the fact that
the road is mercilessly long and horrid,
she finally makes it. For fifteen blissful
minutes Sonja is allowed to hug and talk
to Daddy. Books on important themes
sometimes have a tendency to allow the
message to take precedence over the
artistic expression, but that is not the
case in this sorrowful, poetic tale, which
is suffused with light at the very darkest
moment.
The world of picture books is full of
characters, usually children, who long
for one specific person or one particular
place. A sense of longing for something
Different, something more diffuse, is
more a part of literature for young people. In Kraxorkestern (The Crow Orchestra) by Sari Eliasson (text) and Erika
Kallasmaa (illustrations), we meet a
nameless and somewhat scruffy crow. She
is surrounded by nasty pigeons who set
from “pearls for daddy”. © sassa buregren/kabusa. next page: from “the crow orchestra”. © erika kallasmaa/alfabeta
6
7
impossible conditions for her inclusion
in their circle. The theme of the book,
the individual who is forced to remain an
outsider and finds the courage to move
on, is expressed in the crow’s sudden
thought: “Is this the way it’s going to be
all my life?” The crow longs to be somewhere else, and therefore she sets off into
the unknown, heading for Somewhere
Else. There she happily finds a new connection.
Powerful watercolours illustrate the
urban melancholy and the greyness of
the town. It is only when the crow sets off
on her own adventures, travelling towards
Somewhere Else, that the full-page illustrations sparkle into a veritable firework
display of colour – everything becomes
brighter and clearer when the crow has
the courage to follow her inner voice.
the little teddybear from “who*s lonely”.
© stina wirsén/bonnier carlsen.
next page: miserable Viktor in “the rabbit suit”.
© helena willis/natur och kultur
Stina Wirsén is one of the best-known
illustrators currently working in
Sweden. In the “Who-series” we meet
a group of toys who struggle with the
difficulties and joys of life in different
combinations. A little teddy bear takes
the main role in Vem är ensam? (Who’s
Lonely?). She rings all her friends to ask
if they’d like to come and play with her,
and she’s very sad when they all say no.
Then the teddy bear has the idea that
she can play on her own, and in fact this
turns out to be really good fun. When
a friend rings the doorbell later, the
teddy bear doesn’t want to play out; the
realisation that ‘alone’ is not the same
as ‘lonely’ is charmingly illustrated by
a very happy little teddy bear drawing
pictures.
The drama in Vem är borta? (Who’s
Lost?) takes place in a big supermarket
where Little Teddy has gone along with
Big Teddy to do some shopping. Little
Teddy is choosing some bananas, and
the next minute Big Teddy is gone! An
adult figure in the form of a stupid bird
tries to help, but Little Teddy is frightened. She searches up and down the
aisles all on her own, between enormous
shelves that loom over her. When she is
finally found by Big Teddy, the question
that arises is who actually went missing.
Who’s Lost? imbues its small readers
with a sense of security: if you get lost,
you will usually be found by parents
who have been at least as worried as
you.
With their simple illustrations and
no more than three lines of text per
page, the books in the Who-series are
aimed at the very youngest audience.
Who’s lonely or who’s missing are questions of perspective. This also applies to
courage, toughness or other desirable
qualities. Kaninkostymen (The Rabbit
Costume) is a collaboration between
Per Gustavsson (text) and Helena
8
Willis (illustrations). These two creators
of picture books have both previously
focused on strong girls, but they now
allow boys to overstep the boundaries.
In The Rabbit Costume, six year-old
Viktor learns how qualities are defined
and evaluated by the observer. During
one of his many attempts to impress
pretty Gabbi, he manages to rip his only
clean pair of jeans. The next day Viktor
has to choose between going to school
stark naked, or putting on the only thing
at home that isn’t ripped and is actually
clean: a bright pink rabbit suit. What
will Gabbi and the hard lads think?
Later in the day Viktor is lying in a pile
of snow, wet, cold and miserable, still
wearing the rabbit suit, after the gang
of boys have knocked him down. Gabbi
comes along and consoles him…
This book contains both everyday
drama and humour, reflected in the
sprawling illustrations familiar from
Willis and Gustavsson’s earlier books.
8
ust när skymningen
föll kom Mister Räf på
sin vanliga promenad. Han
gick med stolta steg och
hög svansföring, för han var
en ganska allvarligt sinnad
räv. Han tyckte mycket om
sin kvällsrunda och kom
alltid vid samma tid. Alla
var så vana att se honom att
de knappt märkte honom.
Och själv var han upptagen
av sina tankar.
from “go for a swim, Mr Fox!”. © staffan gnosspelius/opal. next page: from “flora’s hill”. © kristina digman/raben & sjögren
09-03-03 15.13.37
Stefan Casta is the author behind
several of the most acclaimed books for
children and young people in recent
years. Working in collaboration with
a series of very different illustrators,
he conveys in his factual and picture
books a deep love of nature – often
coupled with ethical considerations.
In Gå och bada Mister Räf! (Go for a
Swim, Mr Fox!) we meet a fox who is
convinced that he is worthless, and that
“everything” would be so much better
if only he looked different. When he
rolls in some mud to change his colour,
he meets the same reaction from all the
animals around him: “Go for a Swim,
10
Mr Fox!” This only leads Mr Fox to seek
out more extreme ways to change his
colour. But one day it begins to rain, and
his disguise is washed away completely.
Some children who catch sight of Mr
Fox shout out: “Oh, isn’t he beautiful!”
and suddenly the fox realises that he is
actually beautiful in himself.
Staffan Gnosspelius’ expressive
gouache illustrations positively exude
the melancholy within the text; when
Mr Fox is feeling uninteresting and grey,
he and the whole forest become grey.
Only at the end do we see his dazzling
red colour. Liking yourself means being
happy with your life – and vice versa.
In Floras kulle (Flora’s Hill) by the
skilled colourist Kristina Digman we
step straight into a little girl’s dream
garden, described through a beautiful
narrative in verse. Flora has the power
to bring about exactly what she wants,
and in her dreams she knows the names
of all the plant and animal species. In
11
Flora’s Hill the issue of the border land
between dreams and reality is raised in
an entertaining way. Can we influence
our dreams, or are they actually true?
The faces of Digman’s characters are
reminiscent of medieval icons, and her
peaceful watercolours convey happiness.
If Flora’s Hill is a pared-down and,
at least in terms of pictures, controlled dream of nature, then Var är min
syster (Where is My Sister?), winner of
the August Prize in 2007, is a story to
provoke the imagination, full of detail,
where furniture, musical instruments
and plants jostle with paradoxes, like for
example the goldfish floating around in
an aquarium at sea. In Where is My Sister? Sven Nordqvist has created a book
for all ages; the adult reader will find
a wealth of references to other picture
books and well-known works of art,
while children will enjoy the multitude
of big and small adventures in the hideand-seek game of the exciting frame-
work narrative. Where is My Sister? is an
adventure for every reader, with deeply
existential strands: everything can be
true and not true at the same time. Why,
or perhaps WHERE, is the little mouse
boy looking for his sister – and where
are their parents?
In this book Sven Nordqvist, well
known for his books about old man
Pettsson and Findus the cat and his
illustrations for the highly successful
Mamma Mu, invites the reader into
several worlds that can be discovered
over and over again. The narrative takes
place on many levels; it is possible to
read the text and illustrations separately
from one another.
next page: from the august prize winning “where is my sister”. © sven nordqvist/opal
12
Books for Older Children
left page: from the august prize winner
“the legens of sally jones”.
@ jacob wegelius/bonnier carlsen
story books can sometimes be
designed purely for reading aloud,
or for children to be able to read by
themselves. For that reason the authors
of these books have a difficult task
compared with their colleagues among
the creators of picture books or the
writers of books for young people. They
have to pay considerable attention to the
cognitive level of their readers, without
compromising the literary quality.
The majority of Swedish story
books are about children of the same
age as their intended readership, but
the winner of the August Prize in 2008,
Legenden om Sally Jones (The Legend of
Sally Jones), is an exception in that the
main character is a gorilla. This is the
fourth book by the artist Jakob Wegelius, and he combines the techniques of
the picture book and the comic strip in
an unusual way. The result is something
approaching a graphic novel, containing
both fantasy and realism. Despite the
fact that the action of the book takes
place far away from our western 21st
century in terms of both time and place,
it reflects a reality which is far more
believable than many contemporary
portrayals. The Legend of Sally Jones is a
loving and successful pastiche on the adventure stories of the early 20th century.
Every page is adorned with incredibly
precise ink drawings, classically tinted
with watercolours. Moral questions, not
least those concerning animal rights, are
hidden beneath the surface; it is difficult
to imagine anyone who has read The
Legend of Sally Jones visiting a zoo
without a second thought.
As usual in a legend we follow the
main character, the gorilla Sally Jones,
from birth through her incredible adventures to a happy ending. During the
course of her travels Sally Jones meets
many different people, and learns a great
deal about the many sides of humanity.
