New Swedish Books. Autumn 2016 1
AUTUMN 2016 A LITERATURE OF LIVELINESS Children’s
and Young Adult Literature Swedish book publishing for children and young adults has the wind in its sails. And it’s noticeable in this autumn’s interesting range of publications. Statistics from the Swedish Institute for Children’s Books clearly show a rising trend in publishing children’s fiction, 2015 being a record year with the publication of 2089 children and young adult books in total, of which 56% were by Swedish authors. In the last few years there has been an increase in the sale of literature for children and young adults and several new publishing houses have been founded. This autumn’s picture books offer up stories about independent and strong-minded children who ‘wordplay’ and explore language by going on adventures, both real and imaginary, through text and image. Read and discover Emma Adbåge’s The Expeditionists, Anna-Clara Tidholm’s Who Can Count All the Stars and Lina Ekdahl and Emma Hanquist’s We Crumble, We Mime a Cuckoo. In The Bathtub Per Gustavsson portrays a child’s wonderful imagination and philosophical games – about everything and nothing. Amongst the chapter books we encounter depictions of friendship, everyday dramas, betrayal and excitement, all with a certain something extra. A lot of the focus is on which way to view the world and reality. Because what is truth? In the Heart of the Mountain by Mårten Sandén skilfully weaves existential questions together with a real but magical world, and so does Petter Lidbeck’s spinetingling thriller The White House. Friendships, relationships, lies and deceit are subjects thoughtfully and strikingly tackled in Jenny Jägerfeld’s book Top Bro! In Anton Bergman’s The World’s Mostest Ester we encounter everyday dramas and poignant descriptions of the desire to find a friend. There are plenty of emotional roller coasters in this year’s young adult fiction; narratives filled with love and dense with emotion, where the search for one’s own identity is equally important. “I am nobody, nobody knows who I am”, exclaims Turid, the Viking daughter, in The Raven Goddess, when it seems she’s lost everything and she has to run away. Who am I when everything is turned upside down, is disturbed, stops or comes to a head? Anna Ahlund’s You, Only You, Sara Olsson’s Normal People Don’t Stand In the Rain Singing and Flora Wiström’s Stop all delicately describe the collisions that occur in relationships and how to find one’s own feet in life. This is also encapsulated precisely in Mårten Melin’s poetry collection To Be or Not to Be. “Children’s literature should capture the joy for life and give opportunities and hope”, so said the grand old man of Swedish children’s books Lennart Hellsing in an interview with the literary magazine Vi Läser. This is the spirit that defines Swedish children’s- and young adult literature today, and which sums up the autumn’s fascinating and multifaceted publications. Bang in the middle of all the important, exciting and difficult stuff that happens in life and in the world, a good book has the ability to offer the reader both new possibilities and hope. Welcome to explore this autumn’s Swedish publications of books for children and young adults. 33