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Learn more at augustana.edu Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 2
Swedish Press is the world’s leading magazine on all good things Swedish. An authority on design, business, culture and travel since 1929, Swedish Press delivers insightful news and commentary in a visually striking format. With a nod to the past, and a peek to the future, Swedish Press is your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden. SWEDISH PRESS (ISSN 0839-2323) is published eight times per year by Swedish Press Inc, 1801 Ford Street, Ogdensburg, NY 13669. Periodical postage paid at Ogdensburg, NY 13669 (No. USPS 005544). US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Swedish Press, PO Box 1568 Ogdensburg, NY 13669 OFFICE: 1-402 O’Connor Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 1W3, Canada US MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 1568 Ogdensburg, NY 13669 WEBSITE www.swedishpress.com E-MAIL info@swedishpress.com TEL +1 720 375 1730 TOLL FREE +1 866 882 0088 PUBLISHER and EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kajsa Norman | Kajsa@swedishpress.com EDITOR Peter Berlin | Peter@swedishpress.com ART DIRECTOR Joan Law | Joan@swedishpress.com REPRESENTATIVES Calgary: Carin Pihl +1 403 931 0370 Edmonton: Ruth E. Sjoberg +1 780 237 6730 Thunder Bay: Elinor Barr +1 807 344 8355 Winnipeg: Nancy Drews +1 204-668-7262
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Hemma Hos 21 Treats à la Maria Elffors McCann 22 Design: A Match Made in Paper – The Creative Partnership of Bea Szenfeld and Stina Wirsén
Business 9 Business News 10 Company File: Epiroc 11
Heritage An Insider’s Look at Swedish Culture: Amerikanskan som tog Dalarna med storm
Feature 12 Reconnect With Your Roots – Study in Sweden
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Swedish Press
Lindholmen Science Park was founded in 2000 by Chalmers University of Technology and the City of Gothenburg, Photo: Sofia Sabel/imagebank.sweden.se
Interview 14 Swedish Alumni Taking On the World Heritage 18 Hyllad ”svensk” poet i USA – okänd i Sverige Lifestyle 20 Book: A Silenced Voice: The Life of Journalist Kim Wall
Bea Szenfeld’s “Bear Nose” showcased in the Papier exhibition at the American Swedish Institute. Photo: Joel Rhodin
Swedish Press Connects 24 ASTRA – North Park University in Chicago: City Opportunities, Neighborhood Charm 25 SVIV – Ny rapport slår fast: Antalet svenska utlandsstudenter för lågt för Sveriges bästa 26 SWEA – Välkommen till SWEA BUS och Möt årets BUSa In the Loop 28 Calendar and Events 29 Ads and Info 30 Sista Ordet The Snakes and Ladders of Life 31 Friends of the Press 2021 Cover images: Main Image: Higher education in Sweden. Photo: Aline Lessner/imagebank. sweden.se | Photo inset left: Skeppsholmsbron in Stockholm. Photo: Grigory Bruev/123rf | Photo inset middle: International student with a study in Sweden tote bag. Photo: Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se | Photo inset right: Magnus Liam Karlsson/imagebank.sweden.se
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 3
Letters to the Editor Enjoy reading Swedish Press? Email us your pictures along with your name and comments to info@swedishpress.com and we’ll be happy to publish them. Dear Joan, Holy cannoli, just read the page about the new ownership. (My cousin sent it to me, as I don’t have my magazine yet, which is fine. I will happily wait on the paper copy.) I am sad to see you go, as you were such a joy to deal with. I hope you have already found something else to carry on in your good-spirited way. I just know that I will always cherish our interactions! I wish you well, Joan, in whatever endeavors you chose. A big hug, Judi Lifton North Kingsville, Ohio Hej Peter, Jag hoppas Du klarat Dig undan Corona. Jag redovisar här, som jag ser det, Sveriges katastrofala Coronastrategi, vilken förvånat många länder, inte minst våra nordiska grannar. Den socialdemokratiska regerigen överlät fullständigt ansvaret för Coronastrategin till FolkHälsoMyndigheten (FHM), vars smittskydds-
Individual Sponsors 2021 Brandon Benson Wayne and Shirley Metcalf Kurt Anderson Patricia Charlson Robert Renman Thank you for your support! All individuals who donate $100 or more in 2021 will be recognized with their name (unless you request otherwise). Silver $100+, Gold $250+, Gold&Blue $500+ and King’s Circle $1,000+
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 4
expert Anders Tegnell gavs totalt fria tyglar. Nedstängning, smittspårning och munskydd fanns inte med från start, utan ”social distans” (1, 5-2 m) skulle hållas mellan individer. De som kände sig sjuka skulle stanna hemma. Det har spekulerats att Tegnell ville ha sk ”flockimmunitet” för att stoppa smittspridningen. Detta har givetvis förnekats i efterhand när nu det katastrofala resultatet blivit uppenbart. Både våra grannländer och andra länder har frågat sig vad Sverige hållit på med. Siffrorna över smittade och döda talar med sitt ohyggliga resultat. Det som förvånat både globalt, grannländerna och även WHO är bl.a varför inte obligatoriskt munskydd rekommenderats. Att hålla 1,5 – 2m distans är ju omöjligt i kollektivtrafiken, på restauranger, gym etc och här skulle munskydd ha kunnat stoppa spridning. Läkare, professorer och forskare inom epidemologi har varit kritiska till FHMs och Tegnells slutsatser och att strategin sannolikt orsakat 1000-tals döda i onödan. Bengt Palmgren Stockholm Hej Swedish Press, Det går mot ljusare tider nu! Förhoppningsvis på många plan. Även om vi fortfarande befinner oss i en fullskalig pandemi så börjar vi väl ändå ana att det finns en verklighet efter pandemin. En verklighet som betyder mindre restriktioner och fler möjligheter att mötas fysiskt och inte enbart digitalt. För min egen del innebär det att jag är på god väg till Kanada och Toronto. Om allt går enligt plan är jag på plats i slutet av mars. Något jag ser fram emot med stor spänning och glädje!
Allt eftersom restriktionerna börjar lättas upp kommer församlingen igång med olika verksamheter. Håll utkik på vår Facebook-sida “Svenska kyrkan i Toronto”. Där kommer det att finnas information om vad som händer i kyrkan och i församlingen. Senare i vår och sommar hoppas jag också kunna träffa många av er som bor på andra håll runt om i Nordamerika. Med önskan om en riktigt fin vår och många härliga icke-digitala möten! Maria Thorsson kyrkoherde i Toronto och mobil präst för Nordamerika
Ernie and Rose Poignant. Photo: Gary Poignant
Hello Joan: Hope all is well with you and the Swedish Press team. Here is a photo of Ernie and Rose (mom and dad) taken last week at Menno Home in Abbotsford, where they both live. Ernie, who turned 102 on Feb. 4, is still drawing and entertaining for staff and residents at Menno Home with his signature Initial Cartoons. Rose turned 89 on Feb. 25 and they celebrate their 67th wedding anniversary on May 29. All the best, Gary Poignant Sherwood Park, Alberta
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from the Publisher’s Desk
Reconnect with your Swedish Roots We need your support!
Swedish Press strives to create a high quality magazine for you, but the costs are considerable and ever-increasing. Please consider making a generous donation to help keep your publication, and Swedish heritage, alive. You’ll find a form on the last page of the magazine. Tack!
GRATTIS PÅ FÖDELSEDAGEN Apr 23 Tomas Dahl, 15 år Apr 25 Eowyn Magnusson, 15 år
Whether your Swedish is fluent or rusty, we hone your language skills by publishing some articles in Swedish. But never despair: you will find English translations online thanks to our valiant team of volunteer translators. Simply go to http://biolson. atspace.cc/swemail/ and you will find translations of all Swedish articles going as far back as to August 2007. Photo of Noelle Norman, courtesy of Hannah Wenger
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ormer Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon once said: “You have to take ownership and leadership of tomorrow. For that to be possible, you have to strengthen your capacity and widen your vision as a global citizen.” But what does it mean to be a global citizen? My family has moved a great deal and I have been fortunate to attend school in many different places across three different continents. From preschool in Northern Sweden where the bulk of our days were spent outdoors; to multicultural downtown Manhattan, where children weren’t allowed out but could watch the hustle and bustle of the big city through tall glass windows; to South Africa where white and black kids were still segregated in the playgrounds 20 years after the end of apartheid. In the UK, school uniforms were mandatory even at public school and I was only allowed to speak in class if addressed by the teacher. What a shock it was to move from London to Colorado, where the best way to get good grades seemed to be self-advocacy and being louder than the person next to you. In the US we pledged allegiance to the flag. Here in Canada, where I now attend high school, we start every morning by acknowledging that we stand on unceded Indigenous land. Whether these rituals are meant to inspire pride, guilt or humility, they certainly convey a great deal about the culture of the country in question. I can’t image a better way to experience a culture than through its academic institutions. That’s why, in this April/May issue of the Swedish Press, we encourage our readers to consider studying in Sweden at some point in your life. Or, if you feel too old go to back to school, encourage your kids and grandkids to reconnect with their Swedish roots. Whether you’re a Swedish or North American citizen, whether you speak Swedish or not, there are plenty of opportunities for everyone. As global citizens, I believe it is important to remember where we come from. Only by understanding what makes our own culture unique, can we begin to understand others. Trevlig läsning! Noelle Norman Youth Reporter April 2021
Please note, this is a combined April/May issue. Swedish Press is now published eight times a year. As such, there will not be a separate May issue. The next Swedish Press will come in June. We look forward to seeing you then! Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 5
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Swedish Headlines
] Turbulence in Utopia
Uproar Against Corona Restrictions By Peter Berlin
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ollowing a pattern seen in many other developed countries, patience is running out among Swedes regarding corona-related restrictions, perceived by some people to affect their human rights. Because the rules aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus have so far been quite relaxed, protesters are only now making themselves heard. The stricter social distancing rules introduced recently stipulate that a maximum of eight persons may congregate in public places. On
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Saturday, March 6, some six hundred demonstrators gathered in central Stockholm in defiance of the new rules and without having sought advance permission from the police. The organizer of the “Thousand People March”, Filip Sjöström, stated that no permission was necessary as long as demonstrators did not cause injury
to other people. When asked whether spreading the virus to other people did not constitute potential injury, Sjöström denied that any such risk existed. It took the police three hours to disperse the crowd and forcibly clear some 50 particularly recalcitrant demonstrators. Six police officers were injured in the process.
