\New Swedish Books, spring 2019 1
New Swedish Books 16 The Right In two acclaimed c
ollections, Norrland poet Pernilla Berglund has written poetry with unusual word combinations, abruptly ending sentences, and twists and turns that defy logic. She uses language in such a way that comprehension becomes unimportant, and impact is visceral. However, her poetry is not experimental – quite the opposite. Her poems are simple and unpretentious, yet their unexpected twists create a hovering sense of mystery. In Berglund’s third poetry collection The Right, the poetic narrator moves through inland Norrland, as always, in a depopulated area on the border between nature and civilisation. She wants to write, but her surroundings are making it difficult. Must she leave this place in order to write? The poems reflect the ambivalence of the poetic narrator; writing both to and from a geographical place. Pernilla Berglund (b. 1982) The Right, poetry, 76 p. Publisher Teg Publishing www.tegpublishing.se Rights Teg Publishing Jonas Teglund, jonas@tegpublishing.se Works Tilltar, poems, 2013 Fälla, poems, 2015 Literary Prizes Umeå Skaparpris 2013 Photo: Pär Olofsson