New Swedish Books, Autumn 2017 1
New Swedish Books 10 The Family The brothers Sigv
ard and Folke were born in the beginning of the 1940s. The novel about them and their tight-knit circle, known as ‘the Family’, is a gripping chronicle of a family and time, full of contrasts. Sigvard is asked whether he would like to speak about his brother’s short films, now considered cult, at a conference. He hesitates, and his thoughts spool through memories from the time of the Second World War to today. Reflected in the lives of the characters are the great events of society and politics, as well as more personal matters – love, friendship, conflict, and an eternal debate about the truth of a human being’s life. Kjell Johansson’s stories are a wonderful mix of the unlikely and the real. He leaves nothing out when describing the wrong side of the Swedish class system, spicing it up with an almost absurd humour. And Sigvard’s story, with its colourful list of characters for whom suffering and joy, and truth and living a lie go hand in hand, is all of this. Familjen KJELL JOHANSSON WEYLER Kjell Johansson (b. 1941) The Family Publisher Weyler www.weylerforlag.se Rights Hedlund Literary Agency magdalena@hedlundagency.se Selected Works Karolus Karlssons liv och verk Novel 2009 Det var inte jag Novel 2011 Mammas gata – berättelser från förorten 2013 Selected Literary Prizes Aftonbladets litteraturpris 1984 Tidningen Vi:s litteraturpris 1984 Stiftelsen Selma Lagerlöfs litteraturpris 2013