Protesters in Stockholm. Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT News Agency
“I Didn’t Do Anything!”
n March 3, in the small Småland town of Vetlanda, a 22-year-old asylum-seeker from Afghanistan stabbed seven men chosen at random in five different street locations. The victims are aged between 35 and 75; three of them sustained life-threatening injuries but their condition is now stable. The asylum-seeker arrived in Sweden in 2016 and was awaiting permission to remain in the country. He has a history of mental illness and was known to the police following a previous drug-dealing incident. He was shot in the leg at the time of arrest. At his subsequent court hearing he was accused of seven counts of attempted murder. During the hearing he repeatedly shouted: “I didn’t do anything!” The man acted alone, and there does not seem to be any connection with international terrorism, but police are still investigating whether his motives were terror related. Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 6
Daily New Deaths as of March 11
Daily new deaths in Sweden. Source: www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/Sweden
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COVID-19 Update
n March 6 the number of people in Sweden who have died due to COVID-19 passed the 13,000 mark. Seen in an international context, Sweden currently sits in 20th position among other major economies in terms of number of deaths per one million inhabitants. The historic evolution of daily deaths can be seen in the diagram. During the past two weeks the number of deaths has been on the increase, reversing the downward trend of
previous weeks and raising the worry that a third wave may be forming. Stockholm’s healthcare chief has warned that the third wave of the coronavirus is already affecting the capital region, with the number of new cases almost having doubled over a period of three weeks. The good news is that the number of COVID-related deaths in retirement and care homes has dropped significantly following the completion of Phase 1 vaccinations among the most vulnerable in society.
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Swedes in the News
Swedish Champions in Music, Sports and Labor Tusse Wins Mello
attempt. He then cleared 6.05m setting a new championship record. Duplantis ended by having the bar raised to a new world record height of 6.19m. He came very close on his second
Tusse wins “Mello”. Photo: Stina Stjernkvist, SVT
On March 13, 19-year-old Tousin “Tusse” Chiza won Melodifestivalen – an annual music contest where Sweden selects who will represent them in the Eurovision Song Contest. Tusse is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo but came to Sweden as a refugee at the age of 7. Escaping the war, he was separated from his parents and ended up in a refugee camp in Uganda, where he spent almost three years before coming to Sweden. He now lives with a Swedish foster family in Dalarna. In 2019, he won Swedish Idol. Tusse will compete in Eurovision in Rotterdam on May 18-22. The contest will be broadcast on SVT Play. Another Gold for Duplantis Pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis secured another gold at the European Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland in March. The Swede was the only athlete to clear 5.85m and he did so on his first
Team Sprint together with teammate Maja Dahlqvist. Sundling made the most of the slim lead provided to her by Dahlqvist as she entered the last lap under pressure from Russia’s Natalya Nepryayeva. Nepryayeva fell away on the final climb, but Switzerland’s Nadine Faehndrich took up the chase to set up a thrilling sprint finish. Sundling managed to keep her cool and cruised to victory. Stig Malm is Dead
Armand Duplantis. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT
attempt, but in the end he had to settle for another gold medal and his 20th consecutive competition victory. Sundling World Champion
Swedish trade unionist and retired politician Stig Malm passed away from COVID-19 in early March. A strong voice within the worker’s movement, Malm was a controversial public figure who served as chairman of the Swedish
Gold medalist Jonna Sundling. Photo: Bildbyrån.
Swedish cross-country skier Jonna Sundling is world champion after securing Sweden’s second World Cup gold ever in a women’s sprint in Oberstdorf, Germany. “It’s absolutely amazing,” an ecstatic Sundling told Radiosporten. Three days later, Sundling won another gold in
Stig Malm. Photo: Fredrik Persson/ TT Nyhetsbyrån
Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen i Sverige, LO) from 1983 to 1993. The Confederation is the central organisation for 14 affiliates which organise about 1,5 million workers within both the private and the public sectors.
World's Longest Vasalopp
Måns Möller. Photo: Siljan News
Swedish comedian Måns Möller recently set a world record by completing ten Vasalopp in a row; one a day for ten days. The 46-yearold Swede skied a total of 900 km alongside Christer Skog, former captain of Sweden’s national crosscountry team. The goal was to raise money for Viggo Foundation, named after Möller’s son who suffers from a neuropsychiatric disorder. The foundation helps youth with neuropsychiatric illnesses participate in sports. Möller hoped to raise SEK 100,000, but he well exceeded expectations having raised 1,700,000 thus far. And more keeps pouring in. “It’s incredibly cool that so many people have donated, a big thanks to all of them,” says Möller. Victoria has COVID-19 Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel have tested positive for COVID19, but are reportedly feeling well under the circumstances. Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 7
[Landskapsnyheterna] UPPLAND Det finns ungefär 1 300 runstenar i Uppland. Ingenstans i världen är det så tätt mellan runstenarna som här – och nu ska det bli lättare att hitta till dem. Uppsala universitet och Riksantikvarieämbetet har utvecklat en ny sajt med kartor där man kan söka information om var runstenarna står och hur man hittar dem. Stöter man på en runsten som man inte känner till kan man med hjälp av telefonens gps få reda på vilken det är. – Det är en väldigt viktig och synlig del av Sveriges historia för 1 000 år sedan. Målet är att erbjuda vad forskarna har kommit fram till om varje enskild runsten, säger Marco Bianchi, forskare i nordiska språk vid Uppsala universitet till SVT. Man tror att runstenarna var en del av kristnandet av Norden. – Uppenbarligen såg inte kyrkan något problem med den inhemska skriften utan man snarare utnyttjade den i sin egen propaganda berättar Magnus Källström, runolog och forskare vid Riksantikvarieämbetet. En teori om varför det är så tätt mellan runstenarna just i Uppland är att man ville manifestera övergången från asatro till kristendom och att den övergången var mer utdragen i Uppland. – I de flesta landskapen reste man runstenar i en eller två generationer, men inte i Uppland. Här höll man på i över hundra år. Upplänningarna var kanske lite motsträviga, säger Källström. DALARNA Årets Vasalopp mellan Sälen och Mora gick snabbare än någonsin tidigare. Lina Korsgren blev den första kvinnan i historien under fyra timmar med tiden 3.52.08 och Tord Asle Gjerdalen tog hem herrsegern på rekordtiden 3.28,18. Förutsättningarna var ovanligt bra, men blåsigt väder resulterade i skräp och snö i spåret vilket gjorde att en del åkte bredvid spåren och tog skejtskär. Det är inte tillåtet. Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 8
LAPPLAND NORRBOTTEN
Lina Korsgren. Foto: Vasaloppet
En åkare diskades och ytterligare fem varnades. Världens främsta damåkare genom tiderna, norska Marit Bjørgen valde också att göra comeback och satsa på det här loppet. 40-åriga Bjørgen har vunnit åtta OS-guld och 18 VM-guld, men i årets Vasalopp kom hon tvåa, bara 42 sekunder efter Korsgren som tog sin tredje seger. – Det var mäktigt att gå loss med Bjørgen och jag fick massor med energi av det, sade Korsgren till SVT. Det är ju en av världens bästa skidåkare. LAPPLAND I mars 2021 blev Ulrika Hallergren Ridefors den första privatpersonen som fick se sin nya lägenhet i nya Kiruna centrum. – Det känns jättekul och spännande, säger hon. 2004 stod det klart att gruvdriften i världens största underjordsgruva skulle komma att omforma Kirunas stadskärna. LKAB behövde mer mark. Dessutom hade gruvdriften skapat hålrum i berget som krupit sig allt närmare stadens bebyggelse och gett upphov till sprickbildningar i marken. Det påverkar ledningar och elförsörjning men även vägar och hus. Allt detta gav upphov till världens största flytt. Ungefär 6 000 människor, 3 000 bostäder och cirka 450 000 kvadratmeter offentliga och kommersiella lokaler omfattas av flytten. År 2035 ska den gamla stadskärnan vara avvecklad och den nya färdigutvecklad, tre kilometer österut. – Det känns som att flytta till en ny stad fast man ändå är i Kiruna, säger Hallergren Ridefors.
VÄSTERBOTTEN
JÄMTLAND
HÄRJEDALEN
ÅNGERMANLAND
MEDELPAD HÄLSINGLAND
DALARNA GÄSTRIKLAND VÄSTMANLAND VÄRMLAND DALSLAND BOHUSLÄN Göteborg
UPPLAND
SÖDERMANNÄRKE LAND
Stockholm
ÖSTERGÖTLAND
VÄSTERGÖTLAND
GOTLAND SMÅLAND
HALLAND
ÖLAND SKÅNE
BLEKINGE
Malmö
Hon har blandade känslor över att lämna nuvarande Kiruna centrum, men inser att det är nödvändigt om staden, som är helt beroende av gruvan, ska kunna finnas kvar. – Vi har jättefin utsikt här, men i gamla lägenheten där vi bor nu ser vi Kebnekajse-massivet. Det kommer både jag och min man att sakna jättemycket, säger hon. Summary in English: Rune stones are more common in the county of Uppland than anywhere else in the world. There are more than 1,300 stones in total. Online maps are being prepared to pinpoint their location. This year’s Vasaloppet ski race in Dalarna was hampered by debris in the ski tracks due to stormy weather. Even so, Lina Korsgren became the first woman to cover the 90 km in under 4 hours, and Tord Asle Gjerdalen won the men’s race in less than 3½ hours. In Lapland, the city centre of Kiruna is being evacuated as underground excavations in the nearby iron mine are making the ground unstable. A new city centre is under construction 3 km (2 mi) east of the old core, and the first of approximately 3,000 displaced residents has taken possession of her new apartment.
[Business] News Win Some, Lose Some Scania Embroiled in Scandal
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By Peter Berlin he Swedish truck and bus manufacturer Scania is in trouble with its shareholders due to a corruption scandal. Swedish Television SVT hosts an investigative program called Uppdrag Granskning which is similar to CBS’s 60 Minutes. Thanks to an internal Scania whistleblower, the program recently managed to expose a major bribery scandal involving senior Scania executives at the company’s factory in India. The factory was opened with great fanfare in 2015. Three years later it was quietly closed down after internal investigations revealed the scale of the corruption.
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Smaller Airports May Close
everal regional airports in Sweden are experiencing a financial crisis due to lack of government support. One of the airports is Skavsta south of Stockholm whose majority owner is a French company. Another one is owned by the city of Västerås to the west of Stockholm. Yet another one is Bromma Airport owned by the Swedish airport operator Swedavia. Located on the outskirts of Stockholm, it was the main airport of the capital until it was eclipsed by Stockholm Arlanda which opened in 1962. The survival of some other airports in southern and central Sweden are hanging in the balance. The financial difficulties faced by these airports have been aggravated by the drop in air traffic due to COVID-19. The government is reluctant to subsidize the airports for two reasons: They are primarily served by tourist charter airlines rather than mainstream carriers, and
Henrik Henriksson, President and CEO of Scania. Photo © Scania CV AB
The original intention in opening a Scania factory in India was to build and sell buses throughout the entire subcontinent. The corruption investigation showed that Indian officials were handsomely bribed so that Scania would win lucrative contracts. One such bribe took the form of a luxury
they are too close to the Arlanda hub to qualify for the kind of air access support enjoyed by more remote regions. The government’s position is that it is up to local owners and authorities to cover the deficits of the airports, or else accept that they may have to close for good.
