Snapshots from... Zürich

In our regular series, we go exploring, finding out about the writing life around the world. Today, D.B. Miller gives us a tour of Zürich, Switzerland. 
Images by SL Nickerson.

What's so great about Zürich?

Things work. Zürich consistently ranks at or near the top of global surveys that measure quality of life – in case five minutes on the lakeside weren’t convincing enough. It also operates at a lower frequency than the whirling inside my head, or for that matter on the page. While the picturesque alleys, cafés and proximity to nature make for some soothing moments, they are not necessarily an invitation to while away the hours. From what I’ve gathered, any loafing around is the sole responsibility of the loafer.

By SL Nickerson

Admittedly, when I first moved here in 2003, I didn’t know what to make of it. I only embraced Zürich after deciding that work and the so-called economic machine lay at its heart. To feel local is to be productive. For that reason, I think the city is ideal for tackling creative projects as long as you have the discipline. You need to be alert, attuned to what’s subtle and hidden. Every day, the color and texture of the lake change. Depending on the weather, the perceived distance and contours of the Alps shift. If you want to find a story here, you have to earn it.

Tell us a bit about the cultural life of the place.

For a city this size, and one surrounded by stretches of green, hills and villages, the cultural offer is rich and getting richer. The first time I approached Zürich from the mountains, with the staggering peaks and turquoise lakes just out of reach, I realized what a miracle it really is. On the literary front, big-name writers often come to town for readings at the Kaufleuten and Literaturhaus. Their presence alone is inspiring, to say nothing of the exchanges I’ve had at the signing table with, for example, Lydia Davis, Amélie Nothomb, Michael Ondaatje and Jonathan Safran Foer. The city hosts a number of festivals, including Openair Literatur and Zürich Liest, while smaller, edgier outfits, such as index and Theater Neumarkt, organize events throughout the year.

By SL Nickerson

Of all the other cultural goings-on, it’s worth mentioning the vibrant live music scene. I enjoy the small, quirky venues, ranging from a velvet-clad dance hall to a stuffy pit near the river. On any given night, someone great, maybe just on the verge of a breakthrough, is probably playing less than 30 minutes from home.

What's hot? What are people reading?

By SL Nickerson

In my experience, “hot” does not seem to register here, but I have noticed a steady, lukewarm affection for a good Krimi (thriller). Because bestsellers cross borders, people in this multi-lingual city tend to read what everyone else does, and maybe not even wait for the German translation. The homegrown literary scene is thriving as well. In any case, it used to be easier to spot public literary tastes. As smart phones and e-readers have mostly replaced dog-eared paperbacks, I can’t easily draw my own conclusions.

Can you recommend any books set in Zürich?

While only some of his books take place in Zürich, I associate most of Martin Suter’s stories with the city’s discreet social constructs and small-scale absurdities. Not all of his work has been translated into English, which has meant some slow going for me, but the invested time and teeth-gnashing are always worth it (Lila, Lila is a favorite, especially because the anti-hero is a writer). I’m looking forward to wrestling with Jens Nielsen’s Flusspferd im Frauenbad, based on a recent performance/reading I was lucky enough to catch. A few friends have also recommended Peter Stamm’s work.

As far as English books go, writers tend to explore the traditions, secrets and wealth linked to the city – some much better than others. I have yet to read a book that does for Zürich what Salman Rushdie and Andrei Bely did for New York and St. Petersburg, respectively: blow it out to an extreme, and a funny one at that. Recommendations are welcome.

By SL Nickerson

Who are the best-known local writers?

I’m not sure who can be considered “local” in a relatively small, internationally minded country with four official languages. If I stick to living German-language writers who were born, have once lived or are now settled in and around Zurich: Lukas Bärfuss, Franz Hohler and Charles Lewinsky come to mind (in addition to Nielsen, Stamm and Suter). Hazel Brugger, better known for her slam poetry and comedy, does not neatly fit into the lit scene, though my neighbor swears by her book. I suppose I have a soft spot for creative rule-breakers since the city thrives on rules and regulations. Then again, Zürich was the birthplace of Dada.

On another historical note, plenty of famous non-Swiss writers have passed through the country and stayed long enough to create. Byron, Fitzgerald, Highsmith, Le Carré, Nabokov, Twain – there are just too many to mention. Closer to home, James Joyce and Thomas Mann are buried in or just outside of Zürich. And Thornton Wilder is rumored to have finished Our Town in my town.

By SL Nickerson

Is the location an inspiration or distraction for you?

