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Finland-Swedish Special Issue 2023

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Issue number: Finland-Swedish Special Issue

2023 Special Issue

New Finland-Swedish literature, including works by Emma Ahlgren, Ann-Luise Bertell, Sofia Chanfreau and Amanda Chanfreau, Matilda Gyllenberg, Hannah Lutz, Ulrika Nielsen, Peter Sandström, Ellen Strömberg, Matilda Södergran, Quynh Tran, Maria Turtschaninoff, Robert Åsbacka and more.

Editor: Alex Fleming
Reviews Editor: Darcy Hurford
Advisory Editors: Deborah Bragan-Turner, Sarah Death, Fiona Graham, Paul Norlen and Linda Schenck
Social Media: Sophie Ruthven
New Books: Alice E Olsson

Photo by João Marcelo Martins on Unsplash.

Welcome to this special issue of Swedish Book Review, devoted to the rich literary landscapes of Finland-Swedish writing. A whole decade on from our last Finland-Swedish supplement, we hope that this bumper crop of works offers a glimpse into the breadth and depth of Swedish-language publishing from Finland.

Of course, one special issue can only scratch the surface of ten years of literary innovation, and in bringing this issue together we have had to make some difficult decisions. These decisions have largely been guided by a desire to include a balance of genres, styles, geographies and experiences, and, crucially, to give space to authors whose works have been featured less in SBR in recent years.

Ranging from gentle humour and wry social commentary to multigenerational epics and gripping psychological realism, the prose translations presented in this issue all offer something unique. These include excerpts from recent texts by emerging talents Quynh Tran, Hannah Lutz and Matilda Gyllenberg, prize-winning novels from established writers Peter Sandström, Matilda Södergran and Robert Åsbacka, and modern classics from Maria Turtschaninoff and Ann-Luise Bertell.

Poetry, one of Finland-Swedish literature’s most cherished legacies, is also in fine fettle, as attested by the translations of Emma Ahlgren and Ulrika Nielsen featured here. We also celebrate 130 years (and counting) of Finland-Swedish poetry, with a fascinating interview with Maïmouna Jagne-Soreau, Martina Moliis-Mellberg and Martin Welander, editors of a unique new anthology.

These days it is almost impossible to speak of Finland-Swedish literature without giving a nod to its flourishing literature for children and young adults, full of bold imagery and playful, uncompromising themes. We are delighted to present translated excerpts from two breakthrough works, by Sofia and Amanda Chanfreau, and Ellen Strömberg. To get to the heart of recent trends in children’s literature – and the importance of criticism in developing a thriving literary ecosystem – we also speak to esteemed critics and researchers Maria Lassén-Seger and Mia Österlund.

As usual, we are thrilled to present a diverse set of reviews of dazzling fiction, thought-provoking non-fiction, stunning graphic novels and playful children’s fiction, including works by Kjell Westö, Ulla Donner, Hannele Mikaela Taivassalo and Malin Klingenberg.

Though our intention with this issue is to raise voices that you might not have read in SBR before, that is no reason not to celebrate the voices that have already graced our pages. With this in mind, and for a limited time, we have also opened up our archive to bring you some of the Finland-Swedish highlights that SBR has covered over the past decade. Our 2013 Special Issue, Cool Swedish Titles from Finland, is also free to read, giving you the chance to well and truly immerse yourself in these works.

This issue would not have been possible without the support of Svenska Kulturfonden, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, to whom we express our heartfelt gratitude. We are also very fortunate to have received a grant from FILI, the Finnish Literature Exchange, which has allowed us to include a broader range of texts than would otherwise have been possible. Finally, we are immensely grateful to the contributors to this issue, whose knowledge, passion and engagement shine through on every page.

We hope that you enjoy reading this special issue, and that it spurs you on to discover more.

 

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Translations

Matilda Södergran in profile

TRANSLATED EXTRACT

from Nell by Matilda Södergran

In her first work of prose, poet Matilda Södergran turns her finely honed lyricism to themes of loneliness and loss, writing with astute psychological depth and striking, at times dreamlike, imagery.
Translated by Bradley Harmon.

Features

Reviews

curated and edited by Darcy Hurford

Poetry

Fiction

Book cover of Henna Johansdotter

REVIEW

Sömnlandet

A classic dystopia, The Land of Sleep is simultaneously a pandemic and a postbellum novel, where human life nosedives amidst a potent mix of societal collapse and rampant infectious disease. For sex worker Nolan, there appears to be no possible change on the horizon — until he meets the political wunderkind Lum and is thrown right into the eye of the storm.

Book cover of Hannele Mikaela Taivassalo

REVIEW

I slutet borde jag dö

Hannele Mikaela Taivassalo's short, fragmented gem of a novel in which a woman ponders her impossible relationship with a married man, trying to figure out what to do with a love that is not supposed to exist. In a lovely poetic prose that glimmers with dark humour she tries to write her way back to inner strength and her own true self.

Book cover of Kjell Westö

REVIEW

Skymning 41

Dusk 41, number nine in Kjell Westö’s group of novels reflecting twentieth-century Finnish history, follows a handful of people ‘like you and me’ who lead their lives as best they can while their country is at war and, after a brief, anxious peace, is drawn into an even bigger war.

Graphic Novels

Book cover of Ulla Donner

REVIEW

Den naturliga komedin

In Ulla Donner’s The Natural Comedy a lost leaf, a jilted mushroom and a senile forest deity come together for an unusual road trip through a destroyed forest in a visually stunning, multi-layered tale of environmental destruction that references Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Books for children

REVIEW

När farmor flög

In Annika Sandelin’s My Flying Grandma, Joel’s parents are off on a trip and have left him behind with a grandma he scarcely knows and has no desire to get to know either. She’s not a good cook, an engaged grandparent, a friend to anyone or a particularly interesting person. Or is she?

Non-fiction

Generously supported by Svenska Kulturfonden and Finnish Literature Exchange (FILI).

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