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Northvolt Going Strong
urther to our article about Northvolt in the March 2021 issue of Swedish Press (page 25), we can now report that the company has successfully raised SEK 5.4bn ($635m) on the stock market. The capital will be used primarily to complete the company’s R&D facility in Västerås where super-efficient lithium-ion battery technology is being developed. Commissioning of the huge battery manufacturing plant in Skellefteå will require additional funding. Northvolt has also acquired the US company Cuberg based in Silicon
version of the model Metrolink HD bus given to the Transport Minister of India as a gift for his daughter’s wedding. The various transactions passed through a chain of Indian middlemen acting as cover for the Indian recipients. To Scania’s credit, the company’s CEO, Henrik Henriksson, legitimized whistleblowing among the staff when he took office in 2016. The Indiabased executives involved in the corruption scandal have since been dismissed. The whole debacle cost the company half a billion SEK ($60m) in lost profits; hence the indignation of the shareholders who were kept in the dark about the scandal until it was exposed in the Uppdrag Granskning program.
Valley. While Northvolt is focused on the automobile market, Cuberg has its sights on the aviation sector. Cuberg will develop next-generation battery cells for the electromobility market targeting a lower price point, better performance and increased safety. To consolidate its international market presence, Northvolt has plans to establish yet another battery manufacturing facility in Germany.
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Myanmar Crisis Fallout
wo of Sweden’s top fashion enterprises, H&M and KappAhl, have temporarily suspended imports from their suppliers in Myanmar. Forty-five of H&M’s subcontractors are affected; the number of suppliers to KappAhl is smaller. The companies are not saying whether their actions are in support of the popular uprising in Myanmar, instead citing uncertainties in the continuity of deliveries. Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 9
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Company File
Women’s Role in the Green Transformation at Epiroc By Noelle Norman
The transition to the green economy will require greater supply of minerals and metals. At the same time, there is greater customer demand for environmentally sustainable practices. For the mining industry, green mining practices and greater diversity will become crucial for long-term growth.
“W
e invest more than ever in R&D to drive these changes,” says Helena Hedblom, CEO of Epiroc, a Swedish company specializing in mining and infrastructure equipment. An offshoot from the Atlas Copco group, Epiroc became an independent company in 2018 when it was listed on the stock exchange. For Epiroc, the green transformation started in Canada. “Our first battery products were developed, built and deployed in Canada in 2013. Now we have our new generation ready with our midsized battery electrical drill rigs, 14-ton loaders and 42-ton trucks,” says Hedblom. And Canada continues to be the country leading the way. Last year, Epiroc signed its first “Batteries-as-a-Service” (BaaS) contract in Canada and the company is in the process of establishing a competence center for electrification in Canada to help drive this technology shift in the rest of the world.
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 10
Helena Hedblom, CEO of Epiroc.
Today, battery-powered vehicle sales represent only a small portion of Epiroc’s total sales, but the company is optimistic about the future. “We already have battery [powered] electric vehicles in all parts of the world and together with our partner in Canada we will soon launch retrofit capabilities to transform the existing fleet out there into battery technology,” says Hedblom. Epiroc has committed that by 2030, they will halve the CO2 emissions from operations, transport and the products they sell. The ambitious targets go hand in hand with a program to increase gender diversity. By 2030, Epiroc aims to double the number of women in operational roles and to have 40 percent women managers in the company. “To be successful we need people with different backgrounds,” says Hedblom. “The mining industry is becoming a high-tech industry. I see that women can really contribute to this development.” However, that position hasn’t always been the norm. Working in the mining industry was long
considered too dangerous and too strenuous for women. In Canada, women were not allowed to work surface operations of mines until 1960, and it wasn’t until 1978 that they could work underground. With few role models to look up to, change has been slow. Today, approximately 15.7 percent of mining company employees are female – an increase of only 1 percent over the past five years, according to Bloomberg. In Canada, women comprise only 17 percent of the total national mining workforce. In Sweden, major mining companies are approaching 25 percent. Internationally, most women work in support functions with very few at the management level. Just one in 20 global mining firms is headed by a woman. As CEO of Epiroc, Hedblom makes up one of those few exceptions. “The leadership must be openminded to facilitate this change. It boils down to brave leaders,” says Hedblom. “With the current technology shift underway, we have a chance to focus on innovation, sustainability and diversity. Those will be my top priorities in the coming years.”
Boomer M1 L inspection in underground mine. All photos: Epiroc
H E RI TAG E
An Insider’s Look at Swedish Culture Amerikanskan som tog Dalarna med storm Av Svea Gossner
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n amerikanska, Kerrin Petty-Nilsson från Vermont, har vunnit Vasaloppet och Tjejvasan hela 3 gånger sammanlagt. I USA skrev man i tidningen att hon slagit världsrekord i Vasaloppet eftersom ingen annan kvinna kört snabbare än hon år 1998, och det rekordet varade i hela 14 år. I Sverige var detta ingen stor nyhet; kanske berodde det på att hon inte var svenska och representerade USA i de Olympiska Spelen vid två tillfällen. Redan 1987 började Kerrin Petty-Nilsson på Mora folkhögskolas skidlinje, men hon är fortfarande amerikansk medborgare, bor kvar i Mora med sin familj och jobbar idag som kostchef på sjukhuset. När Kerrin dessutom vann SM (30 km) år 1996 fick reglerna ändras, för kunde en icke-svensk egentligen vinna SM – Svenska Mästerskap? Sedan dess måste man vara svensk medborgare för att kunna vinna SM. Att kvinnor som vann inte alltid fick samma fina priser som männen var något som Kerrin uppmärk-
Tjejvasan 2021 starten. Foto: Vasaloppet/ Nisse Schmidt
sammade och ifrågasatte redan på den tiden. Trots att hon nämligen vann den inofficiella damklassen i Vasaloppet 1994 så fanns det inget pris till henne, till skillnad från mannen som vann en fin bil. 1997 infördes äntligen en officiell damklass i Vasaloppet. Året därpå vann Kerrin igen och slog rekordet. Än idag har Sverige mycket att jobba med när det gäller jämställdhet inom sport, då vi alla vet om att kvinnor många gånger måste ha ett arbete vid sidan av sin idrottskarriär. Sverige, som oftast anses som ett av de mest jämställda länderna i världen, kan även ta lärdom av USA där deras skolsystem har en annan kultur ifråga om att utveckla duktiga talanger. Tack vare stipendier kan studenter oavsett kön fokusera på sin idrott. Det var dessa frågeställningarna vi diskuterade då jag hade stora äran att få ha Kerrin vid min sida för att överleva mina 90 km i Vasaloppet, och där Kerrin var min välbehövliga draghjälp. Det slog mig hur Kerrin måste ha tagit Dalarna med storm och samtidigt rört om i grytan i detta landskap där Jantelagen är stark. Det kulturella utbytet med andra nationaliteter var då inte lika stort som idag. Samtidigt förstod jag, när jag åkte vid hennes sida
från Sälen till Mora i Gustav Vasas fotspår, att hon var en kändis i trakten. Alla hälsade glatt på henne, vilket nog även berodde på en viss förvåning över att hon inte körde snabbare dagen till ära eftersom hon fick skida i min långsammare takt. Det är kanske inte så konstigt att jag äntligen klarade min stora dröm och kom i mål i Mora två timmar tidigare än jag hade hoppats på, eftersom vi hade så viktiga samtal. Den här enastående kvinnan förtjänar mycket mer uppmärksamhet i Sverige än vad hon hittills fått. Men samtidigt har hon lyckats med att inspirera och ifrågasätta jämställdheten inom skidsporten, vilket är värt så mycket för framtida generationer.
From left: Metta Lundquist, Svea Gossner and Kerrin Petty-Nilsson.
Summary in English: An American woman, Kerrin Petty-Nilsson from Vermont, has won the famous Swedish Vasaloppet ski race three times. She also notes that Sweden, an international model of gender equality, still has some way to go when it comes to gender equality in sports. Sweden can learn from the US where scholarships enable students of both genders to focus on developing their talents in sports. Footnote: Yvonne “Svea” Gossner är en f.d universitetsadjunkt och Swedish influencer, numera ägare av Learn Swedish Culture AB. www.learnswedishculture.com
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 11
Reconnect With Your Roots – Study in Sweden By Kajsa Norman
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tudying in Sweden is a common dream among both Swedish expats and North Americans of Swedish descent. Whether you embark on a short exchange or pursue a degree, it can be a great way to further your education while also taking the opportunity to reconnect with your roots. Here’s what you need to know about requirements, fees and deadlines. Attending University in Sweden
Swedish universities are keen to welcome applicants from abroad. Visit www.studyinsweden.se for a list of the many programs available in English at both the Bachelor and Master levels starting in the fall of 2021. You’ll also find practical information regarding accommodation, health insurance, visa requirements, and much more.
University Eligibility Requirements for American and Canadian Students All courses and programs have general entry requirements. These can be found at the admissions website for Sweden, www.universityadmissions.se. In order to meet the general entry requirements for Bachelor’s level studies, you must: • have successfully completed your upper secondary (high school) education (including courses in mathematics equal to the Swedish courses Mathematics 1a, 1b or 1c); and • be able to demonstrate proficiency in English. Most North American applicants meet this requirement through their high school studies. For application to Master’s level, you must have been awarded a Bachelor’s degree (equivalent to a Swedish kandidatexamen) from an internationally recognized university. Most courses and study programs have specific entry requirements in addition to the general requirements. For example, an economics course may require a higher level of Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 12
upper secondary school mathematics. A Master’s program may require a Bachelor’s degree in a specific subject area. These specific requirements are outlined in the individual course or program descriptions which are found on the university’s website.
How to Apply Canadian and American students should consult www. Universityadmissions.se which offers detailed, step-by-step information about entry requirements, application procedures, key dates, selection and admissions results, as well as fees, scholarships and residence permits. Rules differ for Swedish citizens, Swedish permanent residents, EU citizens, and citizens from the rest of the world – including the United States and Canada. Once you are clear about which category you belong to, the process is fairly straightforward.