With a literary impact which few authors of children’s books would dare to
attempt, Åsa Lind, who also wrote the
internationally well-known book Sandvargen (The Sand Wolf), tells the story
of lonely but inventive Ellika. In Ellika
Thomsons första bok (Ellika Thomson’s
First Book) Ellika decides that instead
of doing her homework, which involves
writing about Christopher Columbus or
some other dead old guy, she is going to
discover things for herself. Armed with
a little black notebook, Ellika sets off to
make a note of everything that seems interesting. In chapters with headings such
as The art of reading a postcard, A living
animal in a cage, and Loud music coming
from the neighbours, we accompany
Ellika as she boldly rings the doorbell
of every apartment in her block. As the
doors open one by one, Ellika discovers that the people live very different
lives, and have immensely different
attitudes to everyday life. The action
of the book takes place within one day,
and it’s amazing how many discoveries
can be made within such a short time!
Åsa Lind writes with total respect for
the way children think, and comments
with irony on self-obsessed adults. An
old man whom Ellika meets, regarded
by the adult world as a bit of a shady
15
character, is actually the only person
who really takes the time to listen. And
writing turns out not to be particularly
difficult – you just have to decide what
you don’t want to write, and everything
goes like clockwork. All Ellika has to do
now is see what her teacher thinks about
the final result…
Like many children aged 9 – 10,
Bumblebee in Rose Lagercrantz’
Mysterium för utomjordingar (Mystery
for Extra-terrestrials) thinks writing
a diary is difficult. Bumblebee’s lovely
diary is completely empty, but perhaps
she can explain to the extra-terrestrials
– who emerge from a library book she
has borrowed – what people are, and
that they need oxygen in order to live,
for example? That would probably be a
good idea, because the extra-terrestrials
are threatening to take all the oxygen
away from the Earth. Through her notes
we get to know Bumblebee and her
thoughts. Her life was severely disrupted
when her mother left the family. Bumblebee, her father and her younger sister
who could
have given
Bumblebee
the beautiful
necklace and
above all,
who steals it
the very next
day?
“But before the weekend is over,
the girls have broken every single rule”
have sold their house and moved to
Stockholm, closer to her grandmother.
A great sorrow is weighing down on all
of them.
Mystery for Extra-terrestrials is a
detective story which poses existential
questions. One day a necklace made of
real pearls is lying inside Bumblebee’s
desk at school. The whole class, including the teacher, is astonished… who
could have given Bumblebee the beautiful necklace and above all, who steals it
the very next day?
As always Rose Lagercrantz writes
with great understanding about loss,
anger, and children’s relationships with
their peers and with adults.
Frida Nilsson’s latest book about
Hedvig, Hedvig och sommaren med
Steken (Hedvig’s Summer with Chubby),
is written with sparkling humour, but
here too a darker strand can be perceived beneath the cheerful narrative
tone as the concepts of friendship and
being an outsider are examined. For a
long time Hedvig has had to be content
with a donkey and a mangy cat as her
playmates, but at last she finds a new
friend in the chubby summer visitor
Steken. Together the children experience
a summer filled with wild adventures
and excitement. But not everything is
fun; Hedvig’s grandmother has a stroke
and goes all peculiar! Stina Wirsén’s
illustrations in black and white ink raise
the tempo.
A completely different kind of summer
holiday is experienced by the somewhat
older girls Cissi, Caro, Aureil, Meuish
and Amelie in Lin Hallberg’s Kärleksboken (The Romance Book), the latest
in her series about a troublesome class
in the lower school. The hardest girls
in the school have now turned twelve,
and regard themselves as almost grown
up. This last summer with the gang is
going to be something really special,
they hope, and they each write down
important rules on a separate piece of
paper during a weekend visit to Cissi’s
grandmother: No bad-mouthing each
other. Stick together whatever happens.
No taking each other’s boyfriends. Never
lie to each other. Never force anyone
to join in with stuff. But before the
weekend is over, the girls have broken
every single rule. The battle for handsome Aron results in a very unpleasant
evening on the beach.
The conflicts flare up as a result of
the girls’ widely differing backgrounds.
Aureil and Meuish have their roots in
other countries; Cissi, Caro and Amelie
live in comfortable, well-off homes.
Back in town after the summer holiday,
the quarrel spirals into intense, cruel
bullying by text message. The group
dynamic is described consistently and in
depth from the perspective of the different girls. Will things ever be right again?
Lin Hallberg is one of Sweden’s
most productive and popular writers of
story books. Her work includes several
popular books about horses, and she has
a keen awareness of how children and
young people think, talk and interact.
Sometimes the tone in The Romance
Book can be as hard as nails, while at the
16
next moment it switches to torrents of
childish expressions – exactly the way
twelve year-olds talk.
Anna-Charlotta Gunnarson takes a
new approach to the theme of love in
the eminently readable Gabriela Stjärna
och fienden (Gabriela Star and the
Enemy). Gabriela is full of ideas, proud,
aware, and the one who always shines
when it comes to fun-time in class. But
her self-confidence drops alarmingly
quickly when William joins the class.
William is also funny and smart. And
he wants to kiss Gabriela. Everything
might have been just perfect, if William
hadn’t usurped Gabriela’s place as the
star of the class quite so quickly. She
soon decides that William is her greatest
enemy. The conflict deepens when she
discovers that he is a shameless liar: one
minute he maintains that his mother is a
journalist, but the next minute it’s obvious that she’s a police officer. Gabriela
becomes more and more angry, and
can’t stop herself from spying on
William. What’s the real reason for his
lies? And how do these lies all hang
together? The answer comes as a big
surprise: William has two mothers who
are in love with each other!
a radio serial before being published as
a book. Elvira moves from Stockholm to
a small town with her family. She can’t
settle in her new class, and spends most
of her free time in her room. That’s the
only place where she can be herself. She
does jigsaw puzzles, does her homework
and writes up her diary. But very soon
Elvira feels that she is being watched.
Isn’t there somebody standing outside
the window, watching her? When family
possessions start to disappear, only to
turn up in a completely different place,
Elvira starts to get seriously worried.
And why does the lady in the apartment
up above maintain that Elvira is such a
dedicated pianist? She hasn’t played a
note since they moved in! At the same
time, there is a sense of excitement.
When she discovers one day that someone has written in her diary: “You’re
spoiled!”, Elvira shudders with a mixture
of delight and terror. Somebody really
is watching her! But who can it be? Lisa
Indahl captures perfectly Elvira’s shaky
belief in supernatural phenomena.
Towards the end of the book, it
emerges that the events which initially
appeared to be supernatural and ghostly
actually have a natural but frightening
explanation. The invisible visitor turns
out to be Zoe, a girl who used to live in
the apartment. Zoe was forced to run
away, after being told she would have to
leave Sweden along with her deeply depressed father. When Zoe makes contact
with Elvira, she begins to feel slightly
alive once again. The last twenty pages
of the book, tense and action-packed,
provide a clear contrast with the earlier
part of the narrative, and show that the
impossible can sometimes be possible.
Ann-Helén Laestadius has attracted
a considerable amount of attention
in Sweden with her debut novel SMS
från Soppero (Text Message From
Soppero). The book won the Nordiska
Museet children’s book competition
with the theme “Being a young Same
today”. When Agnes, a girl who lives
in Stockholm, loves playing basketball
and is mad about clothes, receives an
anonymous text message from her
cousin’s home village way up north in
Norrland, she is afraid at first, but soon
her curiosity takes over. Encouraged by
an exchange of texts with a nice boy,
Agnes begins to wonder about her own
cultural background, and starts to revive
her dormant knowledge of the Same
language. She plans on being able to say
more than just “hi” next time she visits
her relatives in Soppero. She just hopes
her mother can manage to stop being
ashamed of who she is! And Agnes does
Moving somewhere new is a common
theme in literature for children and
young people. Most characters feel
unhappy, uncertain and lonely, and wish
that everything could go back to the way
it was before. That’s just how Elvira feels
in Lisa Indahl’s debut novel Den osynliga (Invisible), which was broadcast as
17
indeed experience some truly wonderful days in Soppero. What seems exotic
at first soon becomes a part of Agnes’s
cultural identity.
Who the hell is the new girl in Martin’s
class? She must be soft in the head. On
her first day in school Lucia silences the
class by telling them that her mother is
dead. Some of them start to cry, but the
next minute she says: “Oh, I was only
joking.” This makes the pupils both
curious about Lucia, and angry with her.
It turns out she isn’t just a polished liar.
Who is Lucia really? Lucia’s background
turns out to be a living hell.
The swear word in the title has
tempted many to read the book, and it
definitely keeps its promise: Jävla Lucia
(Damn Lucia) Lucia is an unusual book
for children. Mårten Melin’s books
often take up themes that will engage
the reader: veganism, racism or love.
With his laid-back irony and stylistic
sharpness, in this case Melin offers a
book apparently devoid of respect,
where the Devil himself exists and is
alive and well right in the middle of an
otherwise completely “normal” community. Perhaps a little controversial in
the world of children’s books – or is it
precisely here that the major questions
in life can really catch fire?
