New Swedish Books, Autumn 2018 1
New Swedish Books 8 Nelly B’s Heart The body and
its blood ties are a central motif in Aris Fioretos’ writing. Brains, foetuses, testicles and fathers are some of the themes of his demanding and complex novels. This time he has written an in-depth study of the heart. Inspired by the German pilot Melli Beese’s all-too-short life (1886 –1925), this book is a rich and gripping portrait of a woman who aimed for the sun. Nelly B operates a flying school in Berlin with her French husband and designs her own aircraft. During World War I her husband is detained and her plane is seized. Illness, drugs and stress put a strain on her heart, and her doctor tells her she must never fly again. But then she meets Irma, and their blazing passion pushes her far beyond her own boundaries. Aris Fioretos (b. 1960) Nelly B’s Heart Publisher Norstedts www.norstedts.se Rights Hedlund Agency Johanna Kinch johanna@hedlundagency.se Selected Literary Prizes De Nios Vinterpris 2000 Kellgrenpriset 2011 De Nios Stora pris 2013 Selected Works Den siste greken, novel, 2009 Halva solen, prose, 2012 Mary, novel, 2015 Photo: Heike Bogenberger, Erlangen