Deadlines The first admission round (closing January 15) was created specifically for international students. In this round, the entire catalogue of courses and programmes taught in English is available. The second admission round (closing April 15) is the regular admission round for Swedish students. The entire catalogue of courses and programmes taught in Swedish
is available, but some universities also offer courses and programmes taught in English in the second round. International students are welcome to apply to both rounds, but the admissions decision from the second round doesn’t come until July. As you cannot submit your application for a residence permit until you have been admitted to full-time university studies in Sweden and have paid your first tuition fee instalment, non-EU/EEA applicants who require a residence permit are encouraged to apply in the first round.
Fees, Tuition and Scholarships There is no tuition for Swedish or EU citizens. However, as an American or Canadian citizen you will pay SEK 900 (US$ 108) when you apply to study in Sweden. The application fee is the same regardless of how many programs you apply for. The tuition fee for Americans and Canadians can be as low as SEK 80,000 (US$ 9,600) per year, or as high as SEK 295,000 (US$ 35,500), depending on the university and the program of your choice. However, most Swedish universities and colleges offer scholarships to international students. For a complete list along with eligibility information, visit: https://studyinsweden.se/scholarships.
What If I Want to Study in Swedish?
Du som talar svenska och vill läsa vid ett svenskspråkigt program har ett mycket större utbud att välja bland, särskilt på kandidatnivå. Förutom en avslutad gymnasieutbildning måste man ha goda kunskaper i svenska, engelska och matematik. De flesta utlandssvenskar har läst engelska och matematik, men med svenskan kan det vara värre. Det räcker nämligen inte att ha svenska som modersmål för att bli behörig i svenska. – Även om man har svenska föräldrar och talar svenska hemma innebär inte det att man klarar universitetsstudier på svenska. Det handlar ju om helt andra uttryck och termer än dem man använder till vardags, säger Dan Larsson, biträdande rektor vid Hermods Distansgymnasium som bland annat erbjuder kurser i Svenska 1, 2 och 3 på distans. För att bli behörig till en svenskspråkig universitetsutbildning krävs att man klarat gymnasiekursen Svenska 3 eller Svenska som andra språk 3. Man kan också ta ett så kallat TISUS-test (test i svenska för universitets- och högskolestudier), men det upplevs av många som ett svårare alternativ och bara ungefär hälften av dem som genomför testet blir godkända. Det finns dock hjälp att få.
Global Svenska Plus (GSP) erbjuder förberedelsekurser på distans. För elever som studerar vid en IB-skola utanför Sverige erbjuder de också möjligheten att integrera IB Swedish A eller B i gymnasieexamen. Oavsett vilken väg man väljer är det viktigt att börja planera i tid. För att kunna läsa svenska på distans behöver man nämligen ha ett godkänt betyg i svenska från årskurs 9. Det kan man skaffa sig via Sofia Distans, en kommunal grundskola inom Stockholms stad som har som uppdrag att undervisa svenska elever bosatta i utlandet. Sofia Distans följer grundskolans kursplaner och kunskapskrav för årskurs 6-9. Hos dem kan man läsa hela högstadiet på distans, men man kan också fokusera på enstaka ämnen såsom svenska för att få behörighet till svenskt gymnasium. Kurserna vid såväl Sofia Distans som Hermods Distansgymnasium är avgiftsbelagda, men om åtminstone en förälder är svensk medborgare kan man söka om statsbidrag hos Skolverket. Detta görs via Sofia Distans eller Hermods. För mer information besök www.sofiadistans.nu, www.hermods.se eller www.globalsvenska.com.
What If I Want to Attend Middle School or High School in Sweden? If you are a Swedish or EU/EEA citizen, you have the right to free education in Sweden at any level. If you are a Canadian or American citizen under the age of 18, you may be able to attend Middle or High School in Sweden free of charge. However, you would need a residence permit. To apply for one, you must have been accepted to full-time studies, have valid health insurance, and be able to support yourself throughout the period for which you’re applying. Check with the school you’re interested in attending for application deadlines and eligibility prerequisites. If your parents don’t reside in Sweden, you would need to attend a boarding school, such as Sigtunaskolan www.sshl.se, live with other close relatives, or participate in a student exchange. More information can be found at www.migrationsverket.se.
Photo: Magnus Liam Karlsson/imagebank.sweden.se
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 13
Swedish Alumni Taking On the World Work-life balance, informal classroom settings and proximity to incredible nature are some of the main reasons international students choose Sweden, but Swedish academia can offer more than just a good time. Life Sciences, Engineering, IT, and Economics are some of the disciplines where Sweden stands out. Meet four Swedish university alumni who’ve succeeded in North America and beyond.
Pernilla WittungStafshede
Gothenburg. She spent her last year in the program at Imperial College in London, England. “There I developed my appetite for doing research, figuring out undiscovered things,” she says. Pernilla returned to Sweden and started her PhD in Physical Chemistry at Chalmers, but her research soon took her to California Institute of Technology (CalTech) outside of Los Angeles. After two years, Pernilla was offered a position in the Chemistry Department at Tulane University in New Orleans. “Fortunately, my Swedish husband also managed to find a job in New Orleans. We lived there for 5 years, during which time I was promoted to full professor with tenure.” One day, Pernilla organized a party for alumni from Chalmers who
By Peter Berlin
Unlocking the Secrets of Parkinson’s and Cancer
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orn in Umeå in Northern Sweden, Pernilla WittungStafshede studied Chemical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology in
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 14
Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede
lived in America. One of them was a professor at Rice University in Texas. “He suggested I send them my c.v. My only experience of Texas in those days was watching Dallas on TV, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to live there. But soon afterwards Rice University contacted me and offered me a position in Houston, a city which is a real hub for research in many fields. I accepted the offer and my husband managed to secure a work transfer to Houston. We were there for 5 years, during which time our second daughter was born.” After 12 years in America, Pernilla and her husband contemplated moving back to Sweden for the sake of their two daughters. “I heard that Umeå University was looking for professors in chemistry. I visited the university and fell in love with it. I also visited an elementary school and it all felt right.” Eventually, Pernilla went full circle and returned to her alma mater. “After 7 years in Umeå, Chalmers approached me. They were starting a new department and wanted me to be the head of one of its divisions. The challenge of leading not just my own research group but a larger team appealed to me.” Summarizing her research in her current position as professor at the Biology and Biological Engineering Department, Pernilla says: “I work on proteins, the body’s workhorses that in principle perform all functions. Proteins are long chains of amino acids. To function, these chains must fold into compact three-dimensional structures. My research focuses on how this folding process takes place and what can affect it. This is important as a lot of diseases are caused by proteins not folding correctly. Since my return to Sweden, I study more directly what
happens when proteins fold the wrong way. There are several neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s where proteins fold in the wrong way and then stick together to form dangerous plaque in the brain. When we understand why folding goes wrong, we can develop drugs that counteract the process.” At Chalmers, Pernilla is also head of Genie, which stands for Gender Initiative for Excellence. “Genie wants to create a better university by strategic female recruitments and improving the academic culture. Chalmers is dominated by men among both faculty and students. When I returned to Sweden, like most foreigners I thought the country was superior at gender equality. Indeed, Sweden is very good in many ways, but it has the same male dominance at top positions as the rest of the world. There is a lot of talking but nothing happens. I wanted action so I started Genie.” Pernilla is a staunch advocate of students gaining international experience through conducting a part of their studies at a foreign institution. “You learn so much more than your subject of study – how to live in a different place and meeting new people. You mature a lot as a person and may develop contacts for the future.” Why should North Americans consider studying at a Swedish university? “We maintain a high education standard. If you want to find out about Swedish culture and society, that is the way to do it. As an added bonus, everybody speaks English which makes life easier for a North American student – something which one cannot take for granted in other European countries.”
Johan Hultin
The Alarming Similarities Between the Spanish Flu and COVID-19
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t is absolutely certain another pandemic will come, but we don’t knowwhat form it will have. The question is, how can we be forewarned?” Those omniscient words were spoken by pathologist Johan Hultin in a February 2002 interview, eighteen years before the outbreak of COVID-19. In search of answers, he set his mind on unlocking the genetic code of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic which ravaged humanity in three successive waves. In 1948, Johan Hultin entered Uppsala University to study medicine. However, the courses bored him so he spent much of his spare time arranging drinking contests with fellow students. Their alcohol-fuelled escapades caused considerable damage to University property. Hultin was summoned to the office of the Dean who threatened to expel him. With his Swedish career plans in doubt, he moved to the United States, was admitted to the University of Iowa, and graduated with an M.D. with a specialty in virology. Hultin was fascinated by potentially fatal influenza viruses. The most notable pandemics in modern time include the 1918 Spanish flu. This flu was devastating, possibly killing up to 100
million people worldwide, including Inuit communities in the Arctic. He reasoned that our ability to defeat influenza viruses with the help of targeted vaccinations depends on our understanding of their molecular make-up. Since influenza usually affects the lungs, Hultin estimated that his best chances of collecting well-preserved lung tissue samples would be to dig up Inuit victims of the 1918 pandemic buried in the permafrost of the Arctic. In 1951 he set out on an expedition to Alaska. There, he met Inuit leaders who gave him permission to excavate. He found what he was looking for and brought lung tissues back to Iowa City. Unfortunately, subsequent analysis showed that too much time had passed for the tissue samples to be of any use. In 1997, Hultin decided to have another go at retrieving well-preserved lung tissue from Spanish flu victims. Once again he travelled to Alaska, visiting the same excavation site as in 1951. This time he found the body of an obese 30-year-old woman whose body fat had helped to preserve her lungs in pristine condition. He and his fellow researchers now had enough material to sequence the complete 1918 virus and establish its similarities with viruses in subsequent pandemics. By solving the riddle of the Spanish flu, Hultin has been instrumental in our ability to fight the coronavirus today.