Books for Teenagers
do books for young people have to
be about misery in order to be really
good? A quick run through books
published for young people in Sweden
in recent years seems to suggest that this
is the case. The best examples focus on
anxiety-inducing situations and throw
the reader into a burning immediacy.
But it ought to be possible to find great
narrative technique in everyday lives
that are not characterised by misery.
And of course there are feel-good
stories that really do engage the reader
and are deeply moving, but excellence
comes only when the writers turn their
attention to the unfortunate children
produced by the welfare state that is
Sweden. An examination of books
published during 2007 indicates a prevalence of Swedish books for children and
young people which focus on “smart
kids and lost adults”. This trend seems to
be in evidence in 2008 as well, although
the proportion of young people who are
also lost appears to be increasing.
In 2007 Mikael Engström published
Isdraken (Ice Dragon), a book which
was at least as powerful as its predecessors Dogge (Doug) and Satans tjuv
(Bloody Thief). The story of the son of a
hopelessly alcoholic father is, along with
Break Away, undoubtedly one of the best
books of its genre. Ice Dragon portrays
the unbearable reality of life for 11
year-old Mik. When Mik is sent to stay
with an aunt he does not know while he
waits for a placement in a foster home,
12
his existence changes completely. In the
little village in Norrland he meets not
only his eccentric aunt, but also children
of his own age. For the first time in
ages, perhaps ever, Mik experiences a
feeling of trust and a growing joy in
life. But it isn’t long before this new life
comes to an end. After a further terrible
period with his father, Mik is placed
in a foster home where he is subjected
to systematic violence. It is not easy to
read about Mik’s successes and setbacks,
but at the same time the reader can
take pleasure in the unusually beautiful language, right in the middle of the
social realism. The book has a colourful gallery of characters, balancing its
more serious aspects. The villagers who
initially appear to be somewhat odd and
reclusive turn out to possess a depth and
understanding which is much greater
than in those who are in fact responsible
for Mik. This is not a depressing read,
thanks to its subtle humour, and to the
fact that some people are there for Mik
when his father, the police, his foster
family and above all the representatives
of social services let him down.
It is not only fathers who fail in what are
perhaps the most important relationships in life. In the same year that Ice
Dragon had such an impact on the
reviewers, we made the acquaintance
of the main character in one of the
strongest debut novels of 2007, Bryta
om (Break Away) by Åsa Anderberg
Strollo. For anyone who thinks Sweden
19
is a country where no children suffer, meeting 16 year-old Minna will
come as a rude awakening. Minna
has been looking after her mentally ill
mother since her father left the family
when she was just five years old. After
a disastrous school career resulting
in very poor grades, Minna is able to
gain a place only at the least desirable
high school in one of Stockholm’s
more run-down suburbs. However,
her initial disappointment gradually
changes to the dawning hope of a new
beginning. When her mother is taken
into psychiatric care, Minna sees her
opportunity to concentrate fully on
her schoolwork. She has no money,
it’s true, but if she sells her bus pass
and takes food home from the school
canteen, she can probably manage. But
the fragile structure Minna has built up
collapses when her mother is sent home
from the hospital with no warning, in
a worse state than ever. Minna’s double
role, protecting and taking care of her
mother while at the same time trying to
keep well-meaning individuals at bay,
becomes untenable. It becomes more
and more difficult to hide what is going
on at home from those around her, and
her angst is channelled into hatred and
threats aimed at an apparently more
fortunate classmate. Breake Away is an
excellent source of support for anyone
who finds themselves in the midst of a
chaotic situation like Minna’s.
left page: from the cover of “ice dragon”.
photo: unknown/rabén & sjögren
Ulrika Lidbo makes a striking debut as
a novelist with this sensitive portrayal of
the mechanisms of self-destruction, and the
friendship of two young women
The parents in Decembergatans hungriga
andar (The Hungry Souls of December
Street) by Ulrika Lidbo are almost the
polar opposites of Mik’s and Minna’s
parents. In her pleasant middle-class
home in Skåne, Jenny is plagued by
other demons; she is frequently teased,
and regards herself as a failure. During
the summer between Year 7 and Year 8,
Jenny decides to become someone who
is noticed. And the only way to really
be seen is to become attractive, i.e. slim,
and to be able to wear tight jeans in size
zero. She decides to take her revenge on
the bullies, and on those who are already
perfect. Her parents neither act nor
react, paralysed by a lack of courage and
an inability to take action. Jenny is able
to devote herself to her “power walks”
and self-starvation with no interference
whatsoever. When her parents finally
confront Jenny with the problem, she
is too deep within her terrible situation
for them to reach her. Instead she meets
Betty, a girl who lives nearby and who
also speaks the secret language of those
with an eating disorder. Betty quickly
realises that Jenny is a novice in the art
of self-destruction and teaches her all
she can during meticulously planned
food binges and subsequent vomiting
sessions.
Together the girls live what they
themselves regard as meaningful and
glamorous lives. The isolation that is
normally so tangible in novels about
anorexia is lacking here. Jenny and Betty,
the beautiful, hungry souls of December
Street, regard themselves as mature,
worldly and attractive – and they work
hard on their shared image. In spite of,
or perhaps because of, their apparently
well-ordered home lives, the girls are
drawn more and more inexorably towards self-destruction. Jenny’s progress
does not even falter when something
very bad happens to Betty as a result of
her eating disorder – on the contrary,
she sinks deeper and deeper into anorexia. It is not until the clinic where
she is being treated is closed down that
she realises she must take responsibility
for her own life.
Ulrika Lidbo makes a striking debut
as a novelist with this sensitive portrayal
of the mechanisms of self-destruction,
20
and the friendship of two young
women. Everything happens in the
present tense at breakneck speed, and
the narrative tone is close to teenage vernacular. In the midst of all the anger and
deep despair, it is sometimes possible to
catch the tiniest glimpses of insight.
While the friendship between Jenny
and Betty has its roots in self-harming
behaviour, the friendship between
Agnes and Louise in Om du var jag (If
You Were Me) by Jessica Schiefauer
is based on an affirmation of life rather
than self-destruction. One of the girls is
somewhat older and more experienced,
the other younger and – at least in her
own eyes – less cool. Agnes and Louise
have finished school and are sharing a
small apartment in Gothenburg where
they party, dream, and live life. Agnes
feels that she is overshadowed by the
brilliance of Louise, and convinces herself that only the appreciative glances of
a boy can change her. And suddenly the
dream becomes a reality: “For almost
a whole month Hannes’ eyes make her
beautiful”. Agnes is completely absorbed
in this all-consuming love, and suddenly
Louise is no longer so important. But
what’s going on with Louise, and how
innocent is her job at the night club,
in fact? Can the friends rely on each
other at all? Schiefauer portrays their
friendship with psychological accuracy.
The book poses many questions, but
provides no right answers. If You Were
Me is an excellent debut, mature and
polished.
Girls, girls, girls – how do they actually
treat each other? And what is friendship?
Malin Isaksson’s second book, Rör vid
mig! (Touch Me!), examines the same
issues as in the case of Agnes and Louise.
Just as in her debut novel Brännhett
(Red Hot), Isaksson writes about girls
who are extroverts. This time we meet a
big gang who party, have sex and fight.
The main character, Ann, follows the
gang’s unwritten rules, but really yearns
for physical tenderness, and for life to
begin in earnest:
“There’s a hole in my heart, thinks Ann.
A sense of longing? Or something more!
A fear of everything that is going to happen. For the rest of my life!”
Adrenaline floods their bodies when
the girls abuse boys who have in some
way insulted or offended them, but
Ann moves more and more towards the
periphery. She falls in love, and it cuts
both Ann and the reader to the heart
when her new boyfriend turns out to be
one of the girls’ former victims. Just as
in Red Hot, parents are conspicuous by
their absence virtually throughout the
story.
Malin Isaksson writes without using
pointers, and allows the text to speak
for itself. The girls in this book test the
boundaries of what is permitted, both
in word and deed. In Touch Me! the text
relays events as they happen, creating a
dynamic impression.
The longing for something to happen
is tangible in Martin Jern’s debut as a
writer of fiction in Så värt (So Worth
It). It’s just a normal day, and as usual
skateboarder Aron is dreaming about
Nora, the prettiest girl in the school.
Meanwhile he spends most of his free
time at the ramps with his friends. Aron
is drawn into wild parties to which he is
invited despite the fact that to the reader
he comes over as a shy and slightly
cowardly boy. He exploits Klara, who
is experienced and enjoys a high status
among her peers, in order to get into the
gang and get closer to Nora. The narrative intensifies significantly when Nora
suddenly shows an interest in Aron.
Aron’s relationship with his parents
is somewhat shaky; his father has a
successful new family, while his mother,
with whom Aron lives, is constantly
dating men and trying to be Aron’s
friend rather than his mother. There is
no hidden agenda behind So worth it,
no urge “to make teenage boys who
have difficulty with reading want to
ej,
”Eh … om
www.
