New Swedish Books, Autumn 2018 1
New Swedish Books 76 Per Nilsson (b. 1954) Like S
parrow Like Eagle Publisher Alfabeta www.alfabeta.se Rights Alfabeta AnnaKaisa Danielsson annakaisa@alfabeta.se Selected Works Otopia 2014 Ett annat sätt att vara ung 2000 Anarkai 1996 Selected Literary Prizes Augustpriset 2006 Astrid Lindgren priset 1999 Nils Holgersson plaketten 1997 Like Sparrow Like Eagle Be already notices Enneka at the orientation day in sixth grade. Enneka sits alone on a bench. She stands out from everything happening around her, from all the other students, as she sits still amongst all the hustle and bustle. Like an eagle, thinks Be, who considers herself more of a sparrow. When seventh grade finally starts Enneka returns and against all odds an unusual friendship develops. Enneka comes from a world Be never knew existed, she’s an orphan and has experimented with alcohol and drugs, wild parties and violent guys. They approach each other cautiously. By consistently using a second person narrative in which a recurring ‘you’ is equally directed at the reader as it is to Enneka, the reader becomes involved in the meeting of these two people. A friendship develops that is as fragile as it is startlingly intimate. It’s a powerful experience. emotional state. Photo: Monica Malmberg