Nordic Literature in Paris.

The international focus on the North continues (no doubt in the wake of Stieg Larsson), now at Salon du Livre in Paris, France - one of the world's largest literary events. 

  • Author Sara Stridsberg will be one of the authors participating in the 2011 Salon du Livre in Paris, where the Scandinavian countries will be in focus. Stridsberg was born in 1972, and is also working as a translator. Her first fiction novel "Happy Sally" (2004) was about Sally Bauer, the first Scandinavian to swim the English Channel. Stridsberg was awarded the Nordic Council's Literature Prize in 2007, for her novel "Drömfakulteten" (The Dream Faculty).

  • The focus will be on the Scandinavian countries at the 2011 Salon du Livre (book fair) in Paris. Salon du Livre is considered the literary event of the year, and takes place in Paris between March 18 till March 21. For the coming year's special theme on Nordic Literature 40 authors from all of the Nordic countries were invited.

  • Swedish author Per Olov Enquist will be at Les letters nordique and Salon du Livre in Paris in March next year. Photo: Ulla Montan, Norstedts Förlag.

  • Among the invited authors are Monika Fagerholm, Seita Parkkola, Matti Rönkä and Märta Tikkanen from Finland; Bodil Bredsdorff, Carsten Jensen and Helle from Denmark; Knut Faldbakken, Linn Ullman and Tore Renberg from Norway; Audur Olafsdottir, Steinunn Sigurdardottir from Iceland and a sami writer, Jovnna-Ande Vest.

  • Nowegian author Linn Ullman, daughter of Liv Ullman and the late Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman is one of the Norwegian participants at Salon du Livre. Photo: Norstedts Förlag

  • Sweden is sending authors Per Olov Enquist, Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Mara Lee, Fredrik Sjöberg, Sara Stridsberg, Anne Swärd, Johanna Thydell and Carl-Johan Vallgren.

  • Some of the authors will be introduced to French readers for the first time.

  • The Swedish Arts Council (Kulturrådet) is expecting 50 Swedish books to be translated into French in 2010 and 2011.

  • “Swedish literature is doing very well in France,” says Helen Sigeland, who works for the Arts Council in Sweden. Les letters nordiques is the name of the theme and it is the first time ever for the North to be in center of this book fair, which had 200,000 visitors last March.
    For more info, see www.salondulivreparis.com

  • Interview with Jonas Hassen Khemiri:
    www.nordstjernan.com/news/people/2646/ (Caught between 'kanelbullar' and baklava)

  • Earlier stories on Swedish crime:
    www.nordstjernan.com/news/nordic/2687/ (Hungry for Swedish Crime)
    www.nordstjernan.com/news/people/2394/ (The New York Times on Swedish Noir)
    www.nordstjernan.com/news/east/1229/ (Karin Alvtegen nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award)
    www.nordstjernan.com/news/east/2476/ (Interview with Camilla Läckberg)

  • And, on how to follow in the footsteps of Swedish novelists, literally:
    www.nordstjernan.com/news/nordic/2742/