21
pick up a book”; this book is an honest portrayal which touches the reader
deeply.
Martin Jern’s main occupation is
writing scripts and directing films. His
work includes directing the successful
film Fjorton suger (Fourteen sucks). The
language of films also characterises this
book. Jern uses just the right amount of
slang and swear words, giving a natural
tone which is far more genuine than in
the average book for teenagers.
The tone is also direct in Gömmarna
(The Hiders). Cannie Möller is always
on the side of those who are somehow
excluded; everything she has written is
populated by rootless young people. This
sense of being an outsider is multi-faceted and is not limited to one particular
stratum of society. Her greatest loyalty
lies with those who are most obviously
outsiders, but middle class youngsters
also fare badly.
In The Hiders a group of damaged
young people who have run away meet
by a lake in a suburb of Stockholm. Joel,
who has mental health problems, has left
his well-meaning parents and the school
bullies behind him. Soon the destructive Jessi also arrives at the lake; she
perhaps it is one of the characters in
this collection, a sharp observer,
who is the narrator
has run away from a treatment centre.
Jessi begins to trust Joel, who in turn is
drawn to her loneliness. Their burgeoning romance is disturbed when a third
person, Derek, arrives. He is younger
than the others, and has run away from
a refugee camp because his family is to
be deported from Sweden. He turns to
the apparently secure Joel. A big forest
fire means that the trio become separated, ending up hurt and confused. Joel
finds Jessi, who is dying, and takes her
to a cabin. There they exist in a world
of their own, and Joel thinks things
will always be this way. But when Jessi
starts to feel better something terrible
happens, because Joel does not know
his own strength. The depiction of Joel’s
transformation from initially being
slightly “odd” to a gradual descent into
madness is achieved through linguistically skilful shifts.
becomes strained, despite the fact that
the content is often stressful. The reader
can be misled into thinking that each
character is telling his or her own story.
But the almost uniform tone – all the
stories are written in the same reflective
style – suggests a different interpretation: perhaps it is one of the characters
in this collection, a sharp observer, who
is the narrator.
Few authors write about death from
natural causes, which most often
happens in Sweden when a person is
over 80. Ingrid Olsson’s fourth book
Ett litet hål i mörkret (A Little Hole in
the Darkness) is a wonderful story of
how grief can completely wear a person
down, while at the same time life goes
on as normal for everyone else. His
In her debut novel Dansar Elias? Nej!
(Does Elias Dance? No!), Katarina
Kieri, who was awarded the August
Prize in 2004, concentrated on the main
character. In Majas morsas kompis sambo
(Maja’s Mum’s Mate’s Partner), Kieri
allows the various central characters to
move in and out of each other’s stories,
while at the same time each of the
twelve characters has their own story.
In order to get the most out of the book
and to understand the actions of the
main characters, it is perhaps best to
read this collection of short stories like a
novel, from beginning to end.
The language is characterised by a
reflective calm; Maja’s Mum’s Mate’s
Partner is a pared-down book which
should really be read slowly if it is to
be fully appreciated. The tone never
grandmother’s sudden illness comes as
a shock to Calle, his loving mother and
little brother: “We go into Grandmother’s room. But she isn’t there. In her
bed is an old lady who looks as if she’s a
hundred years old. ‘I look terrible,’ says
the old lady, running her hand through
her hair. ‘You look lovely,’ says Mum,
and goes over to her. Gives her a hug.”
In the very first scene the grandmother
is introduced as an important person in
the life of the family, and particularly in
Calle’s life.
A Little Hole in the Darkness is
made up of short images of individual
moments, expressed in a discreet and
poetic prose. The slow tempo of the text
constantly follows Calle’s perspective,
sometimes registering what is happening, sometimes reflecting. A Little Hole
in the Darkness is characterised by a suffocating feeling of sorrow. The few times
when Calle goes to school, her photography teacher can be glimpsed on the
periphery. However, most of the time is
spent at the hospital, and the course of
events is rapid. Calle keeps a vigil while
her mother works and her little brother
goes to school. Despite the pounding
grief, the end comes as a relief. Ingrid
Olsson has matured as an author; the
sprawling nature of her earlier books
has been replaced here by an intimate,
sensitive and extremely sad narrative.
from the cover of “the hiders”. illustration: simon stålenhag
22
23
Prizes/awards:
Nominated for The August Prize 2007.
Publisher: Eriksson & Lindgren
Agent: Norstedts Agency
Minmsan och mormorn, 2001
Felicias storverk, 2002
(text Anders Gustafson)
Mera glass i däcken, 2003
(text Mårten Melin)
Hämta Joel, 2004
Susanne och den lilla grisen, 2004
(text Mårten Melin)
Femtikronorskrämen, 2006
(text Mårten Melin)
Tove Va-va (text Tove Kullberg), 2007
Vi hittar Smulbert, 2009
Publisher: Opal
Agent: Catrine Christell Grimlund, Opal
Spela högre, Martin, 1990
Play Up, Martin
Håll stilen, Martin, 1992
Keep It Going, Martin
Nu är det klippt, Martin, 1993
Now You´ve Had It, Martin
Berättelsen om bäverns bollklubb
The Story of the Beaver Ball Club
Hoppet, 1996
The Jump
Fallet Mary-Lou, 1997
Summers with Mary-Lou,
Rights sold: Great Britain/Andersen,
Germany/Oetinegr, The Faeroe Islands/
Nylendi, Lithuania/Gimtasis
Spelar död, 1999
Playing dead
Rights sold: France/Thierry Magnier,
Germany/Luciamedia Verlag
Med Marias ögon, 2003
Through Maria´s eyes
Näktergalens sång, 2005
Song of the Nightingale
Rights sold: France/Thierry Magnier
Picture books:
Abborrens ränder, 2005
The Perch´s Stripes
Blåbärspatrullen söker en skatt, 2006
Blueberry Patrol on a Treasure Hunt
Rights sold: Finland/Mäkelä, Denmark/
Klematis
Blåbärspatrullen och fårmysteriet, 2007
Blueberry Patrol and the Farm Mystery
Rights sold: Finland/Mäkelä, Denmark/
Klematis
24
Gå och bada, Mister Räf, 2007
Go for a Swim, Mr Fox!
Rights sold: France/Oskar Editions
Blåbärspatrullen och den mystiska mostern, 2008
Rights sold: Finland/Mäkelä, Denmark/
Klematis
En blommas liv, 2008
Simma lugnt, mörten Maud, 2009
En natt på jorden (StefanCasta/Anna
Bengtsson), 2009
One Night on Earth
Prizes/awards:
Malmö FF´s Culture Prize 1996 for
Berättelsen om Bäverns Bollklubb
The August Prize 1999 for Spelar död
Nils Holgersson Medal 2000 for Spelar död
Die Silberne Feder (Kinder- und Jugendbuch preis des Deutschen Ärztinnenbundes) 2001 for Fallet Mary-Lou
Astrid Lindgren Prize 2002
Nominated for The August Prize 2005 for Näktergalens sång
Nominated for Nordiska barnbokspriset 2006
Ilona Kohrtz Scholarship for 2006/2007
Photo: Erik Amkoff
Publisher: Alfabeta
Agent: AnnaKajsa Danielsson, Alfabeta
Bryta om, 2007
Break Away
Rights sold: Finland/Karisto
Stefan Casta
Stefan Casta previously worked as a journalist.
He writes fiction for children and young adults
as well as books about animals and nature for
the younger age group.
Photo: Rabén & Sjögren
Åsa Anderberg Strollo
Åsa Anderberg Strollo works as a script writer
for television. Break Away is her first novel which was a real break through for the author.
Photo: Bo Axelsson
Publisher: Alfabeta
Agent: AnnaKajsa Danielsson, Alfabeta
Jag var superhjälte, säger vi! 2008
Let’s Play! I’ll Be Super Hero
De allra ovanligaste barnen i världen, 2008 (text Inger Edelfeldt)
The World’s Most Extraordinary Children
Fylla år (autumn 2009)
Happy Birthday
Photo: Alfabeta
Photo: Emma Adbåge
Emma Adbåge
Emma Adbåge is an illustrator and a cartoonist who creates images full of humour and lots
of details. She has illustrated many children’s
books written by herself as well as other
authors.
Kristina Digman
Kristina Digman made her debut in 2001 as
an illustrator of children’s books and has since
then created pictures for many works for different authors. She also illustrates her own works.
Sari Eliasson
Sari Eliasson is a writer and beyond that
also a radio and TV producer making both
documentaries and fictional programmes for
children.
