The brand is highly trusted by both parents and grandpratents
Over 1 million tickets sold in Swedish cinemas
For 49 years in a row, Gunilla Bergström has been among the top borrowed authors at Swedish libraries
Featured in several highly rated apps created by Hyper Games and Gro Play.
Three Book-Films by Tomas Alfredson 2022
200 000
Views on storytelling videos by the author’s niece on YouTube
Two animated TV-series from the 80s-90s and 2014, still streaming today
Over
605 500
Visitors to the Alfie Atkins Cultural Centre
Alfie theaters have visited over 187 locations in Sweden 2022-2023
Brand Awareness
Moomin and Friends Nordic Brand Survey 2021 - Kantar
About Gunilla Bergström
Gunilla Bergström, 1942–2021, was born in Gothenburg, where she also graduated in journalism. She is best known as the illustrator and author behind the Alfie Atkins stories, today a classic for millions of children in many countries. She has also created rhymes and story books, wrote song lyrics together with Georg Riedel, wrote the libretto for a children’s musical, worked with children’s theater and animated movies.
From 1997 to 2013, Gunilla Bergström was a member of The Swedish Academy for Children’s Books.
”Gunilla was definitely on the children's side. She saw the child's own exploratory play as the most important thing in her books. That is what I appreciate most about her. She was bold and brave in her images and stories and never seemed afraid to go her own way. That is what I admired her for.”
Jujja Wieslander, author
Photo: Jörn H Moen
About Alfie Atkins
Alfie Atkins is a regular boy who lives with his dad in a suburb — anywhere in the world. He is not big and not very strong. And he doesn't really like to fight either! He is happy and mischievous but can also become angry, jealous, or scared of ghosts. The books are about everything — from everyday troubles to life's big mysteries. All children can see themselves in Alfie. Maybe that's why he is loved in many countries.
Playful Imagination Friendship Curiosity
million printed books world wide
Alfie Atkins Worldwide
Over the years, the Alfie books have been published in over 45 diferent languages and dialects and printed in over 10 million copies. The most active Alfie countries are Norway, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Greece, Poland and Iceland.
Alfie Atkins was the first Swedish children’s book to be translated into Arabic and all
Translated into 45 languages
Alfie Atkins Translations
Estonian – Artur Aberg
Lithuanian – Alfons Obergu
Faroese – Álvur Ákason
Chinese – 阿尔菲·
South Korean – 알폰스
French – Alphonse Aubert
Greek –
Polish – Albert Albertson
German - Willi Wiberg
Swedish - Alfons Åberg
English - Alfie Atkins
Danish – Alfons Åberg
Norwegian – Albert Åberg
Finnish – Mikko Mallikas
Icelandic – Einar Áskell
Arabic – Burhan (ناهرب)
Publishers
Estonian – Kirjastus Pegasus
Lithuanian – Zvaigzne ABC
Faroese – Føroya lærarafelag
Chinese – Daylight Publishing House
South Korean – Dabom Publishing
French – L'Étagère du bas
Greek –
(Martis)
German - Oetinger
Swedish - Rabén & Sjögren
English - Rabén & Sjögren
Danish – Gyldendal
Norwegian – Cappelen Damm
Finnish – Tammi
Icelandic – Forlagið
Arabic – Dar Al-Muna
Audio books
Over 6,9 million audio books read 2023 world wide
Film & Television
During the 80s and 90s, SVT produced 16 animated Alfie Atkins episodes, directed by Per Åhlin after Gunilla Bergström’s script. The seires is still broadcasted on television in Sweden, Norway, Germany, and others.
In 2014, a new TV series was released, produced by Maipo Film and Nordisk Film in collaboration with the Nordic TV channels.
In 2022 the Book-Films premiered, a new style, directed by Tomas Alfredson with famous actors as narrators. Jonas Karlsson narrated in Sweden, Thorbjørn Harr in Norway, David Dencik in Denmark, and Eero Ritala in Finland.
The films can be seen online in the Nordics on Netflix and Viaplay, in Sweden on SF Anytime, Apple TV, Itunes, TV4 Play and others, and in Norway and Denmark on TV2 Play.
Two animated TV-series from the 80s-90s and 2014, still streaming today
”The atmosphere and energy in Gunilla Bergström's world of Alfie Atkins are in a perfect format. A world we all need to be reminded of exists here, right near us, if we just look around and stop being so stressed.”
- Jon Asp, Svenska Dagbladet, about Alfredson’s Book-Films.
Three Book-Films by Tomas Alfredson 2022
Theater
Alfie Atkins has been seen in theaters and musicals in Sweden and around the world. The first theater production ”Heja Alfons Åberg” was staged by Riksteatern as early as 1979. Since then, among others, Danska Comedievognen, Boulevardteatern and Oslo Nye Teater played several productions. Theaters in Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Iceland have also played Alfie.
See an overview of all theaters here.
Alfie plays have visited over 187 locations in Sweden 2022-2023
Photo: Oslo New Theatre
Photo: Cata Portin
Apps & Music
Alfie and his friends are featured in several highly rated apps created by Hyper Games and Gro Play.