Johan Hultin. Photo: Stephan Elleringmann/SI
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 15
Mikael Dolsten
The Swede Behind the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine
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und University alumnus Mikael Dolsten is the Chief Scientific Officer at Pfizer in the United States. Pfizer is, of course, the American pharmaceutical company that launched one of the first fully certified vaccines against COVID-19 in the fall of 2020. As Head of Research, Dolsten has been the “conductor of the symphony orchestra” that pulled all the necessary resources together to develop the vaccine in less than a year – a process that would normally require a decade. Much has been written about the fact that the Pfizer vaccine has to be
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 16
stored at a very cold temperature. Compared to other COVID-19 vaccines, this is a drawback when it comes to distributing it to remote communities, especially in the developing world. However, one advantage of the Pfizer vaccine is that it can readily be used as a booster if a person’s immunity begins to wear off. Another advantage is that it can be quickly adapted for maximum effectiveness against new strains of the virus. This is so because it is based on so-called mRNA, a molecule that may be processed and edited. Dolsten grew up in Halmstad in the south of Sweden. He went on to study medicine at Lund University, obtained a PhD in cancer immunology, and was eventually appointed Adjunct Professor. In parallel he worked for the Swedish pharmaceutical companies Pharmacia and Astra. Pharmacia was later bought by Pfizer, and Astra became UK-based AstraZeneca. In 2004, Dolsten and his family settled for good in the United States. While at Pfizer, he served as scientific advisor to the Obama administration’s task force for improving regulatory and drug development, as well as to VP
Mikael Dolsten. Photo: Pfizer
Biden for the coordination of cancer research. He holds dual Swedish-US citizenship. During his time as a young researcher at Lund, he was granted a scholarship which enabled him to travel abroad and gain experience of international research. “That is something I am grateful for today,” he stated in an interview. “As a researcher you are part of a global knowledge community and need to get impressions of how others work, learn new techniques and gain new approaches. Travel scholarships are a tremendous investment in young researchers.” Mikael Dolsten spent 20 years in Lund, and the southern Swedish city has always occupied a special place in his heart. He therefore did not need much persuasion to accept a recent invitation to return to his Alma Mater, despite his heavy workload at Pfizer. As of January 1, 2021, he is a Visiting Professor at the University, intent on sharing his knowledge not only in research but also in the best ways to manage innovation and create entrepreneurial structures, so as to maximize the practical benefits of the research.
Johan Skog
Listening to the Tweets of Exosomes
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ith trillions of dollars having been spent on cancer research over time, it seems surprising that there still no reliable and non-invasive method of detecting cancer during routine health check-ups. Cancer is diagnosed only when some seemingly unrelated symptom – maybe abdominal pain or a persistent cough – causes a person to seek medical advice, and then often too late for a permanent cure. Surely, the day will come when a simple blood or urine test could reveal the onset of cancer anywhere in the body without the need for a costly
MRI scan or an invasive biopsy of human tissue? Well, that day may be getting closer thanks to a revolutionary discovery by Swedish cell biologist Johan Skog. In 2005, Dr Skog earned his PhD in Virology while doing research at Umeå University in northern Sweden. The following year he joined the Harvard Medical School in Boston to develop a gene therapy method for treating brain tumours. In the process, he became an expert on so-called exosomes, small packages released by cells into the blood stream and other body fluids such as urine. These packages contain various molecular constituents of their cell of origin, including proteins and ribonucleid acid (RNA). Working late one night in the laboratory, Dr. Johan Skog found that these exosomes included RNA from cancer. RNA is the “language of cells”, and the tiny exosome packages act as a means of communication between the cells, somewhat akin to Twitter messages. Eavesdropping on the tweets makes it is possible to detect a cancer and its origin early, and also to observe how it is changing over time. By taking
Exosome Diagnostics was founded in 2008 by Johan Skog. Photo: Exosome Diagnostics
Johan Skog. Photo: Johan Gunséus /Tidningen Curie
regular blood and urine samples from people and singling out the exosomes, proper treatment can be initiated before the disease has had a chance to grow and spread. Johan Skog obtained a patent for his discovery and started the company Exosome Diagnostics with initial focus on detecting prostate cancer. Currently, this type of cancer is the fifth most common cause of death among men in the USA Early prostate cancer is typically diagnosed almost by accident if a person’s blood test happens to include a measurement of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). However, the PSA method is unreliable to the point where it sometimes leads to MRI scans and biopsies being performed unnecessarily. For Exosome Diagnostics, detecting and monitoring prostate cancer is only the first step towards the goal of providing a more universal diagnostic tool. Johan Skog has handed over the day-to-day management of the enterprise to colleagues and is now working in the company’s laboratory as Chief Scientific Officer. His ambition is to expand the usefulness of his discovery to include other forms of cancer.
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 17
H E RITAG E
“Jag skriver för att jag inte kan tala ...”
Hyllad ”svensk” poet i USA – okänd i Sverige Av Lars Sönnergren
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ay Swenson heter en i USA uppmärksammad poet. Svensk till ursprunget, men så gott som okänd här i vårt land. Nu ska hennes barndomshem i delstaten Utah bli en kulturell samlingspunkt. Mays far hette Dan Arthur Swenson och var född i Osby i Skåne 1880. Han emigrerade till Amerika, frälstes och blev mormon. Dan återvände till Sverige som missionär. Han fann sin blivande maka Anna Margaret Elizabeth Hallberg, född 1889 i Eskilstuna. De bosatte sig i Amerika i universitetsstaden Logan – i dag med drygt 51 000 invånare – i delstaten Utah, vilken präglas av de många mormonerna. Dan Swenson blev lärare i mekanik vid universitetet. 1913 föddes Anna Thilda May Swenson, som det första av tio barn. I hemmet talades svenska och May Swenson kom riktigt i kontakt med det engelska språket först när hon började skolan. Vid 13 års ålder började hon känna sig som familjens svarta får, då hon ifrågasatte den mormonska tron. May kom snart att förstå att hon var lesbisk. Hon började skriva dikter och annat för sig själv. Skrivandet var ett sätt att få ge uttryck för sina känslor. Någonstans skrev hon ”Jag är två ögon instängda i en pansarutrustning. Jag skriver för att jag inte kan tala”.
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 18
Kontakt med Tranströmer
Men olikheterna ledde inte till att hon bröt med sin familj. Hon såg positivt på sin uppväxt och skrev ”Var det verkligen bara en sommar då jag var tio år?” Hon skulle få mycket beröm för sin lyriskt uttrycksfulla stil. Artikelförfattaren har dock inte kunnat hitta någon av hennes böcker i något svenskt bibliotek. Ändå var det nära att hon kunde ha blivit översatt – av den svenska poeten Tomas Tranströmer. Hon var bland de första att översätta Tomas Tranströmers lyrik till engelska. – Ofta var det så att Tomas sedan översatte till svenska dem som översatte honom, men samarbetet mellan dem fortsatte inte, berättar Monika Tranströmer, Tomas fru. Varför inte samarbetet med May Swenson fortsatte vet Monika Tranströmer egentligen inte. Tomas uppfattade May Swenson som självständig, men det var inget som störde honom. Frågor om någons sexuella läggning var inte sådant som uppkom så ofta i mitten av 1900-talet. Från litteraturen, hur många svenskar kan redogöra för våra författares sexuella läggning, undantagandes Karin Boyes?
Flyttade till New York
Och att May Swenson inte då blev översatt, anser heller inte Monika Tranströmer så underligt. Hur många amerikanska poeter lyckades ta steget över Atlanten under 1950-, 1960- och 1970-talen? Alltså under May Swensons aktiva tid. Långt före internet. Vad Monika Tranströmer vet besökte heller aldrig May Swenson Sverige. Via tidningsjobb i Salt Lake City kom May Swenson i 20-årsåldern så småningom till New York och bodde bland annat i stadsdelen Greenwich Village, känd för sina många bohemer och konstnärliga personer. Amerikanske radiopersonligheten Garrison Keillor, som på internet varje dag skriver The Writer’s Almanac, tror att flyttet till storstaden New York var Mays enda chans att få leva som lesbisk. Garrison Keillor skriver varje dag något om kända amerikanska författare på deras födelsedag. Och den 28 maj uppmärksammade
och omnämnde han just May Swensons författarskap och livsöde. Väl ett tecken på att ”svenskan” blev och är känd i USA.
450 publicerade dikter
Ett annat tecken – när skolan Brattleboro Union High School i Vermont i höstas höll konsert ingick en tonsatt dikt av May Swenson – I will be earth. You be the flower. Ungefärligen översatt Jag är jorden. Du är blomman. Alltså en klar kärleksdikt. Men efter ungdomsflytten till östra USA skulle det dröja innan hon debuterade. Det skedde först när hon var 41 år 1954 med boken Another animal. Tomas Tranströmers av henne och Leif Sjöberg översatta dikter kom ut i USA 1972. Engelska Wikipedia tar upp titeln på tio poesiböcker hon skrev samt en prosabok. Hon fick en mängd utmärkelser under sin författarbana. Typiskt för hennes okändhet i Sverige är att det hos engelska Wikipedia inte finns någon hänvisning till svenska Wikipedia – bara till italienska Wikipedia! Och redaktörerna där har hittat fler verk av May Swensons hand än de engelska redaktörerna. Hon lär ha fått 450 dikter publicerade. En del uttrycksfulla kärleksdikter publicerades först efter hennes död. Var hon en bra poet? Är det en förlust att hon inte översatts till vårt språk? Sannolikt – men det kan inte en amatör som artikelförfattaren slutgiltigt bedöma. Den som själv vill avgöra detta kan höra och se May Swenson själv i filmer på Youtube samt dikter där inlagda av beundrare så sent som för några år sedan. På webbsidan Poets.org karaktäriseras hon och beundras för sin lek med ord samt erotiska livsglädje. Hon får omdömet att ha haft inflytande på 1900-talets amerikanska författare. På Poetryfoundation.org finns fler av hennes dikter.
How To Be Old – May Swenson
.t, It is easy to be young, (Everybody is, at first.) It is not easy to be old. It takes time. Youth is given; age is achieved. One must work a magic to mix with time in order to become old. Youth is given. One must put it away like a doll in a closet, take it out and play with it only on holidays. One must have many dresses and dress the doll impeccably (but not to show the doll, to keep it hidden.) It is necessary to adore the doll, to remember it in the dark on the ordinary days, and every day congratulate one's aging face in the mirror. In time one will be very old. In time, one's life will be accomplished. And in time, in time, the doll– like new, though ancient–will be found.
t t t
Hyllas i hemstaden
Hemma i Utah utdelas sedan några år ett litterärt pris till hennes minne. Nu har man börjat samla in pengar för att kunna återuppbygga hennes barndomshem. Det ska bli en kulturell och litterär samlingspunkt. Den som tar sig till Utah och besöker hennes hemstad Logan kan gå The May Swenson poetry path, det vill säga ”May Swensons poetiska stig”, utlagd av universitet där. Man får se betydelsefulla platser under hennes uppväxt. Hennes poem finns att läsa på olika håll längs stigen. Till slut kommer man fram till May Swensons grav. Hon dog 1989.
Summary in English: May Swenson was an American poet who grew up in a Swedish immigrant family in Logan, Utah. Paradoxically, she and her works are well-known in America but virtually unknown in Sweden. She translated Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer’s poetry to English, but their plans to have him translate her works to Swedish fell through for unknown reasons. May and her parents went through difficult times when at a young age she questioned their Mormon faith and it transpired that she was lesbian, but they remained close nonetheless. She died in 1989. Plans are under way in Logan to restore her childhood home which will serve as a cultural and literary venue.
