Translations
TRANSLATED EXTRACT
from The Practice of Murder by Kerstin Ekman
A novel in which the main character believes himself to be the model for Hjalmar Söderberg's eponymous protagonist Doctor Glas.
Translated by Sarah Death, Anna Paterson, Linda Schenck and Rochelle Wright.
TRANSLATED EXTRACT
from Still Waters by Viveca Sten
Viveca Sten's fist novel, set on the atmospheric island of Sandhamn.
Translated by Marlaine Delargy
Articles
FEATURE
Kerstin Ekman and Swedish Crime
In this essay Anna Paterson examines the ways in which Kerstin Ekman construes crime, its origins and consequences.
FEATURE
Swedish Literature in Germany: A Success Story, Only Slightly Flawed
Paul Berf describes Germany's love affair with Swedish literature, led by, but not confined to, its crime fiction.
Reviews
Edited and compiled by Henning Koch
REVIEW
De oförglömliga
Gabriella Ahlström's first novel for adults is unlike other popular contemporary Swedish books in its focus on character over plot, and readers can appreciate its minutely detailed portrait of a woman who is constantly disappointed by her family and aware of their many faults and yet remains faithful and devoted to them.
REVIEW
Kan du säga schibboleth?
Fans of the Persepolis graphic novels will surely be charmed by Marjaneh Bahktiari's feisty young female characters.
REVIEW
Men hur små poeter finnes det egentligen?
Eva-Stina Byggmästar's poems are about the joy of writing poetry, of being a poet, of what poetry is and means.
REVIEW
Toffs bok
Kalle Dixelius offers a modern version of our very oldest stories: a young man living in poor conditions feels a strong inner urge to embark on a dangerous and often life-threatening quest in search of a deeper meaning in life.
REVIEW
Mordets praktik
Kerstin Ekman’s first-person narrator, a down-at-heel physician, follows up on a chance encounter with the writer Hjalmar Söderberg by providing him with information on potassium cyanide pills as an instrument of death...
REVIEW
Stridens skönhet och sorg. Första världskriget i 212 korta kapitel
Peter Englund’s book shows that there is still much to be said and new perspectives to be taken on the First World War.
REVIEW
Den siste greken
Aris Fioretos has written a wry meditation on human identity, loss and longing, and what it is to be Greek.
REVIEW
Edens bakgård
P.C. Jersild's novel raises questions concerning some of the odder reaches of Swedish life – the ‘back yard of Eden’.
REVIEW
Människor helt utan betydelse
The thoughts of Johan Kling's protagonist in this novel are far less meaningless than the talk of Habitat, house prices and holidays in Portugal which make up the conversations around him.
REVIEW
The Procession of Memories. Selected Poems 1929–1945
This bilingual edition fills a gap and introduces readers to Harry Martinson's poetry.
REVIEW
Barndomstolen
The poet Ulf Karol Olov Nilsson knows the extent of power a word can hold. In this collection, the absurd is juxtaposed with the tragic.
REVIEW
Flickvännen
Karolina Ramqvist's gangster girlfriend plays happy homes in a novel highlighting the ease with which women (and men) can slide into a conscience-free virtual reality of glamour and luxury.
REVIEW
Hitta hem
Elisabeth Rynell captures the mystical mood of her earlier novels – the wonder of the awe-inspiring scenery, the changing seasons – with the quality of legend.
REVIEW
De fattiga i Łódź
One of the many triumphs of Steve Sem-Sandberg's narrative is that it shows how the mechanics of persecution operate within a society of the persecuted.
REVIEW
Kall feber
Jerker Virdborg is back, with an engrossing, fast-paced, deeply unsettling dystopian tale.
REVIEW
Gå inte ensam ut i natten
Kjell Westö is a first-class storyteller and you don’t have to be interested in Finnish history to enjoy his books.
REVIEW
Sånt man bara säger
Helena von Zweigbergk is an accomplished storyteller, and the problem of this unfortunate family is compelling.