The following books are reviewed in the Bookshelf section of the 1997:2   issue:

Stig Claesson: Man måste det man önskar (You Must Do What You Want) Bonniers, 1997.

Kjell Espmark: Glädje (Happiness) Norstedts, 1997.

Carl-Henning Wijkmark: Du som ej finns (You Who Do Not Exist) Norstedts, 1997.

Agneta Pleijel: En vinter i Stockholm (One Winter in Stockholm) Norstedts, 1997.
An extract from this book, translated by Joan Tate, is available in the 1998 Supplement.

Christina Doctare: När man väntar sig en man: Ansikte mot ansikte med kriget (When You Were Expecting a Man) Trevi, 1995

Inger Edelfeldt: Betraktandet av hundar (Studying/ Watching Dogs) Norstedts, 1997

Carola Hansson: Steinhof. Norstedts, 1997

Anna Bergmark: En praktisk man (A Practical Man) Bonniers, 1997

Stefan Andhé: En vind genom gräset (A Breeze through the Grass) Norstedts, 1997

Henning Mankell: Steget efter (One Step Behind) Ordfront, 1997
Håkan Nesser: Kommissarien och tystnaden (The Inspector and Silence) Bonniers, 1997
A special feature on Henning Mankell and Håkan Nesser appeared in the 1997:1 issue

Åke Edwardsson: Dans med en ängel (Dancing with an Angel) Norstedts, 1997

Sven Nykvist: Vördnad för ljuset (Reverence for Light) Bonniers, 1997

Marilyn Johns Blackwell: Gender and Representation in the Films of Ingmar Bergman. Columbia: Camden House Inc., 1997

Catharina Grünbaum: Språkbladet (Language Sheet) Dagens Nyheter, 1997.

Magnus Florin, Marianne Steinsaphir & Margareta Sörenson: Literature in Sweden. Swedish Institute, 1997.

Ten years ago, Swedish Book Review celebrated Astrid Lindgren's eightieth birthday with a presentation of her works, a specially translated story, and an English version of an essay she wrote about herself. (SBR 1987:2, pp.2-15) Ten years on, we are delighted to congratulate Astrid Lindgren on her ninetieth birthday. Birgitta Thompson emphasizes the unassuming modesty and down-to-earth approach of a very remarkable lady, and Marlaine Delargy has translated a story — Nils Karlsson, Pixie — that Astrid Lindgren herself said some time ago she would love to see appearing in English.
Contents of this issue

Jonas Gardell
Jonas Gardell, by Neil Smith
From The Mountain of Temptation, translated by Neil Smith

Any attempt to summarize Jonas Gardell's activities adequately is probably bound to fail. Foremost in the present context are his novels, but Gardell is equally well-regarded for his work as a playwright, an essayist, a television presenter and interviewer, a scriptwriter and, perhaps most remarkably, as a performer in his own right. Neil Smith presents an overview of the work of Jonas Gardell and his translation of an extract from Frestelsernas berg (The Mountain of Temptation, 1995).
Jonas Gardell website
More details on Frestelsernas berg
Contents of this issue

Marianne Fredriksson
from The Enigma, translated by Linda Schenck

In the past year, Marianne Fredriksson has achieved a remarkable breakthrough in the German-speaking world, where her most recent books are topping the best-seller lists. This success has aroused the interest of English-language publishers, and we can expect to see some of her novels in English translation soon.
Gåtan (The Enigma, Wahlström & Widstrand, Stockholm, 1989) was Marianne Fredriksson's sixth novel. Fredriksson explores the bounds of human understanding, the moments at which the secrets of our lives, things we have kept even from ourselves, threaten (or promise) to make themselves known.
Contents of this issue

Carl and Karin Larsson
Ingela Lind — The Larssons
Anders Clason — A Swedish success

The autumn of 1997 saw the mounting of a highly successful exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London: "Carl and Karin Larsson: Creators of the Swedish Style". In addition to paintings, illustrated books and various associated artefacts, the exhibition included reconstructions of five rooms from the Larsson home at Lilla Hyttnäs, Sundborn, incorporating the "Swedish Style" of the title. The event was widely reported in the British press, radio and television; and positive reviews also appeared in other European media. Needless to say, it aroused considerable interest in Sweden as well. The review reproduced here in English first appeared in Dagens Nyheter, 6.11.97. Ingela Lind puts forward some interesting and, in some respects, unorthodox reactions to the exhibition and to the Larsson style.

Anders Clason is Cultural Counsellor at the Embassy of Sweden in London, and has been for many years a well-known figure in Swedish cultural circles. The Larsson exhibition has been very much 'his baby' — a triumphant end to his tour of duty in the United Kingdom. He cannot agree with all Ingela Lind's interpretations, but presents his own view of why the exhibition seems to have struck a chord in British hearts, and appraises the book published in connection with it.

Contents of this issue

Crisis in the publishing industry?
André Schiffrin — The US publishing crisis
Per I Gedin — The publishing crisis in Sweden
Jan-Erik Pettersson — Davids and Goliaths in Swedish book publishing
Jonas Modig — The realities of modern book publishing
Gunnar Ahlström — Book publishing in Sweden and the future of Norstedts
Agneta Markås — Swedish books in English — where are they?
Georgia de Chamberet — Random thoughts from an offshore island
Agneta Pleijel — Quality literature will survive!

At the recent Book Fair in Gothenburg (October 1997), US publisher André Schiffrin gave a lecture which caused a lot of discussion among those connected with publishing. As in the USA and Britain, there have been several takeovers and amalgamations among publishing houses in Sweden, and the next few years will be critical for everyone associated with the publishing industry — not least authors and readers. In this issue we print a summary of Schiffrin's talk, together with translations of articles by Swedish publisher Per I. Gedin and freelance journalist Jan-Erik Pettersson which appeared in the Swedish press at about the same time, and we have invited comment from various key figures in the publishing world.

The comments include reactions to the articles by representatives of the two leading Stockholm houses Bonniers and Norstedts, both of whom have a less gloomy view of the situation; some informed frustration on the part of Sweden's leading Foreign Rights representative about the lack of English translations of Swedish literature; some thoughts about getting translations published in London by a literary agent; and last but not least an impassioned statement of belief in the future of high-quality literature, irrespective of developments in publishing, by a Swedish writer.

Contents of this issue

© Copyright 1999 Swedish Book Review.

Our cover pictures are taken from the book Swedish Style, published by Frances Lincoln Ltd., London, in 1996 (ISBN 0-7112-1082-9); a Swedish edition, Den svenska traditionen, was published by Bonnier Alba in 1997 (ISBN 91-34-51924-6). The text is by Katrin Cargill, and photographs by Christopher Drake. Both the English and the Swedish versions can be ordered through book shops; the English edition can also be ordered directly from Bookpoint Ltd., 39 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4TD (Tel: +44 1235 400400; Fax: +44 1235 861038).
Both front and back covers feature typical Gustavian-style pull-out cot benches, which double as sofas and spare beds.