Neither: it is a challenge. Whether due to my own priorities, procrastination or something in the alpine water, I’ve found that I need more energy to seek out inspiration and not get distracted by (or complacent in) such a prim, orderly place. At a Colum McCann reading, after the author speculated how incredible Zürich must be for writers, I gently pressed him at the signing table. Did he mean it would be inspiring to start something new (and if so, could I learn from him) or conducive to finishing a work in progress (and if so, could I learn from him)? He had to stop and think about it, and then said he wasn’t sure.

The fact is, I’ve lived in cities bursting with stories and characters. But they’re here, too, popping up now and then to remind me to try harder. Here’s that world-weary balding guy in lady’s dress pumps again. There’s that gentleman with the Hungarian pointer who once, unprompted, told me what he thinks of bankers (scum). And I will never forget my first summer when, lounging at a pristine lakeside beach, I watched as a girl of about 12 waded straight into a submerged corpse. In between the shrieks and Baywatch-grade scene that unfolded, I thought: That’s not supposed to happen here, and it just did. (From the little I could glean from the local papers and tight-lipped lifeguards the next day, the elderly man had expired during a routine swim a few days earlier.)

What are you writing?

I’m working on a batch of short stories and some creative nonfiction, all of which are directly or indirectly inspired by live music. I’m also toying with the idea of picking up an abandoned novel set in Zürich. In retrospect, I found it hard to sustain momentum because I kept trying to describe exactly what I saw. To ramp up the tension, I think I need to experiment with a more surrealistic take on the city – and not quit until I’ve blown it out to the extreme.

By SL Nickerson

Sum up life in Zürich in three words.

Get to work.


D.B. Miller is an American writer who has been living in Europe since 1995. With dark humor and a slight edge, she writes about the themes that move her most: disenchantment, alienation and the obliterating power of live music.

Her essays, short stories and offbeat profiles have appeared in The Weeklings, The Woolf and Split Lip Magazine. She also writes for hire but, as the expression goes, that's another story.

http://www.dbmillerwriter.com/

Snapshots from... The Dominican Republic

In our regular series, we go exploring, finding out about the writing life around the world. Today, Rita Gardner shows us around The Dominican Republic.

Images by Rita Gardner.

What’s so great about the Dominican Republic?

For me, the top four “greats” are: the people, the culture, the land, and the climate. That was true when my family settled there in the mid-1900s, and it is true today. All I have to do is step off an airplane and into the heady scent of the Dominican tropics to feel at home again. It may sound cliché, but there is a friendliness and warmth to the people that I’ve rarely experienced elsewhere. The nation is rich in history, dating back to before Christopher Columbus landed in 1492. It has survived colonialism and dictatorships, but has never lost its soul. A stable democracy for decades now, the D.R. has become a major tourist destination.

It is really a feast for the senses. Nature flourishes and turquoise waters lap against crystal sand beaches. Waterfalls cascade down the mountains, and verdant fields stretch for hundreds of kilometers across the island. The island’s bounty includes coconuts, sugarcane, mangos, pineapples, papayas, and bananas, to name just a few of its crops. I’m happiest with my toes in the sand, drinking from a green coconut, and munching on fried platanos (plantains.)

Tell us a bit about the cultural life.

I think music is the thread that unites past and present and is woven into the heart of the country. It is just a part of the fabric of D.R. life.

I grew up dancing to the beat of merengue, which remains the most popular music today. I’m pleased to see that another old form of folk music, bachata, is more popular than ever.
Family gatherings are important and frequent.

I recently attended a birthday there to celebrate a friend’s mother’s 100th birthday. It included everything that I’d describe as typical of the cultural life – great local food, mingling of generations, music, and of course, dancing.

And then there’s baseball – the most popular sport in the country. 

Can you recommend any books set in the Dominican Republic?

Absolutely! The novels How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, and In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Also: any of her non-fiction works as well – I think I’ve read them all. Books by Junot Diaz: Drown, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and This is How You Lose Her.

Another favorite is The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa, the Peruvian Nobel Prize winner in Literature. His novel is a fictional account of life after the assassination of the dictator Trujillo. Having lived there during and after the dictatorship myself, the book was an eye-opening revelation of the brutality of the dictator’s power and the cost to the country. Thankfully that was a very long time ago!

Who are the best known local writers?

Julia Alvarez, who also has become known internationally for her novels, along with other autobiographical works. I’m grateful she endorsed my memoir, The Coconut Latitudes: Secrets, Storms, and Survival in the Caribbean. Another Dominican writer is the Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz, who has written about young Dominican-Americans who live in the United States and struggle to claim their dual identity.

Is the location an inspiration or distraction for you?

