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New Swedish Books 14 Who Can Sail Eva-Marie Liffn
er moves, chameleon-like, through history. One moment she is at the Brontë sisters’ house in 19th-century Yorkshire, next she is fraternising with J.R.R. Tolkien during the First World War. With a twinkle in her eye, she brings people – both real and fictitious – together, fuses disparate epochs, and engages in a refined sort of literary recycling. What makes this fantastication so realistic is the wellresearched historical settings, as well as Liffner’s perfect pitch when it comes to the linguistic tone of different eras. In her novel Who Can Sail the reader meets engineering genius Fredrik af Chapman, who dreams of combining technology and art to create a better world. He takes a tour of 18th-century Sweden, gains a knighthood, becomes a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Arts, and Vice Admiral. Over time, he also receives international acclaim for his shipbuilding skills. Still, something is missing from his life. What happened to his dreams, his ideals? And why did he never marry his beloved Lisa, the mother of his two children? Eva-Marie Liffner (b.1957) Who Can Sail, novel, 244 p. Publisher Natur och Kultur www.nok.se Rights Natur och Kultur Stephen Farran-Lee Stephen.farran-lee@nok.se Works Camera, novel, 2001 Imago, novel, 2003 Literary Prizes Polonipriset 2001 Flintyxan 2001 Wettergrens Bokollon 2003 Photo: Kajsa Göransson