Publisher: Rabén & Sjögren
Agent: Eva Fagerstedt, Plus Licens
Grodprinsen, 2006
Smultrondagar, 2006
Strawberry Days
Floras kulle, 2008
Flora´s Hill
Rights sold: Denmark, Finland, Japan, Russia
Floras blommor, 2009
Floras’s flowers
Publisher: Alfabeta
Agent: AnnaKajsa Danielsson, Alfabeta
Kraxorkestern, 2007
The Crow Orchestra
Tönten, 2002 (illustrated by Ann Forslind)
The Geek
Selection of illustrations for other authors:
Åsa Lind:
Sandvargen, 2003
Prinsessornas prinsessbok, 2004
The Book of Princesses
Sanna Töringe:
Jag vill, jag vill, jag vill, 2003
Want to, Want to, Want to…
Rights sold: Korea
Lilly vill ha äventyr, 2007
Lilly Wants an Adventure
Görel Kristina Näslund:
Lilla äppelboken, 2005
A Little Book of Apples
Rights sold: Denmark, Belgium, Korea,
USA, Japan
Lilla vinterboken, 2005
The Little Book of Winter
Rights sold: Japan
Astrid Lindgren
Peter och Petra, 2007
Peter and Petra
Right sold: Denmark/Gyldendal, Japan/
Iwanami, Norway/Damm, Finland /WSOY, the Netherlands/Ploegsma, Estonia/Sinisukk
Prizes/awards:
The Elsa Beskow Plaque 2005
25
Prizes/awards:
The Elsa Beskow Plaque 1990
Nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Prize 1999
The Adamson Plaque 1987
Wettergrens Barnbokollon 1988
26
Prizes/awards:
Nominated for Spårhunden 2007 for
Mysteriet Grünenvelder
Publisher: Natur och Kultur
Agent: Johanna Ringertz, Natur och Kultur
Kyssar, 2004
Kisses
När prinsessor fyller år, 2006
When a Princess Celebrates her Birthday
Så gör prinsessor, 2006
That’s what a Princess Does
Galen i pengar, 2007
Mad about Money
Kaninkostymen, 2008
The Rabbit Costume
När prinsessor tar semester, 2008
When Princesses Go on Vacation
Lin Hallberg
Lin Hallberg is a full-time writer. As a young
girl she got a horse of her own which later
inspired her writing.
Publisher: Rabén & Sjögren
Agent: Norstedts Agency
Kompisboken, 2002
The Friendship Book
Rights sold: Denmark
Bästisboken, 2004
Book of Best Friends
Rights sold: Denmark
Hunden med den blå tungan, 2005
The Dog with the Blue Tongue
Isgalopp, 2005
Ice Gallop
Rights sold: Denmark/Carlsen
Svikarboken, 2006
Let Down
Rights sold: Denmark
Ponnysommar, 2006
Pony Summer
Rights sold: Denmark/Carlsen
Teddy till salu! 2007
Teddy for Sale!
Rights sold: Denmark/Høst & Søn
April april, Sigge, 2007
(ill. by Margareta Nordqvist, Bonnier Carlsen)
April fool, Sigge
Cirkus i skolan, 2007
Circus at School
Rights sold: Denmark/Høst & Søn
Kärleksboken, 2008
The Romance Book
Rights sold: Denmark/Høst & Søn
Samuels cirkuslåda, 2008
Samuel’s Circus Box
Teddy i huset, 2008
Teddy in the House
Rights sold: Denmark/Høst & Søn
Prizes/awards:
Book Jury Prize 2007 (for April, April Sigge)
27
Photo: Christian Saltas
Selection of illustrations for other authors:
Håkan Jaensson:
Nusse-kuddens sista strid, 1994
Jag såg, jag ser, 1997
Hur blir det då? 1998
Rita ensam hemma, 2001
Gun-Britt Sundström:
Det underbara dagishemmet, 1987
Ture går till tandläkaren, 1989
Pojken med stålmansdräkten, 1993
Kristin Dahl:
Kvadrater, hieroglyfer och smarta kort, 1999
Arne Norlin:
Mittinattenmysteriet, 2000
God Jul, 2002
Midsommarnattsmysteriet, 2003
Per Nilsson:
Hälften har pinne, 2004
Katarina Mazetti:
Här kommer tjocka släkten, 2004
Publisher: Rabén & Sjögren
Agent: Norstedts Agency
Mysteriet Grünenvelder, 2007
The Mystery of the Grünenvelders
Guld som glimmar, 2006
Gold That Glitters
Samma gamla visa, 2005
The Same Old Song
Gabriela stjärna och fienden, 2008
Gabriela Stjärna and the Enemy
Per Gustavsson
Per Gustavsson is an illustrator and a writer,
famous for his books on energetic princesses.
Photo: Helena Blomqvist
Publisher: Alfabeta
Agent: AnnaKajsa Danielsson, Alfabeta
Tandem, 1985
Syrma och Tocke Broms, 2007
Aunt Syrma and Tubby Mr Broms
Dino och lilla Kurren, 2006
Tutu och tant Kotla, 2006
Anna-Charlotta Gunnarson
Anna-Charlotta Gunnarson is a writer and a
radio journalist making programmes for young
listeners.
Photo: Monika Franzon
Prizes/awards:
Nominated for The August Prize 2001 for Dogge.
Nominated for the Jugendliteraturpreis 2004 for Dogge.
Winner of the Dutch price the Silver Kiss
2005 for Dogge.
Gunna Grähs
Gunna Grähs experiments with style and
technique creating original images working
in gouache. Her innovative picture books are
essentially about kindness, companionship
and unexpected friendship. Apart from writing
herself, she has illustrated many books written by other authors.
Photo: Cato Lein
Publisher: Rabén & Sjögren
Agent: Norstedts Agency
Kaspar, Atom-Ragnar och gäddkungen, 1997
Kaspar, Atom-Ragnar and the Pike King
Rights sold: Denmark/Forum
Kaspar, Atom-Ragnar och Snömannen, 1998 Kaspar, Atom-Ragnar and the Snowman
Rights sold: Denmark/Forum
Kaspar, Atom-Ragnar och Mordbrännaren, 1999 Kaspar, Atom-Ragnar and the Arsonist
Kaspar och Snömannen, 2001 Kaspar and the Abominable Snowman
Dogge, 2001
Doug
Rights sold: Germany, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Hungary, Norway
Kaspar och båtsnurran, 2003
Kaspar and the Outboard Motor
Satans tjuv, 2003
Bloody Thief
Rights sold: Germany, the Netherlands
Isdraken, 2007
Ice Dragon
Rights sold: the Netherlands/Van Goor,
Germany/Carl Hanser, Norway/Cappelen
Damm, Switzerland/La Joie de Lire
Photo: Ulla Montan
Photo: Cato Lein
Mikael Engström
Mikael Engström is a freelance journalist and
photographer besides writing books. His book
Kaspar, Atom-Ragnar och gäddkungen was
transformed to a television series.
Lise Indahl
When she was ten Lise Indahl knew she was
going to be a writer. Invisible is the kind of
book she would have loved to read as a teenager.
Publisher: Rabén & Sjögren
Agent: Norstedts Agency
Den osynliga, 2008
Invisible
Rights sold: Denmark/Klematis, Norway/
Mangschou
Prizes/awards:
Luleå Kommuns Culture Prize 1993
Norrbottens Läns Landstings Scholarship Rubus Arcticus 1999
The Arnold Rörling Award 2000
Rabén & Sjögren Best First Novel Award 2002 for Ingen grekisk gud, precis
Nominated for The August Prize 2002 for Ingen grekisk gud, precis
Nominated for the IBBY Honour List 2004
The Hans Peterson Award Foundation 2004
Vi Magazine Literary Award 2004
The August Prize 2004 for Dansar Elias? Nej!
Lunde Q Prize 2006
Scholarship from the Swedish Academy 2006
Norrtälje kommuns Culture Prize 2007
28
Publisher: Podium
Agent: Jenny Lindblad, Podium
SMS från Soppero, 2007
Text Message from Soppero
Prizes/awards:
Studieförbundet Vuxenskolans Authors Prize 2008
Rubus Arcticus Scholarship 2008
Rose Lagercrantz
Rose Lagercrantz writes novels for children
and adults. Her first novel was published in
1973. She has published over 50 books for
children and young people, many translated
into German, Japanese, Italian and other
languages.
Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen
Agent: Bonnier Group Agency
Flickan som inte ville kyssas, 1995
The Girl who didn’t Like Kissing
Ålderstrappan, 1998
Nannas låda, 2003
Nanna och doktor Snäll, 2004
Sigridsagor, 2004
Mysterium för utomjordingar, 2007 Mystery for Extra-terrestrials
Mysteriet med den försvunna Mathilda, 2008
Mystery of Missing Mathilda
Prizes/awards:
The August Prize 1995 for Flickan som inte ville kyssas
The Astrid Lindgren Prize 1979
Heffaklumpen 1989
The Nils Holgersson Plaque 1980
29
Photo: Ulla Montan
Present Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen
Agent: Bonnier Group Agency
Brännhett, 2007
Red Hot
Rör vid mig! 2008
Touch Me!