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 19
[Lifestyle] Book A Silenced Voice: The Life of Journalist Kim Wall Reviewed by Peter Berlin
Peter Madsen was a Danish space enthusiast and amateur builder of a submarine. On August 10, 2017 he committed one of the most bizarre crimes in Scandinavian history. Kim Wall, a 30-year-old Swedish freelance journalist, boarded the submarine in Copenhagen intending to interview Madsen. The last photo of Kim shows her silhouette against the evening sky as she stands on the submarine’s tower.
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hen Kim failed to return that night, her boyfriend contacted the police. The next day the crew of a pleasure boat rescued Madsen whose submarine had begun to sink. There was no sign of Kim. A few days later a woman’s torso was found washed up on the beach of Öresund. DNA testing linked it to Kim Wall. In the weeks that followed, police divers recovered the rest of her dismembered body. Madsen was arrested, suspected of murder. During interrogation he stated that the heavy hatch cover of the submarine’s tower had accidentally collapsed on her head and killed her. Later he changed his story, claiming that she had suffocated from engine exhaust poisoning while she was inside the vessel and he was outside. Discovering her in a lifeless state, he tried to lift her out in order to bury her at sea but found her to be too
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 20
heavy, which is why he dismembered her. In a subsequent psychiatric report he is quoted as saying: “What do you do if you have a big problem? You divide it up into smaller ones, of course.” Forensic analysis of Kim’s body found no evidence of trauma to her head, nor of engine exhaust poisoning. Eight months after the ill-fated submarine voyage, Madsen was sentenced to life in prison, charged with crimes including murder and aggravated sexual abuse. A Silenced Voice, written by Kim’s parents in 2018 and translated to English in 2020, contains a detailed timeline of events that led up to her murder; it also covers the subsequent police investigation and court proceedings. The emotionally charged chapters alternate with flashbacks to Kim’s childhood, her teens, her academic achievements at the London School of Economics
and Columbia University, and her reporting from some of the world’s political hotspots. Her parents could have been forgiven for posthumously embellishing their daughter’s accomplishments in academia and on the world stage but, professional journalists themselves, they succeed in conveying a sense of truthful objectivity. The reader comes away with an image of Kim Wall as an extraordinarily talented, inquisitive, courageous, compassionate and beautiful young woman who held strong convictions and built deep friendships wherever she went. In her journalistic endeavors she lent a voice to the suppressed and humiliated, be it defeated Tamil women warriors in Sri Lanka, torture victims in Idi Amin’s Uganda, muzzled citizens of North Korea, or inhabitants of the Marshall Islands still suffering from radiation exposure since the American post-war nuclear bomb tests. Her appetite for adventure trumped any fear of danger that she might have felt during her travels. It was her fearlessness that made her board Peter Madsen’s submarine alone – and she paid for it with her life.
Photo: Reuters/Peter Thompson
A Silenced Voice: The Life of Journalist Kim Wall By Ingrid and Joachim Wall, translated from Swedish by Kathy Saranpa. Published by Amazon Crossing, Seattle 2020. 147 pages. ISBN 978-1542018111 (hardcover).
Hemma hos
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y name is Maria. I was born and raised in Uddevalla, Bohuslän on the west coast of Sweden. I started my career at Stena Line, one of the world’s largest ferry operators. What first began as a summer job in the café onboard the ferries later developed into a fulltime job at the reservations centre onshore. I continued to work at Stena while I studied tourism at the University of Östersund in Jämtland. I met my future husband in 1993 when I was on secondment for Stena in the UK. My contract finished and it was time to return to Sweden. After two years of commuting between Newcastle and Sweden, it was time to make a decision: the UK or Sweden. I moved to the UK in November 1995. We have two lovely daughters who are brought up bilingual; hence my own interest in languages as well as bi- and multilingualism. Our family has been fortunate enough to live in many European countries due to my husband’s work. The cultural influences in our lives are many. We celebrate Swedish Christmas on the 24th of December and British Christmas on the 25th. On the 6th of January (Epiphany) we enjoy a French Galette des Rois, a puff pastry and frangipane. When we want to remember the countries we have lived in, we might treat ourselves to a Spanish paella or Belgian fries with mayonnaise. However, when I say that I am going home over the summer, it is Sweden I refer to. In spite of all the cultural influences, languages and being far away
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Treats
à la Maria Elffors McCann
from Sweden, am I really Swedish? Oh yes, I am! Many of my memories from Sweden are food-related. Enjoying a räksmörgås on a Friday night brings me back to Smögen in Bohuslän. The räksmörgås is the easiest open sandwich you could ever make but it tastes lovely. Good with a glass of beer. Another memory I have is the smell of newly baked kolakakor. My aunt made kolakakor regularly, and her recipe has now become the one
Kolakakor Ingredients: • 100 gram (5 Tbsp) butter • 1 dl (1/3 cup) powdered sugar • 1 Tbsp light syrup • 2 tsp vanilla sugar • 1 tsp fresh ginger • 2½ dl (1 cup) flour • 1 tsp baking powder.
I myself use the most. I recommend enjoying kolakakor with a cold glass of milk. By Maria Elffors McCann
Kola Biscuits Preparation: Set the oven to 175oC (350oF). Stir in butter and sugar until porous. Add syrup, vanilla sugar, ginger and flour mixed with baking powder. Work together into a dough. Roll out into three strips, about 40 cm (16”) long. Place them on a sheet of parchment paper. Flatten them slightly. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 – 12 minutes. While the lengths are warm, cut into 3 cm (1¼”) wide, rhombic cookies.
Räksmörgås Ingredients: • 1 kg (2 lb) prawns • 4 slices of white or dark bread • 2 Tbsp butter or margarine • Crispy lettuce or green salad • 4 eggs • 2 dl (3/4 cup) mayonnaise • Fresh dill • 1 lemon.
Open Prawn Sandwich Preparation: Peel the prawns. Spread each bread slice with butter or margarine. Add lettuce. Boil 4 eggs to taste. Peel and slice the eggs and lay egg slices on each slice of bread. Spread the mayonnaise over the eggs and salad. Top with the prawns. Garnish with dill and a lemon wedge.
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 21
A Match Made in Paper – The Creative Partnership of Bea Szenfeld and Stina Wirsén
[Design]
By Karen R. Nelson
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n a juncture between art and fashion, two renowned Swedish artists meet in a mutual affection for the handmade and the common material of paper. Designer-artisan Bea Szenfeld and illustrator-author Stina Wirsén have forged a striking creative partnership showcased in Papier, a touring exhibition so far encompass-
Stina Wirsén and Bea Szenfeld. Photo courtesy: American Swedish Institute
ing Sweden and the U.S. The intense collaboration pairs Wirsén’s evocative illustrations with Szenfeld’s “paper couture” – dresses and other sculptural fashion items made by hand entirely from paper and worn
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 22
Papier_Bea Szenfeld_Bear Nose Credit Joel Rhodin
by the likes of Lady Gaga, Björk and Swedish pop star Laleh. Papier features a dozen of Szenfeld’s wearable pieces plus a piece titled “Grief.” Papier was originally shown at Lidköping Konsthall (Art Gallery) in Sweden, and later opened at the Embassy’s House of Sweden in Washington D.C., right as the COVID pandemic hit in early March 2020. A collaboration with the Embassy enabled the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to launch a Midwest début running February – July 11, 2021. The two artists have collaborated for more than 20 years, supporting
each other’s creative visions. They first met when Wirsén was an illustrator for the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, and she covered Szenfeld’s first fashion show. “I found her work very interesting from the start,” said Wirsén. The feeling was mutual. In her Stockholm studio, Bea Szenfeld painstakingly cuts, folds, sews and staples thousands of pieces of paper into intricate, 3-dimensional garments and objects. It is a timeconsuming endeavor. The bold designs belie their delicateness. On the other side of town, Stina Wirsén puts ink to paper, capturing life, movement and beauty. Many hours are spent using their hands to make, think and experiment – a process they love and share. Szenfeld continuously pushes the conventions of paper and fashion. Early inspiration came from origami and Arte Povera, a 1960s-70s Italian art movement that explored unconventional methods and unusual materials, including pasta and lettuce. But she was always drawn to paper and her mother was a tailor, so paper couture was a natural. “There’s something about paper that I just love,” she explained. “It’s unpretentious and folksy. We go great together … I have tested different materials, and with paper the tests
were so great right away. In Sweden, we also have many forests and are very good at making beautiful paper!” The paper she uses comes from Sweden’s Lessebo paper mill. Her work with recycled paper also reflects her concern with sustainability in fashion. Garments have been inspired by the human form, folklore, crafts or fairy tales as recurring themes. No two are the same and they change with time, wear and the environment. With billowing tops of petalled flowers, cubes and scale-like discs, the creations have been worn in music videos, appeared on magazine covers and at the Nobel Awards. It’s been said that Szenfeld’s “aweinspiring and technically advanced garments are nearly impossible to wear but beautiful enough to make people try.” Wirsén says that her journalist background is an asset. “No doubt my two decades as an illustrator for Sweden’s largest morning paper have shaped me. Drawing political subjects and author’s portraits, capturing fashion and nightlife on the fly, has been my university … I maintain a vivid interest in contemporary cultural currents.” Her visual world is vast and varied; simple and expressive in its
Papier at ASI Credit: Andrea Rugg Photography
elegance. Wirsén’s watercolors in the Papier gallery space – primarily in black, white and shades of red and blue – appear abstract, but are derived from representations of the female body. Yet, regardless of the venue, her process is the same. In addition to working for theatre, department stores, broadcast and magazines, she is well known for her popular Brokiga, Rut och Knut and Vem children’s books. “Whether it’s a children’s book, an art exhibition or a fashion illustration, I work hard and I work a lot. I don’t do sketches; I just go right on the paper.”
Wirsén’s work for children continues to influence her. “For as long as I remember, I have been drawing and making up stories. My sister and I loved it when our mother read to us, and in turn we loved to read … I believe my stories have been greatly influenced by my own childhood. But I also have the ambition to bring our own age, the ever-present Now, into my work.” Undoubtedly, the worldwide pandemic has impacted both of their work as artists, yet they make the best of it. Because of travel limitations, the latest exhibition was installed with their input delivered via a Zoom call. Wirsén commented, “I have more time in my studio. That is positive. But I worry a lot, that is negative.” Szenfeld said, “I work a lot on my own in my studio, so a social quarantine is not odd for me. I hope that everything turns around soon and that culture can flourish and enrich our lives.” For more information regarding the Papier exhibition now at the American Swedish Institute and Wirsén’s illustrations in the ASI Family Gallery, visit ASImn.org.
