2017:1
Fiction from Stina Stoor, Elisabeth Östnäs and Carl-Michael Edenborg. Interview with Sarah Death.
Editor: Deborah Bragan-Turner
Reviews Editor: Fiona Graham
(Image credit: © Nobel Media AB 2015. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud)
As 2017 gets under way, we focus on the literary art of Swedish fiction and feature a selection of recent work by six exciting contemporary authors. Stina Stoor is a vibrant new voice from northern Sweden,with roots in three Nordic minorities – the indigenous Sami, Swedish-speakers on the Finnish coast and Meänkieli speakers from the northernmost part of Sweden along the Torne valley. Her award-winning short stories paint a unique picture of the people and natural world of her home region.
In this troubled age we are shocked by daily news stories of the dreadful plight of refugees. Dimitris Alevras’s debut novel gives an intense, thought- provoking and painful depiction of the horrors and risks for those seeking refuge in Europe in the 20th century.
Mattias Edvardsson’s latest book is his third adult novel, a cleverly written whodunit set in the world of literature and publishing.Kai Erik’s second novel is a coming-of-age tale of friendship in a small town in Finland and a gripping fantasy thriller. For historical romance, we turn to Carl-Michael Edenborg’s entertaining novel, the second under his own name, and find alchemy – the subject of the author’s PhD thesis – at its heart. Equally detailed research is evident in Elisabeth Östnäs’s vivid depiction of the Viking Age in the second novel of a prize-winning trilogy for young adults.
Behind the extracts in every issue of SBR are the translators, often at very different stages in their careers, sometimes balancing more than one job, all with a passion for Swedish literature and a wish to make it available more widely. In this issue we are delighted to invite our readers to look into the working lives of two very distinguished translators, Sarah Death and Janny Middelbeek-Oortgiesen, who, over long and successful careers, have clocked up a staggering number of literary translations into English and Dutch respectively.
Translations
TRANSLATED STORY
Beasts by Stina Stoor
Stina Stoor's prize-winning Beasts is a masterful tale full of dialect, idiolect and a strong sense of place.
Translated by Nichola Smalley
TRANSLATED EXTRACT
from The Time of War by Elisabeth Östnäs
In her YA trilogy about the teenage Turid, Elisabeth Östnäs gives us a tale of a curious, kind and fiercely intelligent young woman who finds herself questioning elements of the society where her father is king.
Translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles.
TRANSLATED EXTRACT
from The Alchemist's Daughter
Carl-Michael Edenborg's novel is the dark tale of a young noblewoman, the last in a line of Manichaean alchemists, whose late father ordered her to destroy the world through alchemy.
Translated by Fiona Graham.
Interview
INTERVIEW
A Career in Swedish Literary Translation
Ian Giles interviews Sarah Death, literary translator and editor of SBR from 2003 to 2014, who was awarded the Order of the Polar Star in 2014 for her services to Swedish literature and language abroad.
Articles
IN MEMORIAM
George C. Schoolfield (1925-2016)
George Schoolfield, the witty king of Scandinavian Studies outside of Scandinavia, passed away after a long illness at his home on July 21, 2016.
IN MEMORIAM
Patricia Crampton (1925-2016)
Patricia Crampton translated over 200 children’s books and more than 50 adult books from a variety of European languages, winning numerous awards.
Reviews
curated and edited by Fiona Graham
Fiction
REVIEW
Aftonland
To put it in the terms of her particular academic field, we might say she has entered her own Mannerist phase, her life descending into a grotesque caricature of itself.
REVIEW
Korta Stycken
Korta Stycken, a slim volume of short stories, flash fiction and poetry, is a masterclass in style by Johan Bargum, one of Finland’s most renowned contemporary writers.
REVIEW
Luften är fri
Sara Lövestam's third novel about Kouplan, a transgender Iranian refugee turned private detective, is a subtle, humorous and immensely enjoyable read.
REVIEW
Dagar utan ljus, nättar utan mörker
This is futuristic fiction, dealing with a world where nuclear war and its aftermath is the reality but where the potential attacks of tomorrow are even more deadly and frightening – enough to wipe out the entire human race.
REVIEW
Djävulen är en lögnare
In a novel that alternates between Finland and Cameroon, Sara Razai explores race, class, religion and belonging.
REVIEW
In Transit
Hannele Mikaela Taivassalo's works span drama and prose, but always with a poetic touch, and In Transit is no exception.
REVIEW
De polyglotta älskarna
Her novel holds up a distorted mirror and shows them that their writerly approach to women is not without consequence, as if to say ‘Here you are – this is what it looks like from where I’m standing’.
Poetry
REVIEW
och vi fortsatte att göra någonting rörande
Elis Burrau’s first full-length poetry collection is a fragmented but alluring investigation into finding a poetic identity. It’s an opportunity to sample the very latest of young Swedish poetry.
Fiction for children and teenagers
Review
Middagsmörker
In this first instalment in the Idijärvi Trilogy, Charlotte Cederlund blends Sami mythology with YA fantasy to create a Nordic coming-of-age novel set under the glow of the Northern Lights.
REVIEW
Jag, Fidel och Skogen
Lena Frölander-Ulf's enchanting winter read is a thought-provoking exploration of confronting fears and preconceptions through encounters with whimsical forest folk and a homely troll.
REVIEW
Djur som ingen sett utom vi
Author Ulf Stark’s and illustrator Linda Bondestam’s illustrated book presents 27 species which no one but their creators has ever seen – in splendid colors and with ingenious rhymes.
REVIEW
Mornitologen
In this vividly narrated novel from August-Prize-winning writer Johanna Thydell a teenage girl meets her estranged mother for a bird-watching assignment.
REVIEW
Naondel: Krönikor från röda klostret
An independent prequel to the well-received Maresi, Maria Turtschaninoff's Naondel tells the story of the First Sisters – founders of the Red Abbey.
REVIEW
Sagan om Turid. Krigstid
In her trilogy about the teenage Turid, Elisabeth Östnäs gives us a tale of a curious, kind and fiercely intelligent young woman who finds herself questioning elements of the society where her father is king.
Non-fiction
REVIEW
Jag var precis som du
Negra Efendić's book is a personal story of a child's journey from security to a life in a far away land.
REVIEW
Käraste Herman
Maja Hagerman’s impressive research and skilful narrative reveal unexpected events in the life of controversial doctor Herman Lundborg and confirm many misgivings about his work and views.
REVIEW
Fattigfällan
Charlotta von Zweigbergk's Fattigfällan (The Poverty Trap) is a social case history retold with passionate subjectivity.
REVIEW
1947
The exploration of her own past was a driving force behind Elisabeth Åsbrink's selection of people and events from 1947 and gives this book its special atmosphere.