Publisher: Rabén & Sjögren
Agent: Norstedts Agency
Ingen grekisk gud, precis, 2002
Not a Greek God, Exactly
Rights sold: Germany/Oetinger, Norway/
Damm, Denmark/Carlsen, Finland/Tammi, Italy/Feltrinelli, Slovenia/MIS Publishing
Födelsedagsmamman, 2003
The Birthday Mum
Dansar Elias? Nej! 2004
Does Elias Dance? No!
Rights sold: Denmark/Carlsen, Norway/
Damm
Vem vågar sommaren? 2006
Summer Courage
Majas morsas kompis sambo, 2007
Maja´s Mum´s Mate´s Partner
Rights sold: the Netherlands/Van Goor
Klart som korvspad, Astrakan, 2008
As Clear As Can Be, Astrakan
Ann-Helén Laestadius
Born in the north of Sweden Ann-Helén
Laestadius now is a journalist in Stockholm.
SMS från Soppero about her sami background is her first novel.
Photo: Cato Lein
Publisher: X Publishing
Agent: info@xpublishing.se
Så värt, 2007
So Worth It
Katarina Kieri
Katarina Kieri grew up in the north of Sweden.
She writes books for young people, novels,
short stories and poetry.
Photo: Mikael Hägg
Martin Jern
Martin Jern is a writer and a film director. So
Worth it is his first novel for young readers.
Photo: Leif Hansen
Previous Publishers: Norstedts
Tiden skulle komma att röra vid mig, 1995
Jag viskar: Högklintero, 1997
Photo: Emil Larsson
Photo: Stefan Tell
Malin Isaksson
Malin Isaksson has since her debut been
dedicated to literature, both as a writer and as
a teacher.
Ulrika Lidbo
Ulrika Lidbo has worked as a copywriter in
advertising and is a journalist. Decembergatans hungriga andar is her first book, sold to
Denmark before published in Sweden!
Publisher: Alfabeta
Agent: AnnaKajsa Danielsson
Decembergatans hungriga andar, 2009
The Hungry Souls of December Street
Rights sold: Denmark/Thorup
30
Prizes/awards:
Astrid Lindgren Prize 2008
“Din bok – vårt val” 1991 for Else-Marie och småpapporna
Heffaklumpen 1991 for Else-Marie och
småpapporna
Nominated for The August Prize 1993 for Över bäcken
Nominated for The August Prize 1996 for Britten och prins Benny
The August Prize 2000 for Gittan och
gråvargarna
Illustrator of the Year 1993
New York Times Diploma for Boken om Bodil
Stockholms Honour Award 2005
Picture Books Cover of the Year 2005 for När Åkes mamma glömde bort
Bokhandelns val 2005 for När Åkes mamma glömde bort
Eva Lindström
Eva Lindström has illustrated several books
written by others and illustrated her own
works. Furthermore she has created three
animated short-length films.
Maud Mangold
Maud Mangold has written a thesis in
psychology before she started to write books.
She has written children’s books and picture
books
Previous publisher: Natur och Kultur
Solisten: Om divor, underbarn och musikmagiker, 2001 (text Eva Clementi)
Previous Publishers:
Rabén & Sjögren
Glaspärleresan, 1999
A Glass-beaded Journey
Mahognyögat, 2000
Mahogany Eye
Kopparnyckeln, 2001
The Coppery Key
Kristallbalongen, 2002
Crystal Baloon
Dödgrävarens gåva, 2006
The Gravedigger’s Gift
Spåkvinnans lärling, 2007
The Fortuneteller’s Apprentice
Smugglarens hemlighet, 2007
The Smuggler’s Secret
Egmont Kids:
Klarhetens låga, 2005
The Flame of Clarity
Nattens drottning, 2006
Queen of the Night
Present publisher: Alfabeta
Agent: AnnaKajsa Danielsson, Alfabeta
Hit med våra mössor! (autumn 2009)
Give us back our hats!
I skogen, 2008
In the Woods
Sonja, Boris och tjuven, 2007
Jag rymmer, 2006
Mats och Roj: berättelser om allt möjligt, 2005
Vilma och Mona spanar och smyger, 2004
Vid bergets långa breda fot, 2003
Någon flyttar in, 2002
Min vän Lage, 2001
Jag och Stig gräver en grop, 2000
En fågeldag, 2000
Jag gillar Stig, 1998
Limpan är sugen, 1997
Lurix, 1996, (En bok för alla 2006)
Ulla spelar munspel, 1995
Gunnar i granskogen, 1994 (text B. Lindström)
Till höger om månen, 1993 (text B. Lindström)
Haydns gräddbakelser: Tio musikberättelser för barn (together with Eva Welander)
Hasse och Rune på semester, 1992
Först är det vinter, 1990
Kattmössan, 1988
Present Publisher: Kabusa Books
Agent: Nordic Literary Agency
Trutsommar, 2008
The Sea Gull Summer
Pärlor till pappa, 2008
Pearls for my Dad
Prizes/awards:
The Elsa Beskow Plaque 1995
Heffaklumpen 2002 for Någon flyttar in
En Bok För Allas Literary Humour Award 2003 for Vid bergets långa breda fot
Nominated for The August Literary Prize six times
31
Photo: Susanne Adolfsson
Publisher: Rabén & Sjögren
Agent: Norstedts Agency
Gittan och gråvargarna, 2000 Bridget and the Grey Wolves
Translation right sold: Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Korea, the US, UK, Turkey. Published in USA and UK by R&S Books
Halli, hallå! – 49 recept på roliga lekar, 2000
You’re it! 49 Suggestions for Good Games
Rights sold: Denmark, Finland
Gittan och fårskallarna, 2001
Bridget and the Numbskulls
Translation rights sold: Norway, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey. Published in USA and UK by
R&S Books
Gittan och älgbrorsorna, 2003
Bridget and the Elk Brothers
Rights sold: Norway, Finland, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey. Published in USA and UK by R&S Books
Mirabell, 2003
Mirabelle
Rights sold: Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, the Faeroe
Islands, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Italy.
Published in USA and UK by R&S Books
När Åkes mamma glömde bort, 2005
When Owen’s Mom Breathed Fire
Translation rights sold: Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, the Faeroe Islands. Published in USA and UK by R&S Books
Lill-Zlatan och morbror raring, 2006
Little-Zlatan and Uncle Darling
Translation rights sold: Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Spain (Spanish and Catalan)
Kenta och barbisarna, 2007
Kennie and Dolly
Rights sold: Denmark/Klematis, Norway/
Cappelen Damm, Finland/WSOY, the
Faeroe Islands/Føroya Publishing,
Germany/Beltz & Gelberg
Photo: Stephan Mangold
Pija Lindenbaum
Pija Lindenbaum has worked as an illustrator
after finishing art school. She has created a
long series of successful picture books.
Photo: Alfabeta
Publisher: Rabén & Sjögren
Agent: Norstedts Agency
Klippa, sten och sand, 2001
Rock, Stone and Sand
Rights sold: the Netherlands, Denmark, Turkey
Sandvargen, 2002
The Sand Wolf
Rights sold: Germany, Belgium, Turkey (both Turkish and Kurdish), Denmark,
Norway, Japan, Korea, Serbia, Italy
Mera sandvargen, 2003
More of the Sand Wolf
Rights sold: Germany, Turkey, Norway,
Denmark, Japan, Korea
Sandvargen och hela härligheten, 2004
The Sand Wolf and the Whole Show
Prinsessornas prinsessbok, 2004
The Book of Princesses
Abrakadabra – Trick och magi, 2005
Abracadabra – Trick and Magic
Rights sold: Denmark
Ellika Tomsons första bok, 2008
Ellika Tomson´s First Book
Rights sold: Germany/Beltz & Gelberg
Photo: Peter Jönsson
Photo: Rabén & Sjögren
Åsa Lind
Åsa Lind grew up in the north of Sweden and
worked as a journalist for many years. She is
now a full–time writer and lives in the archipelago between Sweden and Finland.
Mårten Melin
Mårten Melin has mostly written for children
and young people, including poems, but also
some books for adults.
Previous publisher: Hegas Publishing
Varm tass i mörkret, 2007
Ett värmeljus i din skalle, 2008
Present publisher: Eriksson & Lindgren
Agent: Norstedts Agency
Mera glass i däcken, 2003
Susanne och den lilla grisen, 2004
Svarta kängor med gul söm, 2006
Jävla Lucia, 2007
Damn Lucia
Rights sold: Denmark/Thorup
Amor anfaller! 2008
Amor Attacks!
