New Swedish Books, autumn 2019 1
35 Autumn 2019 Rasmus Malm (text) b. 1973 Matilda
Ruta (ill.) b. 1982 The Clan YA graphic novel, 112 p. Publisher Rabén & Sjögren www.rabensjogren.se Rights Rabén & Sjögren Agency Åsa Bergman asa. bergman@rabensjogren.se Rasmus Malm Debut writer Rasmus Malm works as journalist. Matilda Ruta Works The books about Nina, picture books, 2016–2017 Åka buss, picture book, 2016 The Clan When 13-year-old Lova finds a collection of paintings at a secondhand shop she has no idea that her life is about to change forever. Fascinated by the pictures of sinister hyenas, she persuades her stepfather to buy them for her. But back at home Lova’s mother becomes furious and throws the paintings away. Meanwhile, strange things start happening in the large cemetery nearby. Corpses are being dug up by a mysterious group of predators. Lova suspects that there is a connection with the paintings and decides to investigate the matter. As the puzzle pieces fall into place, the story darkens into gothic horror. Lova discovers that for centuries the women in her lineage have had the ability to transform into bloodthirsty hyenas who hunt in clans at night. The Clan plays on the theme of classic werewolf tales about the inherent predatory nature of humans, and develops it into a graphic novel about liberation and feminism, subtly depicted in Matilda Ruta’s artistic watercolour pictures. Photo: Göran Segeholm Photo: Göran Segeholm