When I’m in the Dominican Republic, I’m absorbing all the time – taking notes, taking pictures, snatching bits of conversations I might use later in my writing. So, it is an inspiration. But I do most of the actual writing after I’m back in the States.

What are you writing?

I recently wrote several essays to two nonfiction collections, The Magic of Memoir, and Wandering in Andalusia. A novel set in the Caribbean is still in the percolating stages.

Sum up life in the Dominican Republic in three words:

Music, family, beaches.

Rita M. Gardner grew up in the Dominican Republic during a repressive dictatorship, and wrote The Coconut Latitudes, an award-winning Gardner’s memoir of that experience. 
Gardner is also a contributor to two other recently published nonfiction books: The Magic of Memoir is a collection of stories, tips, and interviews by memoirists to inspire other writers. Wandering in Andalusia: The Soul of Southern Spain, is a tasty travel anthology about the southern region of Spain. 
Gardner loves to travel, and still considers the Dominican Republic to be her home. Naturally, her favorite color is Caribbean blue.


 www.ritamgardner.com.
www.facebook.com/ritamgardner

Snapshots from... Paris

In our regular series, we go exploring, finding out about the writing life around the world. Today, Janet Skeslien Charles shows us around her adopted city. 
Images by Janet Skeslien Charles.

What do you enjoy about Paris?

The thing I enjoy most about the city is the green space. For the last two years, I’ve taught a class on Paris, seen through the lens of literature, music, current events, art, and statistics. So I can tell you that there are 9,884 park benches in over 400 parks and gardens in the city. The Parc de Bercy, close to home, is one of my favorites. The Bois de Vincennes (2459 acres, in case you are curious) is great to tramp around in when you need peace and quiet to think about larger questions.

Paris is a great city to walk and bike. In recent years, the landscape of the city has changed, with an addition of 200 kilometers of bike paths, and 20,000 bicycles. Mayor Anne Hidalgo and her predecessor have worked hard to improve and innovate.

Is Paris an inspiration or a distraction?

Paris is a beautiful city. A lot of work goes into maintaining the streets, pipes, and building facades. On my building, scaffolding stayed up for over a year as workers cleaned and painted as well as worked to make sure the building is watertight. (Despite their work, my apartment has been flooded three times.) As I write this, the buildings on either side of mine are being maintained, which involves a lot of hammering, and the pipes of my street are being replaced.

I seek sanctuary at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, just across the river. Their collection is extraordinary and their librarians are extremely helpful. In November and December of 2016, I was a writer in residence at Shakespeare & Company. I was able to ride my bicycle from home to the bookshop in 20 minutes. I wrote in George Whitman’s room, which was very meaningful to me. When I first arrived in Paris, I visited the library on the second floor of the shop. George came in, opened his arms wide, and asked, “How long can you stay?” It was wonderful to write at a desk in his room and to spend time in the bookshop.

 

Tell us a bit about the cultural life.

There are free readings and concerts every night of the week. From Shakespeare & Co to the Berkeley bookstore, to the Maison de la Poésie to the BNF, many libraries and bookstores host events.

In France, the most a retailer can discount a book is 5%, so the book business – especially independent bookstores – thrives. The first MFA in creative writing began here in 2012. (In the UK, the first program began in 1970.) The BNF just hosted its first series of creative writing master classes in February.

 

Can you recommend a few books set in Paris?

Noel Riley Fitch has written Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation: A History of Literary Paris in the Twenties and Thirties an engaging biography of the bookseller who started the original Shakespeare & Company and can be considered the patron saint of writers here.

There are so many great books! For starters: The Sun Also Rises; Down and Out in Paris and London; Good Morning, Midnight; Love in a Cold Climate; Me Talk Pretty One Day; and Art.

Best known local authors?

This is a hard question – there are so many! Edith Warton, Gertrude Stein, Jean Rhys, Nancy Mitford, Madame de Staël, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Yasmina Reza, just to name a few. Of course, I have books by Tatiana de Rosnay, Cara Black, Laurel Zuckerman, Christopher Vanier, and Marie Houzelle on my shelf as well.

What are you writing?

I’m thrilled that one of my short stories – written in Paris, but set in my home state – will be published in Montana Noir this fall.


Sum up life in Paris in three words.

Books. Community. Love.



Janet Skeslien Charles is the award-winning author of Moonlight in Odessa, which has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She has led writing workshops for over a decade and currently works at Ecole Polytechnique.

Janet grew up in Montana where she studied Russian, French and English. She spent two years in Odessa, Ukraine, as a Soros Fellow.



By JJ Marsh

Snapshots from... Vermont

In our regular series, we go exploring, finding out about the writing life around the world. We're going over the pond this time, with author Kathryn Guare making us all envious of the US state of Vermont.

