New Swedish Books, Autumn 2018 1
19 Autumn 2018 Aleksander Motturi (b. 1970) Out o
f Reach Publisher Norstedts www.norstedts.se Rights Norstedts Håkan Bravinger hakan.bravinger@norstedts.se Selected Works Diabetikern, novel, 2011 Svindlarprästen, novel, 2012 Broder, novel, 2017 Out of Reach A Syrian documentary film-maker seeks out a Swedish writer. He wants to tell stories of a different side of the Arabic world than the one depicted in the European media: about the gay scene in the big cities; grandiose, romantic and glamorous debaucheries; the most beautiful things he has experienced. And he certainly catches the Swede’s interest, but just what exactly is he interested in? Aleksander Motturi’s intricate novels often tear his own fictions apart and openly challenge the position of the author. This is certainly true of the darkly humorous Out of Reach, a critical exploration of the modern desire to witness war and oppression. Motturi keeps the reader guessing to the very end as to who is speaking – the film-maker, or the reluctant Swede who would rather write about terrorist caliphates and torture? Who is fantasising about whose body? Photo: Mai Nestor