New Swedish Books, Autumn 2017 1
71 Autumn 2017 Damascus Sölvesborg Per Nilsson ha
s a distinctive and popular style. He writes about the big questions in life in simple and precise language, and has a long line of popular young adult novels behind him. Damascus Sölvesborg is a quiet and thought-provoking story about politics, xenophobia, love, and community, and about the importance of coming together to try and understand each other. The story focuses on Leo, who has lived his entire life in Sölvesborg, and Nour, who was born in Damascus. Now they’re in the same high-school class, yet have never found a reason to talk. During a school excursion Leo and Nour end up in a shelter in the middle of the forest. Nour has injured her foot, they are soaked to the skin and it’s getting cold. Waiting to be saved they cautiously begin to tell each other about their lives. Perhaps they’re not as different as they thought? Per Nilsson (b. 1954) Damascus Sölvesborg Publisher Rabén & Sjögren www.rabensjogren.se Rights Rabén & Sjögren agency asa.bergman@rabensjogren.se lillevi.cederin@rabensjogren.se Selected Works Sjutton 2002 Svenne 2002 Som hund och katt 2016 Selected Literary Prizes Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis 1997 Astrid Lindgrenpriset 1999 Augustpriset 2006 Photo: Åsa Rangmyr