By JJ Marsh

What’s so great about Vermont?

Vermont is known most for its natural beauty, especially in autumn when the hillsides turn spectacular shades of golden yellow, orange and red. It’s one of the least populated states in the US, with more miles of dirt road than any other state. My home, the city of Montpelier, is the smallest state capital in the country, and we are proud to say it is also the only one without a McDonald’s!

All of this gives the state a lovely feeling of being small-scale, low-key and slower paced. Life isn’t hectic. Preserving the special nature of Vermont’s environment is a shared value and a longstanding tradition.

The air is clean, the scenic highways are free of billboards, and residents participate in an annual spring cleaning called “Green Up Day” to spruce up their own properties and clear winter debris from roads and rivers. The state is famous for maple syrup and for a high concentration of local artisans creating everything from cheese, beer and cider, to hand-crafted furniture.

Tell us a bit about the cultural life of the place

The culture of Vermont is best expressed in its small towns that bustle with farmer’s markets, community suppers, book clubs and quirky festivals. In contrast to Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls, Vermont has the “Strolling of the Heifers”!

There is a vibrant theater scene with venues—some of them in gorgeous outdoor settings—featuring world-class performances for a fraction of what you’d pay in larger metropolitan areas. Because it is often seen as a refuge from the noise and stress of city life, it has always been a magnet for writers and poets, and Vermont communities treasure their independent bookstores and libraries.

What’s hot, what are people reading?

People tend to mirror what’s popular in general, so right now it’s books like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Girl On a Train, as well as Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan series. Some current popular authors have a more local association. Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache mystery series is one, as her settings in the Eastern Townships of Quebec are on the Vermont border.

The Vermont Humanities Council also features a program called “Vermont Reads”, choosing one book each year that residents are encouraged to add to their book clubs. This year, the Council marked the 100th anniversary of Shackleton’s expedition to the Antarctic by choosing two works: The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition and Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. For next year, they’ve already selected the award-winning Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson.

Can you recommend any books set in Vermont?

Many of the novels of Howard Frank Mosher are set in a region of Vermont called the Northeast Kingdom and two of the most acclaimed are Where the River Flows North and A Stranger in the Kingdom. These books capture not only a sense of place but also the eccentricities—sometimes charming, sometimes dark--that can be found in the remote corners of a rural state. Most of his books have the recurring theme of old Yankee traditions clashing with the evolving values of modern society. Also, Archer Mayor’s series of police procedurals featuring Inspector Joe Gunther are set in and around the city of Brattleboro, Vermont.

Who are the best-known local authors?

Along with the above, I of course need to mention our most famous Poet Laureate, Robert Frost. He did not live in Vermont year-round, but for forty years he taught each summer and fall at Middlebury College’s Breadloaf School of English and had a farmstead near the school. Many other celebrated authors maintain homes in Vermont, such as novelist John Irving, playwright David Mamet, and Pulitzer-Prize winning poet Louise Gluck. 

Is the location an inspiration or a distraction for you?

Some of my own novels are partly set in Vermont, so I find the location altogether inspiring. When I get tired of sitting at my desk, I head for the countryside where I have several favorite spots for writing. I’m always evaluating every picturesque landscape I discover for its creative potential, and I often make a mental note that “I should come back here some day and do some writing.”

What are you writing?

I’ve recently completed three novels in a suspense series that centers around a dashing Irish musician. He finds his quiet life forever changed when a mysterious British agent shows up in his living room to recruit him for the first of many globetrotting adventures. The first in the series is Deceptive Cadence. My latest book, Where a Wave Meets the Shore, is a historical romance set in the 1950s on Ireland’s Great Blasket Island.

Sum up life in Vermont in three words

Take it easy.


Author of the award-winning Conor McBride Series, Kathryn Guare’s character-driven novels are all somewhere on the spectrum between romance and suspense, and some are even perfectly balanced between the two. She has a passion for exploring diverse cultures and cuisine, Classical music and all things Celtic, and has a habit of mixing these into her stories along with other topics and enthusiasms that capture her interest. Formerly, as an executive with a global health advocacy organization, she traveled extensively throughout the world. Currently, as a native Vermonter, she hates to leave home during foliage season. http://kathrynguare.com/

Snapshots from... Copenhagen

In our regular series, we go exploring, finding out about the writing life around the world. Today Ola Saltin lifts the lid on Copenhagen, the Danish capital. 
Images by Ola Saltin.

What's so great about CPH?

