\New Swedish Books, spring 2019 1
Photo: Kajsa Göransson Photo: Caroline Ann Anders
son Photo: Ola Kjelbye 31 Spring 2019 Swedish LITERARY AWARDS 2018 These are the books that Swedish critics and readers enjoyed the most in 2018, many of which have already begun their journeys to reach new foreign readers. We congratulate all prize-winners and wish their books a long life in many different languages. Best Debut Writers Borås Tidnings debutantpris In 2018 Agnes Lidbeck was awarded the prize for her novel Supporting Act (Norstedts), which according to the jury was “a razor sharp novel about the consequences of existing within the female trinity of ‘mother’, ‘lover’ and ‘nurse’". Katapultpriset In 2018 Linus de Faire received the award for The Book about Yousef (Albert Bonniers Förlag). The jury decided to reward “a twisting narrative that in a unique way repeatedly shook the foundations of truth”. The prize is given by Författarförbundet, the Swedish Writers’ Association. Children and Young Adult Fiction Bilderbokspriset Snöbollen Sara Lundberg was honoured at the LittFest festival in Umeå for her book The Bird Inside me Flies Wherever it Likes (Mirando förlag) about the farmer’s daughter and artist Berta Hansson’s (1910–1994) early artistic life. The book is “of great value artistically but also educationally and from a women’s historical perspective”. The book was also awarded the August Prize in 2017.