2026:2

The main focus of SBR 2026:2, my first issue as editor, has been to present individualistic books that cross the boundaries of both genre and geography - books that may even be, in a sense, transnational. There is still breadth and scope in contemporary Swedish publishing. Even in an era of tight financial strategizing and conservatism, startling and unique books are being published and they must obviously be given as much attention as possible.  

The Swedish Book Review first appeared in 1983, a longevity that must surely be considered a remarkable achievement. One of its early pioneers, Tom Geddes, said in an earlier interview with us, that the journal “would not have been possible without the contributions steadily forthcoming from a burgeoning community of translators of Swedish.” 

Of course, there have been a good many changes along the way, the most significant of these probably the digitization of the journal in 2020 under the assured editorship of Alex Fleming. 

In essence, however, the Swedish Book Review is still doing today what it was doing at the outset, 43 years ago. The concept seemed precarious at the time, but has since become a commonly accepted idea: namely, that even the literary output of a “small language,” a Nordic country on the periphery of Europe, can punch above its weight and achieve relevance across the linguistic divide.      

As ever, SBR features an insightful selection of Reviews edited by Darcy Hurford, focusing on new Swedish books. And, of course, now that SBR is being indexed, almost all reviews and translated excerpts are searchable and thus intrinsically more applicable than when they were first printed on paper.         

In Translations, we present an excerpt from the latest novel by emigré Swedish author Lida Starodubtseva, set in Karelia, a little-known border region between Finland and Russia. Also, an excerpt from Elin Grelsson’s novel No Need to Fear, an exploration of the lives of Lotte Zweig and the Austrian author, Stefan Zweig. Further, we have an excerpt by Swedish-Kurdish literary star, Zara Uzun Kjellner, whose haunting Radio Yerevan cuts across cultural lines and investigates belonging and separation. 

In non-fiction we include a stunning reportage from China, The Invisible Wall, documenting the efforts of foreign correspondent Hanna Sahlberg to become a national of that country – published here with an anonymous introduction by a Chinese colleague. Still in the political sphere, an excerpt from The Marionettes by the eminent journalist and non-fiction writer, Ingrid Carlberg, provides an in-depth historical analysis of the concept of “fake news.”

Finally, we showcase excerpts from two outstanding comic book artists –  Linda Spåman and Sanna Kullin – who have re-lettered their cartoons in English for SBR. Both are published in Sweden by Galago, a specialist in the field of comic books and graphic novels, whose publisher, Sofia Olsson, interviewed here, provides fascinating insights into the world of Art Spiegelman, Raw, and the early days of Swedish counter-culture. 

We are so grateful to the Swedish Arts Council for all their generous support over the years! Without it, none of this would have been possible.