Below: Stina Wirsén’s illustration for “Papier”. Photo courtesy: American Swedish Institute
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Association of Swedish Teachers and Researchers in America
North Park University in Chicago: City Opportunities, Neighborhood Charm By Chad Eric Bergman
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orth Park College was founded in 1891 to equip Swedish immigrants with college preparatory and business education, as well as to train pastors for the Swedish Mission Covenant Church. Originally opened in the basement of the First Covenant Church in Minneapolis, an offer of land brought the school to Chicago’s North Park neighborhood a couple years later where it has remained ever since. Over the past century and a quarter North Park has expanded to serve 3,200 undergraduate and graduate students. After becoming a university in 1997, North Park today comprises a school of business and nonprofit management, a school of education, a school of music, art, and theatre, a school of nursing and health sciences, a school of professional studies, a college of arts and sciences, and a theological seminary. In the midst of urban decline in the latter 20th century, the school made a conscious commitment to remain in the city and has since leveraged its location in a world-class city by creating a Chicago-based curriculum into a central hallmark of its liberal arts education. The university’s surrounding neighborhood is among the most diverse zip codes in America, contributing to making North Park’s campus a close-knit, intercultural community. The Catalyst program is a campus-wide initiative that brings North Park students into the city on a weekly basis for immersive experiences in every discipline.
Snow day on campus. All photos © North Park University
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The study of Scandinavian languages and cultures has a long, rich tradition at North Park, which offers a BA in Scandinavian Studies. Endowed by the Hugo A. Anderson Chair in Scandinavian Studies in 1982 and created in 1984, the Center for Scandinavian Studies (CSS) at North Park is a hub for Scandinavian academic and cultural interests in Chicago. The CSS sponsors visiting professors, lectures, concerts, and exhibits, bringing talented and accomplished Scandinavians to the city of Chicago. Partnerships with the Akvavit Theatre Company have also engaged students in contemporary Nordic play productions. For the past 45 years, an annual exchange program with Södra Vätterbygdens Folkhögskola (SVF) has given North Park students a unique opportunity to experience a classic Nordic folk high school in Jönköping, Sweden. With SVF’s cozy campus as its home base, program participants have explored Europe on shorter study trips to places like Rome, Copenhagen, and Berlin. North Park students can also study elsewhere in Scandinavia through the International Student Exchange Program. North Park receives about 40 to 50 exchange students from around the Nordic region each year. This traffic from Scandinavia has also allowed numerous Scandinavian students the opportunity to play American collegiate sports, with soccer being a particular draw. The North Park Vikings compete in intercollegiate NCAA Division III CCIW conference in 13 varsity sports, and there are many campus intramurals and clubs to choose from. Whether studying in Chicago, or in Scandinavia or around the globe, North Park students are challenged to prepare for lives of significance and service in a diverse and changing world.
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Borta bra, hemma bäst?
Ny rapport slår fast: Antalet svenska utlandsstudenter för lågt för Sveriges bästa Det behövs fler svenskar med utlandserfarenhet. Men en ny rapport från SVIV och SISA visar att utvecklingen går åt fel håll. Läs rapporten och se webinariet ”Hur ska Sverige öka andelen svenska utlandsstudenter?”.
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lobaliseringen ska inte avvecklas efter pandemin – den ska utvecklas. Det kräver att Sverige får ut fler studenter på utlandsstudier. Andelen svenska utlandsstudenter har stått stilla sedan 2002. År 2019 hade endast 15 procent av Sveriges examinerade studerat eller arbetat utomlands inom ramen för sin utbildning. Det är lägre än det uttalade målet ”20 procent år 2020” som ett samarbete mellan 47 europeiska länder om utbildning på högskolenivå satte upp år 2011. – För många är utlandsstudierna det första självständiga steget ut i världen. Forskning från EU-kommissionen visar att studenter med utlandserfarenhet snabbare hittar ett första jobb och får en bättre löneutveckling. Kontakter, språkkunskap och interkulturell kompetens stärker Sveriges Svenskar i Världens generalsekreterare Cecilia Borglin © SVIV exportberoende företag och landet som helhet, säger Svenskar i Världens generalsekreterare Cecilia Borglin. I Finland studerar idag 22 procent utomlands och i Tyskland 33 procent. Sverige skickar varje år tillbaka tiotals miljoner kronor till EU, obrukade pengar avsedda att främja studentutbyten. Men om pengarna finns, varför misslyckas Sverige med att öka andelen utlandsstudenter? I rapporten Hur får vi ut var fjärde svensk student på utlandsstudier? framtagen av SVIV och Swedish International Students and Alumni (SISA), framgår att svaret ligger hos lärosätena och politikerna. Numera rangordnas alla svenska lärosäten efter hur många studenter som studerar utomlands. Skillnaderna är mycket stora: sex lärosäten skickar redan fler än 20 procent av sina studenter utomlands, medan elva lärosäten skickar färre än 10 procent av sina studenter.
Sverige är ett exportberoende land beroende av högutbildad arbetskraft. För att säkra den framtida konkurrenskraften behöver lärosäten, myndigheter och politiken ta ett krafttag för att se till att fler studenter kommer iväg. I samband med att rapporten släpptes anordnade SVIV ett webinar där Adrian Stymne, ordförande för SISA, sammanfattade rapporten. Den följdes av en diskussion med Katarina Hägg, chef för externa relationer och internationella samarbeten på Handelshögskolan i Stockholm tillsammans med Sylvia Schwaag Serger, prorektor vid Lunds universitet med ansvar för bland annat internationella frågor, och utlandsstudenten Bella Hansson. – Sverige har inte råd att vara insulärt. Lärosäten och regeringen måste agera för att se till att var fjärde svensk student studerar utomlands år 2025, säger Adrian Stymne. Länkar till rapporten och webinariet finns på Adrian Stymne © SVIV www.sviv.se. Summary in English: Not enough Swedish students seize the opportunities to study abroad, even though a survey has shown that students with foreign experience find it easier to find jobs and enjoy a steeper career path than those who have opted to remain in Sweden. In 2011, 47 European countries set a common goal that 20 percent of all university students should spend time abroad by 2020, but by 2019 only 15 percent of Swedish students had done so. The current trend shows no improvement. In a recent report, SVIV and Swedish International Students and Alumni, SISA, urge Swedish universities and the government to be more proactive in sending students abroad. Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 25
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Barn Utomlands & Svenska Språket
Välkommen till SWEA BUS Av Margot Björck, sammankallande, SWEA BUS
Barn Utomlands & Svenska språket (BUS) hjälper föräldrar utanför Sverige med att föra vidare svenskan till sina barn och stötta barnens flerspråkighet. Det underlättar inte bara umgänge med familj och vänner i Sverige utan är också viktigt för den som vill hålla dörren öppen för framtida studier i Sverige.
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WEA BUS är en kommitté inom SWEA International som arbetar med Barn Utomlands och Svenska språket, därav förkortningen BUS. Att bo utomlands och kanske tala flera olika språk inom familjen kan vara en stor utmaning. Att skapa plats i vardagen för en aktiv svenska kräver ansträngning, beslutsamhet och ofta mycket envishet! Men vi vet alla att tillgången till det svenska språket också ger nyckeln till så många viktiga saker i livet. Att kunna prata med och förstå släkten hemma i Sverige, kulturen och de svenska traditionerna. Möjligheten att gå på universitet eller högskola i Sverige kan vara ett viktigt perspektiv när man funderar kring varför man skall fortsätta att utveckla barnens svenska språk. Nyfikenheten och viljan att lära sig mer om Sverige kommer också att öka när du som barn vet att du kommer kunna göra dig förstådd och därmed också kunna få nya svenska vänner. Att kunna samtala med sina barn på det egna modersmålet är en stark identitetsbärande faktor både för oss själva och för barnen. Nyckeln till att kunna förstå och
Foto: Lena Granefelt/imagebank.sweden.se
Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 26
Margot Björck och hennes barn. Foto: Privat
identifiera sig i en kultur ligger också mycket i den språkliga kompetensen. Genom att ge våra barn nyckeln, det svenska språket, ger vi dem också nyckeln till deras historia och gemensamma kulturarv. I BUS tycker vi att det ska vara roligt att lära sig och att utveckla ett språk! Att tala, läsa, skriva framhålls som något positivt är en nyckelkomponent i framgången. I vår forskning bland SWEA-medlemmar kan vi tydligt se att läsning, först tillsammans när barnen är små, och att prata svenska varje dag är de två viktigaste faktorerna för ett lyckat resultat i språkutvecklingen. Interaktion är nyckelordet att hålla i minnet, vi lär oss och övar ett språk tillsammans med andra människor. BUS är en grupp där du har möjlighet att inte bara ta del av vad den senaste forskningen säger men kanske ännu mer för att utbyta erfarenheter med andra i liknande situationer. Varje år väljer kommittén också årets BUSa, en kvinna inom SWEA som har utmärkt sig på ett särskilt sätt när det gäller att hjälpa barn och unga vuxna bosatta utomlands att utveckla sin svenska. Vi tycker att det är ett bra sätt att kunna sprida goda idéer samtidigt som vi har möjlighet att visa vår uppskattning för de många hårt arbetande Sweorna runt om i världen. Fortsätt det goda arbetet och fortsätt prata, läsa, skriva och använda din svenska med nästa generation på alla möjliga sätt. Du kommer aldrig ångra det och dina barn kommer alltid att vara tacksamma för en sådan kärleksfull och användbar gåva! Vill du veta mer gå in på https://bus.swea.org/valkommen/ eller skriv till bus@swea.org.
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Swedish Women’s Educational Association international
Möt årets BUSa Intervjuad av Maria Svensson
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nna Brännström blev totalt tagen på sängen när hon fick beskedet att hon blivit utsedd till Årets BUSa 2020 av SWEA International. – Det kom så många gratulationer från överallt. Det kändes nästan som att jag vunnit OS, berättar Anna. Anna är uppvuxen i Kalix, men bor sedan tjugo år tillbaka i Milano med sin italienske man och deras två katter. Egna barn finns inte med i bilden. Däremot 58 bonusbarn, 53 på Svenska skolan i Milano och fem brorsbarn hemma i Sverige. Det tycker hon är en lagom siffra.
Anna Brännström. Foto av STARK fotografi & design
Att Anna talar extra varmt om sina 53 bonusbarn är inte så konstigt. Hon var den som startade Svenska skolan i Milano, och hon har sett elevantalet stadigt växa genom åren. Förutom sitt engagemang i skolan, arbetar hon som svensklärare på Milanos universitet. Där kan hon även titulera sig som läroboksförfattare. Som om det inte vore nog startade hon Istituto Culturale Nordico, en kulturförening där italienarna kan studera nordisk litteratur. Dessutom sitter hon med i en av SWEA Internationals kommittéer och har alltid varit med och organiserat SWEA-evenemang i Milano. Och när vi andra vilar upp oss på semestern, undervisar Anna i svenska på Svenska institutets sommarkurser, samt fortbildar de lärare som inte har svenska som modersmål.