Rights sold: Denmark/Thorup
Prizes/awards:
Malmö City´s Culture Scholarship 2003
Region Skånes Culture Scholarship 2005
Hans Peterson Scholarship 2008
Present publisher: Bonnier Carlsen
Agent: Bonnier Group Agency
Oktober, 2009
Gömmarna, 2008
Med himlen som tak, 2006
Kriget om källan; På andra sidan floden, 2005
Skulden, 2004
The Debt
Jag är Janis, 2004
I Am Janis
Rights sold: Denmark/Carlsen,
Russia/Livebook/Gayatri
Grattis, ha ett bra liv, 2002 (illustrated by Lotta Sjöberg)
Tagg i hjärtat, 2000
Balladen om Sandra Ess, 1999
Finnkampen – av nöd och lust: två berättelser, 1998
Felicias resa, 1998
Felicias ö, 1996
Lucia, 1994 (En bok för alla, 1996)
Prizes/awards:
Nils Holgersson Plaque 2007
Nominated for The August Prize 1999 for Balladen om Sandra Ess
32
Frida Nilsson
Frida Nilsson worked in theatre and drama
after upper secondary school and has been
writing children’s programmes for Swedish
Radio for the past four years.
Publisher: Natur och Kultur
Agent: Johanna Ringertz, Natur och Kultur
Books illustrated by Stina Wirsén:
Hedvig! 2005
Hedvig!
Rights sold: Norway/Cappelen Damm
Hedvig och Max-Olov, 2006
Hedvig and Max-Olov
Rights sold: Norway/Cappelen Damm
Hedvig och sommaren med Steken, 2007
Hedvig´s Summer With Chubby
Rights sold: Norway/Cappelen Damm
Jag, Dante och miljonerna, 2008
Me, Dante and the Millions
Books illustrated by Per Dybvig:
Kråkans otroliga liftarsemester, 2004
Crows Hitchhiking Adventures
Rights sold: Denmark/Carlsen
Apstjärnan, 2005
Me and Gorilla
Prizes/awards:
The BMF Plaket 2004 for Kråkans otroliga liftarsemester
Nominated for The August Prize 2006 for Hedvig och Max-Olov
Photo: Opal
Previous publishers:
Opsis Kalopsis
Drömmar blir böcker, 2001 (together with Birgitta Fransson)
Rabén & Sjögren:
Billys lavv-ståry, 1993 (illustrated by Joan Sandin)
Rights sold: Denmark/Sesam, Germany/
Ueberreuter
Liv och lusten, 1993
Liv and Love
Tiga är guld, 1991
Silence is Golden
Rights sold: Denmark/Sesam, Norway/
Damm
Billy och den rubinröda jackan, 1989
(illustrated by Joan Sandin)
Rights sold: Denmark/Sesam, Norway/
Damm, Germany/Ueberreuter
Liv och döden, 1989
Liv and Death
Månbadarna, 1987
Levande livet, 1986 (together with Irene Heine)
Live Alive
Rights sold: Norway/Damm
Stortjuvens pojke: En rövarhistoria från
Lasse-Majas dagar, 1985
The Master Thief’s Son
Krigen om källan, 1983
Rights sold: Denmark/Sesam, the Faeroe Islands/Føroya Lærarafelags
Wiken:
Djungelrummet, 1991
Sjöstrand:
I skuggan av berget: En sorts thriller om att
bli vuxen, 1989
Photo: Mia Carlsson
Photo: Peter Kjellerås
Cannie Möller
Cannie Möller has written many books for
young adults and has received a lot of attention from critics and readers. She writes about
friendship, loyalty and the responsibility of the
individual.
Sven Nordqvist
Sven Nordqvist worked as an architect before
publishing his first book in 1983. His illustrations and stories are known by most children
and young people in Sweden and the books
have also been films and television series.
Publisher: Opal
Agent: Catrine Christell Grimlund, Opal
Pannkakstårtan, 1984
Pancake Pie
Rights sold: Bulgaria, Denmark, USA,
Estonia, Finland, France, The Faeroe Islands, Greece, the Netherlands, Island, Israel, Italy,
Japan, China, Korea, Lithuania, New
Zeeland, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia,
Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Germany, England, Hungary, Ukrania, Vietnam
Minus och stora världen, 1985
Rights sold: Denmark, Canada, USA,
Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Germany, Hungary
Julgröten, 1986
Rävjakten, 1986
The Foxhunt
Rights sold: Bulgaria, Denmark, Canada, USA, Estonia, Finland, France, the Faeroe
Islands, Greece, the Netherlands, Island,
Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Spain,
Thailand, Germany, Ukraine
Stackars Pettson, 1987
Wishing to Go Fishing
Rights sold: Denmark, USA, Estonia,
Finland, France, the Faeroe Islands, Greece, The Netherlands, Island, Italy, Japan, China, Korea, Lithuania, Norway, Norway, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Germany, Hungary
Pettson får julbesök, 1988
Rights sold: Denmark, Denmark, USA,
Estonia, Finland, France, the Faeroe I
slands, the Netherlands, Island, Japan, China, Korea, Norway, Poland, Russia,
Germany, Hungary
Nasse hittar en stol, 1988
Rights sold: Denmark, USA, Finland, The Faeroe Islands, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany
Kackel i grönsakslandet, 1990
A Rumpus in the Garden
Rights sold: Denmark, USA, Finland, the
Faeroe Islands, Greece, the Netherlands,
China, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia,
Serbia, Germany, Hungary, Ukraine
Nasses taxi, 1991
Rights sold: Denmark, USA, Finland, The Faeroe Islands, Norway, Germany
Pettson tältar, 1992
Pettson Goes Camping
Rights sold: Bulgaria, Denmark, USA, Finland, the Faeroe Islands, Greece, the
Netherlands, Japan, China, Korea, Norway,
Poland, Russia, Russia, Serbia, Spain,
Germany,, Hungary, Vietnam, Ukraine
Tomtemaskinen, 1994
Rights sold: Denmark, Denmark, Finland,
The Netherlands, Norway, Germany,
Germany, Hungary
Tuppens minut, 1996
Rights sold: Denmark, Denmark, Finland, the Faeroe Islands, the Netherlands,
China-Taiwan, Norway, Poland, Russia,
Russia, Germany, Hungary
När Findus var liten och försvann, 2001
When Findus was Little and Dissappeard
Rights sold: Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, the Faeroe Islands, the
Netherlands, Island, China, Korea, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Slovenia, Thailand,
Germany, England, Hungary, Hungary
Var är min syster? 2007
Where is My Sister?
Rights sold: Germany, Denmark, Norway, Finland, the Faeroe Islands, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Arabic, Kurdish
33
Prizes/awards:
The August Prize 2007 for Var är min syster?
Nominated for The August Prize 1998 for Den långa resan (together with Mats Wahl, Opal, 1998)
Publisher: Tiden
Agent: Norstedts Agency
Medan mamma sover, 2003
While Mom is Asleep
Stenhjärtat, 2005
Stoneheart
Betong fjäril betong, 2006
Concrete Butterfly Concrete
Långt ifrån cool, 2008
Far from Cool
Ett litet hål i mörkret, 2008
A Little Hole in the Darkness
Rights sold: Switzerland/Editions La Joie
de Lire
Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen
Agent: Bonnier Group Agency
Om du var jag, 2009
If You Were Me
Prizes/awards:
Hans Peterson Award 2007
Nominated for The August Prize 2008
Jacob Wegelius
Jacob Wegelius is writer and illustrator, illustrating his own books.
Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen
Agent: Bonnier Group Agency
Spionerna i Oreborg, 1994
The Spies in Oreborg
Rights sold: Denmark/Carlsen, Norway/
Bonnier Carlsen, Germany/Patmos
Herr Balders hemlighet, 1995
Mr Balder´s Secret
Rights sold: Denmark/Carlsen, Norway/
Bonnier Carlsen, Iceland/Skjaldborg
Esperanza, 1999
Esperanza
Rights sold: Germany/Patmos, Japan/
Asunaro-Shobo/Tuttle Mori, Taiwan/Jia-xi
Books Co, Spain/Siruela, Norway/
Mangschou, Korea/Darim
Legenden om Sally Jones, 2008
The Legend of Sally Jones
Rights sold: Germany/Gerstenberg,
Norway/Cappelen Damm
Prizes/awards:
Heffaklumpen 1999 for Esperanza
Maria Gripe Award 2008
The August Prize 2008 for Legenden om Sally Jones
34
Photo: Paul Quant
Jessica Schiefauer
In the beginning of 2009, Jessica Schiefauer
published her first novel. She is also one of
three persons who started and are working
with the literature magazine Fantasin.
Photo: Bonnier Carlsen
Photo: Stefan Tell
Photo: Cato Lein
Ingrid Olsson
Born 1977, to be a writer was never a dream
for Ingrid Olsson, and she was surprised when
the word started coming to her. Her first novel
was published 2003.
Stina Wirsén
As an illustrator Stina Wirsén prefers to work
closely with writers. She is also illustrator in
one of the biggest Swedish newspapers
Dagens Nyheter.
Publisher: Bonnier Carlsen
Agent: Bonnier Group Agency
Små flickor och stora, 2004 (Text Carin
Wirsén)
Little Girls and Bigger Ones
Rights sold: Taiwan/3 & 3
Vems byxor? 2005
Whose Trousers?
Rights sold: Norway/Gyldendal, China/
NP Publisher
Vem är arg? 2005
Who´s Angry?
