New Swedish Books, Spring 2018 1
31 Spring 2018 Per Wirtén (b. 1958) Are We Nearly
There Yet? Dreaming of a United States of Europe Publisher Albert Bonniers Förlag www.albertbonniersforlag.se Rights Albert Bonniers Förlag martin.kaunitz@albertbonniers.se Selected Works The Crazy Swede 2007 Där jag kommer från. Kriget mot förorten 2010 Tingstens sista dagar. Berättelsen om ett liv 2013 Literary Prizes Stiftelsen Natur & Kulturs stipendium 2011 Are We Nearly There Yet? Travel writing is a genre with old traditions, and when the author and journalist Per Wirtén chose to write a reportage about Europe he did it in the form of a train journey. He travels from Bulgaria to the UK. Outside the train’s window pass country and city, prosperous pastoral scenes turning into derelict industrial zones. During the trip, Wirtén discusses inequalities and nationalism, the dream of a United States of Europe, the euro and democracy and the union’s inability to come together when faced with the stream of refugees from the south and the east. The author has gone from being a Eurosceptic to embracing the idea of Europe. The book is a defence for maintaining and developing what’s been achieved – before even more countries get off the train. Because what are the alternatives? This is a defence of a Europe which in spite of everything unites and gathers the countries in all their difference. Photo: Johanna Hanno