Fika with Flemish Fiction

Three days of visiting Swedish publishers and translators to introduce them to Flanders Literature, our guest of honour programme at the Gothenburg Book Fair in 2027, and the latest fiction from Flanders: that was Esther's mission at the end of May. The goal? To convince them to translate one or more titles into Swedish within two years, so that Swedish readers can discover Flemish literature in 2027.

Report by Esther de Gries

When planning my trip to Stockholm from 20 to 23 May, I dreamed of long summer evenings after work. In reality, it turned out to be wise to pack my winter coat, as the temperature didn’t climb above ten degrees all week. However, I had no complaints about the workdays themselves – every meeting was a delightful fika moment (a coffee date, complete with a cinnamon bun or another pastry).

Of course, more important than the local cuisine were my conversations with publishers. Some were new contacts who had little knowledge of Flanders Literature, while others were familiar faces who had previously published work by a Flemish author.

Many of the publishers I spoke with are part of the Bonnier group and have offices in the same building. Each meeting began with a warm greeting from the same receptionist, who, by my final appointment, asked when I’d be returning. At Bonnier, I met with Åsa Selling from Romanus & Selling, Johanna Haegerström from Albert Bonnier, Johanna Gustavsson from Forum, and Maria Såthe from Wahlström & Widstrand.

I also had wonderful meetings with other publishers: Daniel Pedersen from Faethon, Johannes Holmqvist from Tranan (the cosiest publishing house I’ve ever visited), and Ola Wallin from Ersatz. Hopefully, they’ve all been inspired, and we’ll soon see more translations of Flemish authors in Sweden.

I also took the opportunity to meet with a few Stockholm-based translators. With Annika Johansson and Robin Lindqwister, I discussed the books they are currently translating, as well as the ones they hope to work on in the future.

"I would love to translate W. van Tiemen Hiemstra. What I’ve read so far struck me as truly fascinating and creative – especially for a debut. Hearing him speak last year during the Translators’ Week in Flanders gave me a more complete picture of the author as a person, which can help in finding the right voice when translating."

“I would love to translate ‘The Faceless’ by Alicja Gescinska. That book is about Mona, who gains a new perspective on herself, the world, and the shared longing for an independent life through unexpected friendships with three women in Beirut. The relevant theme and the beautiful language of this novel truly resonate with me.”

In short, plenty of coffee and delicious pastries, many fruitful conversations, and hopefully, in a few years, even more translations of Flemish titles into Swedish!