New Swedish Books, autumn 2020 1
New Swedish Books 34 I See All That You Do After
six records of her own songs Annika Norlin makes her literary debut with a collection of short stories – I See All That You Do. It is, both in its language and style, a surprisingly confident collection of stories about young people with strong and difficult emotions, all relayed in a distinctly everyday tone: “When Mum died I was sad, but not surprised”. The theme is predominantly one of sadness; the sadness of not being seen, the sadness of not knowing the meaning of life, and the sadness of the worst thing that can ever happen – losing your own child. And yet, what is on offer here is joyful reading. Norlin writes with such a profound sense of humour that one cannot help but laugh at the inherent tragedy of life. It is like a northern Swedish smile, laconic, experienced and clear-sighted. No reader will escape the fact that these eight stories see all that you do. Ingrid Elam’s choice Annika Norlin Norlin is a pop artist, now publishing her first book Short stories, 218 p. Annika Norlin Publisher Weyler förlag Rights Partners in Stories Erik Larsson erik@partnersinstories.se Photo: Elin Berge