Rights sold: Norway/Gyldendal, China/NP
Publisher, Finland/Schildts
Leka tre, 2005 (text Carin Wirsén)
Playing Three
En liten skär och många små brokiga, 2006
(text Carin Wirsén)
A Little Pink One and All the Little
Multi-Coloured Ones
Rights sold: Norway/Gyldendal, China/NP
Publisher
Vem blöder? 2006
Who´s Bleeding?
Rights sold: Norway/Gyldendal, China/NP
Publisher
Vem bestämmer?
Who Decides?
Rights sold: Norway/Gyldendal, China/NP Publisher, Finland/Schildts
En stjärna vid namn Ajax, 2007 (text Ulf Stark)
A Star Called Ajax
Rights sold: German/Carlsen
Var är liten skär och alla små brokiga? 2007 (text Carin Wirsén)
Where’s the Little Pink One and All the
Little Multi-Coloured Ones?
Rights sold: China/JH Publisher
Vems mormor? 2007
Whose Grandma?
Rights sold: China/JH Publisher, Poland/
Stentor, Norway/Gyldendal
Vem är ensam? 2007
Who´s Lonely
Rights sold: China/JH Publisher, Poland/
Stentor, Finland/Schildts
Vem är söt? 2008
Who´s Cute
Rights sold: Norway/Gyldendal
Vem är borta? 2008
Who´s Lost?
Sockerbullen på Kruskakullen, 2008 (text
Carin Wirsén)
The Sugar Bun on Kruskakullen
En liten skär och alla bråkiga bokstäver, 2008
(text Carin Wirsén)
A Little Pink One and All the
Multi-Coloured Letters
En liten skär och alla ruskigt rysliga brokiga,
2009 (text Carin Wirsén)
A Little Pink One and All the Nasty Scary
Multi-Coloured Ones
Prizes/awards:
The Elsa Beskow Plaque 2000
Nominated for The August Prize 2005
Heffaklumpen 2007
35
© The Swedish Arts Council 2009
Editors: Cay Corneliusson, Helen Sigeland, Erik Titusson
Graphic design: Mats Hedman
Translations: Marlaine Delargy
Good literature gives the child a
place in the world and the world a
place in the child.
astrid lindgren is Sweden’s most
popular author. Her works have been
translated into more than 90 languages.
She renewed children’s literature and
combined artistic integrity with commitment to the rights of children and
young people. When she passed away in
2002, the Swedish Government founded
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in
her honour.
Astrid Lindgren’s books are permeated with deep humanistic values. The
prize rewards work in her spirit and
aims to improve and strengthen interest
in children’s literature all over the world.
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial
Award is presented annually. It is worth
a total of SEK 5 million, making it the
world’s largest international award for
children’s and young people’s literature.
Authors receive the award for their
entire oeuvre, not for individual works.
However, you do not need to have written a word to be considered. Illustrators
and storytellers can also win. The award
may also be presented to persons or
organisations working to stimulate reading by children and young people. Only
living persons may receive the award.
An expert jury decides the winners.
The 12 jury members include authors,
literary critics and experts, illustrators
and librarians. One member represents
Astrid Lindgren’s family. The jury
chooses institutions and organisations
from all over the world, who may then
nominate candidates, based on their
knowledge of children’s literature in the
respective countries or linguistic areas.
Invitations to nominate candidates
are sent out in January each year. The
nominations must have been received by
the office by 15 May. It is not possible to
apply for the award. The jury announces
the winner in connection with its final
meeting in March. The award is presented in Stockholm at the end of May,
when Sweden is at its most beautiful.
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
is administered by the Swedish Arts
Council.
www.alma.se
The Swedish Arts Council
The Swedish Arts Council is a government authority with the principal task to implement
national cultural policy determined by the Parliament.
The Council is responsible for:
• The allocation of state cultural funding to theatre, dance, music, literature, arts periodicals and public libraries, and to the fine arts, museums and exhibitions.
• Providing the Swedish government with the basic data it needs to make cultural policy decisions, by evaluating state spending in the cultural sphere, etc.
• Providing information about culture and cultural policy.
Visions and Guiding Principles:
• To promote art and culture with the aim of ensuring everyone’s right to a broad spectrum of high-quality arts and culture
• To be a dynamic authority in the development of Swedish cultural policies
• To be noted for high degree of competence, respect of legal rights and excellent
civic services
• To be efficient and flexible in order to enable its operations to be quickly and easy adopted to changing conditions in the outside world.
The Swedish Arts Council supports, develops and initiates co-operations between
the state, the regions, municipalities and representatives for cultural life in Sweden,
e.g. libraries, museums and performing arts centres. The aim is to safeguard and
develop Swedish national cultural policy, and to promote cultural diversity and an even
geographical spread in cultural provision.
The Swedish Authors’ Fund
The Swedish Authors’ Fund distributes grants covering travel costs for translators of
Swedish literature and sample translations. More information on www.svff.se, contact
svff@svff.se
The Swedish Arts Council
PO Box 27215, SE-102 53 Stockholm
Phone +46-8-519 264 00 Fax +46-8-519 264 99
artscouncil@artscouncil.se
www.artscouncil.se
Alfabeta
Box 4284
SE-102 66 Stockholm
Tel: +46 8 714 36 30
Fax: +46 8 643 24 31
annakaisa@alfabeta.se
www.alfabeta.se
Bonnier Carlsen
Box 3159
SE-103 63 Stockholm
Tel: + 46 8 696 89 30
Fax: + 46 8 696 89 31
info@bonniergroupagency.se
lina.talgre@bonniergroupagancy.se
www.bonniercarlsen.se
Bonnier Group Agency
Box 3159
SE-103 63 Stockholm
Tel: +46 8 696 89 10
Fax: +46 8 696 89 11
info@bonniergroupagency.se
lina.talgre@bonniergroupagency.se
www.bonniergroupagency.se
Eriksson & Lindgren
Box 2052
SE-103 12 Stockholm
Tel: +46 8-769 87 00
Fax: +46 8 769 88 04
kerstin.oberg@norstedtsagency.se
asa.bergman@norstedtsagency.se
www.norstedtsforlagsgrupp.se
Hegas
Box 201
263 23 Höganäs
Tel. +46 42 33 03 40
Fax +46 42 33 01 41
info@hegas.se
Kabusa
Banehagsgatan 1, pl 6
SE- 414 51 Göteborg
Tel +46 31 85 95 80
Fax +46 31 12 45 87
red@kabusa.se
www.kabusabocker.se
Norstedts Agency
Box 2052
SE-103 12 Stockholm
Tel: +46 8-769 87 00
Fax: +46 8-769 88 04
asa.bergman@norstedtsagency.se
kerstin.oberg@norstedtsageny.se
www.norstedtsforlagsgrupp.se
Natur och Kultur
Box 27323
SE-102 54 Stockholm
Tel: +46 8 453 86 00
Fax: +46 8-453 87 90
johanna.ringertz@nok.se
www.nok.se
Nordic Literary Agency
Banehagsgatan 1, pl 6
SE- 414 51 Göteborg
Tel +46 31 85 95 80
Fax +46 31 12 45 87
info@nordicliteraryagency.com
Opal
Box 20113
SE-161 02 Bromma
Tel: +46 8 28 21 79
Fax: +46 8 29 66 23
opal@opal.se
www.opal.se
Podium
Stenbocksgatan 3
SE-114 30 Stockholm
Tel: +46 8 611 93 51
Fax: +46-8 611 03 21
info@podium.nu
www.podium.nu
Rabén & Sjögren
Box 2052
SE-103 12 Stockholm
Tel: +46 8 769 88 00
Fax: +46 8 769 88 13
asa.bergman@norstedtsagency.se
kerstin.oberg@norstedtsageny.se
www.raben.se
Tiden
Box 2052
SE-103 12 Stockholm
Tel: +46 8 769 88 00
Fax: +46 8 769 88 03
tiden@tiden.se
asa.bergman@norstedtsagency.se
kerstin.oberg@norstedtsageny.se
www.norstedtsforlagsgrupp.se
X-Publishing
Stationsvägen 37
SE-141 40 Huddinge.
Tel. 08-449 30 00.
info@xpublishing.se
www.xpublishing.blogg.se
The Swedish Institute for
Children‘s Books
Library and information centre
Odengatan 61
SE-113 22 Stockholm
Tel: +46 8 54 54 20 50
Fax: +46 8 54 54 20 54
info@sbi.kb.se
www.sbi.kb.se
The Swedish Publishers’ Association
Drottninggatan 97
SE-113 60 Stockholm
Tel: +46 8 736 19 40
Fax: +46 8 736 19 44
info@forlaggare.se
www.forlaggareforeningen.se
Göteborg Book Fair
SE-412 94 Göteborg
Tel: +46 31 708 84 00
Fax: +46 31 20 91 03
www.goteburg-bookfair.com
info@goteburg-bookfair.com