Att det just var svenska språket som kom att prägla Annas liv är inte förvånande. Båda föräldrarna är lågstadielärare. Hon har även haft de mest underbara lärare i just svenska. Den förste ”läraren” var Annas jämnårige kompis på förskolan. Han lärde henne läsa vid fem års ålder. Under hela lågstadiet höll sedan Fröken Nelly stenhårt på ”Händelseboken” som de skrev i varje vecka. Klassföreståndaren på högstadiet tog med henne – via Odyssén, Den unge Werther, Doktor Glas och Vem älskar Yngve Frej – på en resa i litteratur och språk som hon fortfarande inte har avslutat. Hennes gymnasielärare lyfte hennes skrivande och slutligen på Folkhögskolans journalistutbildning hade hon en lärare som spetsade hennes skrivspråk. Än idag älskar hon det lite torra journalistspråket. Att Anna brinner för det svenska språket och litteraturen är tydligt. Men vilka råd har hon att ge vad gäller att underhålla och utveckla det svenska språket för barn utomlands? – Prata svenska, men inte in absurdum med tvång eller hot, och fortsätt att alltid prata svenska även om barnen svarar på det andra språket. Svarar de förstår de, och alla barn har någon form av vägran i allt de företar sig. Läs läs läs för dem, med dem och diskutera vad de läser. Läsningen är verkligen nyckeln till allt. Finns det en svensk skola, sätt dem i den. Där upptäcker de att det finns andra barn i samma situation och plötsligt blir svenskan ett redskap, någonting verkligt, avslutar Anna. Summary in English: BUS stands for “Barn Utomlands och Svenska språket” (Children Abroad and the Swedish Language). It is a committee within SWEA which deals with the challenges and rewards that expatriate Swedish parents and children experience while maintaining the Swedish language within the family. Every year, BUS celebrates a “BUS Champion of the Year.” The 2020 distinction went to Anna Brännström, born in Sweden and living in Milan, Italy. Her accomplishments include founding and running the Swedish School in Milan. She teaches Swedish at the University of Milan and is the initiator of Istituto Culturale Nordico where Italians can study Nordic literature. She also teaches Swedish at the summer courses of the Swedish Institute and offers advanced language training to teachers whose native tongue is not Swedish. SWEA är ett globalt nätverk för svensktalande kvinnor i ett 30-tal länder. SWEA grundades 1979 i Kalifornien och har idag över 6000 medlemmar. SWEA är den största ideella Sverigefrämjande organisationen utanför Sverige och vårt syfte är att främja det svenska språket samt sprida svensk kultur och tradition. Varje år ger SWEA drygt 2 MSEK till donationer och stipendier. www.swea.org Swedish Press | April/May 2021 | 27
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CHICAGO Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640 Tel: 773-728 8111 | info@samac.org www.swedishamericanmuseum.org Starting from February 7 the Museum, Gallery and Store are open with special guidelines. The online events are still going ahead as planned. The Museum Store will continue to offer curbside pickup as well as online orders. Ongoing through July 2021 – Exhibition at the Main Gallery – Five local SwedishAmerican artists, Lois Baron, Sharon Bladholm, Jean Cate, Vivian Morrison and Eva Nye, have spent 2020, the “Year of the Woman” and of COVID-19, delving deeper into their art, resulting in this joint exhibition featuring themes of nature, ephemerality, identity, and more. MINNEAPOLIS American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407 Tel: 612-871 4907 | www.asimn.org Ongoing through July 11, 2021 – The exhibition Papier – Bea Szenfeld and Stina Wirsén unite Bea Szenfeld’s spectacular sculptural paper-fashions with Stina Wirsén’s evocative illustrations. PHILADEPHIA American Swedish Historical Museum 1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145 | Tel: 215-389 1776 | info@americanswedish.org | www.americanswedish.org Reopened to visitors since January 8 with normal operating hours. Apr 23 - May 8 – Support ASHM through our online auction event: Spring Into Auction! Participants will have two weeks to bid on items and experiences on our online auction platform. Additionally auction items will be on view at the museum from April 3rd- May 9th, 2021 Apr 25 – Sun 2pm to 3pm: Springtime Cooking with Amy von Sydow Green. Join Amy this month as she fashions a delicious and colorful spring-inspired salad. Space is limited. $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers. May 7 – Fri 12:15 pm: Virtual Field Trip Friday: Ribe Viking Museum in Denmark. 8
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PORTLAND Nordic Northwest Nordia House, 8800 SW Oleson Rd., Portland, OR 97223 | Tel: 503-977 0275 www.nordicnorthwest.org Apr 9 – Fri 7:30pm: Friday Night Lecture Series – Climate Change in the Nordic Countries. Online Live Stream. Admission $5. Free for members. SEATTLE Swedish Club 1920 Dexter Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98109 Tel: 206-283 1090 | www.swedishclubnw.org info@swedishculturalcenter.org Apr 10 & 11 – Sat & Sun 9am to 3pm: Loppis/Flea Market. We’ll practice social distancing while we hunt bargains. Vendors welcome. Call or email Club for an application. Swedish pancakes available to pre-order for Sunday. For more information: swedishclubnw.org . National Nordic Museum 2655 NW Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107 Tel: 206-789 5707 | nordic@nordicmuseum.org www.nordicmuseum.org Ongoing through April 18, 2021 – The Experimental Self: Edvard Munch's Photography. Internationally celebrated for his paintings, prints, and watercolors, Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863–1944) also took photographs. This exhibition of his photographs, prints, and films emphasizes the artist’s experimentalism, examining his exploration of the camera as an expressive medium. WASHINGTON, DC Embassy of Sweden 2900 K Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20007 Tel: 202-467 2600 | www.swedenabroad.com ambassaden.washington@gov.se The Embassy will remain in a modified telework arrangement, offering limited consular services by appointment only. Phone hours are: Mon-Fri 9 am to 4 pm (closed for lunch 12 to 1 pm), 202-467 2600. OTTAWA Embassy of Sweden Ottawa 377 Dalhousie Street, Suite 305, Ottawa ON K1N 9NB Tel: 613-241 2277 www.swedishembassy.ca 18
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To mitigate the effects of the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the outbreak, a temporary ban on entry to the EU via Sweden is in force. The Government has extended the ban of entry to the EU via Sweden until 15 April 2021. TORONTO Swedish Lutheran Church 25 Old York Mills Rd, North York, ON M2P 1B5 toronto@svenskakyrkan.se Tel: 416 486-0466 Please visit https://www.svenskakyrkan. se/toronto for information about upcoming services. VANCOUVER Scandinavian Community Centre 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC V5B 4P9 Tel: 604-294 2777 | info@scancentre.org www.scancentre.org Visit www.scancentre.org. for COVIDupdates. WINNIPEG Swedish Cultural Assoc of Manitoba Scandinavian Cultural Centre 764 Erin St, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3G 2W4 Tel: 204-774 8047 | www.scandinaviancentre.ca/sweden | Registration by email at svenskclub17@gmail.com Apr 15 – Thur 7 pm: Swedish Cultural Assoc Annual General Meeting Mark your calendars for this very important meeting to voice your suggestions, concerns and ways we can grow our Swedish Assoc in the 2021/22 year. Please register to receive details. Apr 17 – Sat 10 am: Discussion with Author Bengt Hällgren; author of Swedish language textbooks and the study of Swedish genealogy. Join in on this interesting and informative discussion. Please register by April 15th to receive the Zoom invite. Apr 23 – Fri 6 pm: Walpurgis Eve TGIF Dinner To-Go: Although celebrating a little early, Walpurgis (Valborg) Eve marks a foretaste of summer! Enjoy a delicious variety of Swedish dishes freshly prepared. Please register for more details. May 9 – Mother's Day Brunch To-Go; Enjoy a delicious brunch prepared fresh in the SCC kitchen. Details to follow on SCC website. 28
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[Ads] and Info Swedish Press Classified BC Organizations Scandinavian Business Club Monthly meetings feature business speakers. Guests and new members welcome. Call SBC: 604-484-8238. Visit us at www.sbc-bc.ca Scandinavian Community Centre Scandinavian Community Centre Beautiful setting for weddings, parties, birthdays, meetings and seminars. 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC info@scancentre.org Tel: 604-294-2777 www. scancentre.org Svenska Kulturföreningen Ordförande Ellen Petersson 604-970 8708. Kassör är Linda Olofsson, 604-418 7703 www.swedishculturalsociety.ca. Email: swedishculturalsociety.ca @gmail.com Swedish Canadian Village Beautiful Assisted Living Residence & Senior Subsidized Apartment Buildings Located in Burnaby, BC. Tel: 604-420 1124 Fax# 604-420 1175 www.swedishcanadian.ca
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“My hope was to join the Air Force ...” The Snakes and Ladders of Life By Peter Berlin
I
n the spring of 1960 – my final year in high school in Sweden – I was preparing myself frantically for my oral exam in front of a panel of outside examiners, ominously known as censors in Swedish. These were university professors who, until 1968, were sent out by the Ministry of Education in Stockholm to schools all over Sweden to oversee studentexamen – high school graduation. The oral exam was the final hurdle before receiving a high school diploma. While fretting about the grilling by the examiners, I also had to face another panel made up of three military
officers. In those days, military service was mandatory in Sweden, and the officers had come to our school to determine where each high school graduate was to serve in the Swedish Armed Forces. My hope was to join the Air Force, because I had been an airplane buff since my earliest childhood. After a brief medical examination, the officers classified me as unfit for active military service because of a permanent leg injury I had suffered as a child. My grades in foreign languages were good, so they offered me a place at the Army’s tolkskolan – the interpreter training college. That would have meant spending the next two years studying nothing but Russian. Even though the prospect of becoming a highly qualified Swedish spy seemed appealing, I hesitated. They sensed
my qualms and eventually excused me from military service altogether. After spending a gap year in America, I returned to Sweden and applied for admission to the Royal Institute of Technology. Alas, while I was away they had raised the admissions threshold, and my high school grades no longer made the cut. I was advised to boost my grades further by earning additional credits in mathematics at university. The result was a year of utter loneliness at the University of Lund. But I stuck it out in Lund and obtained the credits needed to enter the Institute. Five years later I had earned my degree in aeronautical engineering and found myself working for Boeing in Seattle. At last, I was building airplanes and had stopped crying over spilled milk.
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