Seeing beyond the Millennium Trilogy in Stockholm

Abstract

march–april 2013 • 5 photo : j . a . alcaide notebook Seeing beyond the Millennium Trilogy in Stockholm S tieg Larsson. The Nobel prizes. Tomas Tranströmer. The mention of Stockholm invokes several immediate literary associations , but there’s much more to this city and its literature. A city of fourteen islands and fifty-seven bridges, Stockholm is best viewed on bicycle and on foot, alternating between rides along open vistas and walks through the narrow, cobbled streets of Gamla Stan, the city’s medieval section. Science Fiction Bokhandeln, a bookstore devoted to the genre, is among the shops and bakeries of this neighborhood. A literary destination for children and children’s literature enthusiasts , Stockholm’s concert hall is the venue for not only the Nobel Prize in Literature but also the world’s largest prize in children’s and young-adult literature, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (alma). And at Junibacken Museum, children can play in and travel through their favorite books. For adult readers, Stockholm’s public libraries choose a book for “Stockholm Läser,” a citywide reading program with reading circles and discussion groups. Last year’s book was En dåres försvarstal, by August Strindberg. In 2013 readers will be discussing Lena Andersson’s Var det bra så? Eva Anzelius Jonson, marketing manager of the Stockholm Public Libraries, quantified the use of Stockholm’s forty-three libraries, which had more than 8.7 million visitors in 2011, approximately 4.9 million of which were physical, as opposed to virtual, visits. Stockholm is an active city, where it’s common to see commuters biking within inches of buses. Each year in June, runners gather for the Stockholm Marathon, which Runner’s World has listed among the world’s top ten marathons. The course begins just outside of and ends inside the 1912 Olympic Stadium. – Michelle Johnson Michelle Johnson, WLT’s managing editor, visited Stockholm in May 2012 for the ALMA ceremony. Reading and Listening “Dear Old Stockholm” The Stockholm Concerts Stan Getz & Chet Baker The Stockholm Octavo + the “Miscellany” on the author’s website (karenengelmann.com) Karen Engelmann “Emmylou” The Lion’s Roar First Aid Kit Montecore: The Silence of the Tiger Jonas Hassen Khemiri, tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles How to Fare Well and Stay Fair Adnan Mahmutović (See page 19 of this issue for an essay by Mahmutović.) The Serious Game Hjalmar Söderberg, tr. Eva Claeson ...