• Hocus Pocus, Alfie Atkins, Hyper Games 2013
• Find Adventure! Alfie Atkins, Gro Play 2015
• Beep beep Alfie Atkins, Gro Play 2016
• Play ABC, Alfie Atkins, Gro Play 2018
• A party, Alfie Atkins, Hyper Games 2018
• Smoothie, Alfie Atkins, Hyper Games 2019
• Play 123, Alfie Atkins 2021, Gro Play
• Showtime, Alfie Atkins, Gro Play 2022
• World of Alfie Atkins, Gro Play 2022
Several highly rated apps created by Hyper Games and Gro Play.
”Music, said Alfie Atkins” is an album released in 2022 by Georg Riedel and lyrics by Gunilla Bergström. The album is available on Spotify.
In 2013, Timbuktu released his two singles ”Inte stor nog” (Not big enough) and ”Stor nog” (Big enough) from the feature film ”Hocus Pocus Alfie Atkins”.
Exhibitions
During the 50th anniversary in 2022, the exhibition ”Three Cheers for Alfie Atkins,” about Alfie Atkins and Gunilla Bergström, toured around the world. Thanks to the Swedish Institute and Sharing Sweden, the exhibition was shown in 19 countries during the anniversary year. In 2023, it continued to tour libraries and cultural centers in each country.
For several years, children’s exhibitions with Alfie Atkins have been held at libraries and other public spaces around Sweden.
In September 2021, Gunilla Bergström donated her original illustrations from the books about Alfie Atkins to the Nordic Watercolour Museum's art collection. The donation includes 17 original books and countless sketches. These original illustrations have now been loaned out by museums around the Nordic region, where they have created their own exhibitions around the illustrator and author's work.
Alfie Atkins Cultural Centre
In 2012, Alfie Atkins’ Cultural Centre was opened in Gothenburg. The Cultural Centre has around 64,000 visitors a year, is open 361 days a year, and is a non-profit organisation.
The Centre promotes children’s rights, equality and diversity. It’s located in the Old Seed Shop at the Garden Society of Gothenburg (Trädgårdsföreningen), where past and present meet in a creative environment.
This is a place where inquisitive children can play, learn, get up to mischief, climb and discover a building full of fascinating things. The scenography, which is based on Gunilla Bergström’s stories about Alfie Atkins, was designed by Tor Svae. Here you can find the high-rise building that Alfie lives in, his living room, the scary monster, the helicopter and of course Milly, Malcolm, Grandma and much more.
Junibacken
At Junibacken in Stockholm, there’s an exhibit based on the two books ’Aja baja, Alfons Åberg' and ’Bara knyt, Alfons!' by Gunilla. The exhibition is a tribute to her authorship and visual art. In one part of the exhibition there is a bulletin board from Gunilla's studio - a glimpse into a highly creative and visual working process.
Alfie Atkins at Funnys Äventyr
Play in Alfie’s and Milly's cabin or take a ride in the helicopter! Step into Alfie's classroom or go up to the high-rise building where Alfie lives, or down to the basement if you dare... Step into the kitchen and the bedroom. Crawl into bed. But wait!? Shhh! Was there something growling?
The Alfie Atkins exhbit is a permanent installation at Funnys Äventyr in Malmö, Sweden where children can play in Alfie Atkins’ world.
Friends
Friends is a non-profit organization with a mission to stop bullying and other forms of harassment within schools, preschools, and sports clubs throughout Sweden. Since 2014, there has been a long-term collaboration between Friends and Bok-Makaren. Some of their collaborations are listed below:
• Friendship day (vänskapsdagen) is celebrated in Sweden every year on the third Thursday in October. With the Friendship Day, Friends, BokMakaren, and Raben & Sjögren aim to create a day to celebrate friendship. Friends provide tools and support for thematic work in preschools they can use before and after the Friendship Day. 3817 preschools participated in 2023, which is almost half of all preschools in Sweden.
• Every year, Friends sells a Christmas calendar that features ideas for kind actions in every window. In 2022, Alfie Atkins and his friends were guests in this calendar.
• In 2022, the Libero Friendship Edition featuring Alfie Atkins and his friends was launched. Libero supported Friend’s work through the campaign.
• Alfie’s Friendship box contains educational materials that playfully and pedagogically involve children in security work to promote a safe preschool.
Artwork Examples
”Jag ska bara…”
(”I just have to…”)
”Måste du vara så VUX-lig?”
(“Do you have to be so GROWNUP-ish?”)
”Man är väl inte sämre än en liten myra!”
(”Surely we’re no worse than a little ant!”)
Quotes
”Rör inte sågen!”
(”Don’t touch the saw!”)
”Stick du stygga spöke – för du finns ju inte”
(“Nasty ghost go away you’re not real, no, I say!”)
”Raska på Alfons” (”Hurry up, Alfie”)
”Tråkiga saker finns till bara för att man ska märka skillnad när det roliga kommer sen”
(“Boring things are there so you can tell the difference when you have fun again.”)
”Han tänker att han inte ska ropa mer. En pappa som sover kan ju ändå inte springa några ärenden.”
(”After all, a daddy who’s sleeping can’t run around doing things for him, can he?”)
