New Swedish Books, Spring 2018 1
63 Spring 2018 Emre’s Manual in the Art of Dating
(…and how to avoid it) The series about the nine-yearold boy Emre and his friends in a Stockholm suburb is rich with everyday comedy. Children from different backgrounds and their families are described without emphasising their ethnicity. Instead the nerve-centre of the series is the identifiably day-to-day life of first school and the constant stream of comic events that Emre and his friends are subjected to. In Emre’s Manual in the Art of Dating (…and how to avoid it) the narrative centres on going steady even when that feels all wrong. A new girl, Angela, joins their class and all the other girls flock around her, wanting to show her online makeup tutorials or just hang out. Emre’s best friend Ömer is completely spellbound by Angela and soon Emre’s younger brother Izzet organises a romantic dinner that doesn’t quite go to plan. Jonna Björnstjerna’s loose and humorously drawn images seamlessly interact with Siri Spont’s quick-fire dialogue. They share a talent for situational comedy that makes the book entertaining in a very down-to-earth way. Siri Spont (text) b. 1974 Jonna Björnstjerna (ill) b. 1983 Emre’s Manual in the Art of Dating (…and how to avoid it) Publisher Hippo www.hippobokforlag.se Rights Koja Agency catharina.lantz@kojaagency.com Siri Spont (pseudonym) Selected Works Utan djur så dör jag! (together with Jonna Björnstjerna, ill) Chapter Book 2011 Bara jag vågar (together with Jonna Björnstjerna, ill) Chapter Book 2012 Emres handbok i att skaffa sig vänner Chapter Book 2016 Jonna Björnstjerna Selected Works Sagan om den underbara familjen Kanin och monstret i skogen Picture Book 2007 Fru Skräck Picture Book 2009 Godistrollet Picture Book 2010 Literary Prizes Bokjuryns pris 2007 & 2010 Photo: Private Photo: Rasmus Råsmark