As a Swede living in Denmark for some 22 years, I'd say the best thing is that you can buy alcohol no matter what day or time...ahem. That being said, living in a country that reportedly has the most contented people on earth (which comes from the plain fact that we here start with the basic supposition that all will be shit, and then find out when we get there it's pretty okay) what I appreciate is a very laid back attitude to things small and large. "Hygge" is a Danish word that is hard to nail in English: it means kinda "comfy", "neat" and "cosy": it is often achieved through a coffee on the corner with  good friends and a chat about last week. We bike a lot - everywhere, and in all weathers.

Tell about the Cultural life.

Culture, high and low, thrives and bustles in Copenhagen. From our huge (fairly) new opera house paid in cash for by the late Mr McKinney-Møller (Maersk shipping magnate) to crazed out techno street-festivals (Distortion), independent theatres, street-food to restaurants at the top of the list (NOMA) - Copenhagen is quite a happening place, and accessible everywhere by bike.  Out at the old naval dockyards, on the water, as is most things in central Copenhagen, a cluster of creative schools has put up shop in the old brick buildings: film-school, music academy, design school, etc are within shouting distance of each other and make the most of collaborations across the disciplines.

What's hot, what are people reading?

Naturally, we read what's on the international bestseller lists, in English or translated. In Danish, it's a mix of home-grown crime and some very good literary fiction writers. I would off-hand mention Kim Leine as the most interesting author right now in Denmark. His "Prophets of the Eternal Fjord" is outstanding. (As we Scandies basically share the same language, albeit with some tweaks, minor and major, I for one can easily read both Danish and Norwegian books in their original texts, and prefer to do so.)

As an example, one of the most feted Scandinavian writers of recent times, Karl Ove Knausgaard ("My Struggle") is Norwegian, lives in Skåne, (south Sweden just across the water from Copenhagen) and is read by many here in Norwegian. So it's all a big mix, basically

 

Recommend some books set in the city.

Ah, yes. Not so easy. As the whole population of Denmark is not even close to that of London's, I'll permit myself to range a bit outside the city, into the countryside and over the centuries.

Hans Christian Andersen is undoubtedly our most famous writer. Although he was originally from Odense, island of Fyn, he lived most of his life in Copenhagen. After that I'd say it's Karen Blixen (writing under the pseudonym Isak Dinesen), whose estate is just north of Copenhagen. Peter Høeg's "Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow" is mostly set in Copenhagen, but typically ends on Greenland, a danisk dominion. The Danish crime-writers are starting to catch up with their Swedish counterparts. I'd personally recommend Jussi Adler-Olsens "Department Q" series. Outlandishly crazy crimes, but with a dry sense of humour.

If I'd recommend one single novel written the last ten years, I'd immediately say Carsten Jensen's "We, the drowned." It's an epic novel about Danish seafarers - from the 18th century up to the second world war. Epic, sprawling, crazy, happy, strong and vibrant. It's about Danes at sea, and humans alive or on the cusp of dying. I've read it in Danish three times.

 

Is the location an inspiration or distraction?

I'm very fond of my adopted home city. Its parks, waterways and inhabitants are a continual source of inspiration, infatuation and irritation (also good for stories!) I have the luxury of being a part-owner of a summerhouse an hour outside the city, by the sea.  As I've been visiting there and for periods living there, for some 30 years, I know the area, its inhabitants and villages well. It's a great getaway and also a source for stories and plots. (See below).

What are you writing?

I'm currently writing on a proposal for a TV series, inspired by and located out around where our summerhouse is located. Nearby is a big fjord that was pumped dry of water in the late 18th century and now is very fertile farmland, all of it some 5 meters under sea-level. Hence the title "Lowlands" that has now attracted a Dutch producer (with the obvious connection to the Dutch lowlands and being able to set it in Holland...). Let's see.

 

Snapshots from... Stockholm

In our regular series, we go exploring, finding out about the writing life around the world. Today Luna Miller (aka Monica Christensen) shows us around the Swedish capital of Stockholm.
Images by Peter Luotsinen

 
By JJ Marsh

What´s so great about Stockholm?

When in Stockholm, within walking distance there is always a green spot, a park or a big stone on a hill with a magical view. Built on 14 islands and with few high buildings the capital of Sweden is a picturesque and green city. Although the city shows itself at its best during the summer, with the bright nights, it can also be enjoyable to have a walk along the streets when big snowflakes are doing their best to cover the city in its winter dress. The cold wind bites your skin and the colourful city lights up the dark days and it gives the feeling of Christmas.

Compared with other capitals Stockholm is a pretty small city. The city of Stockholm does not even have a million citizens. That makes it a nice city for walking and biking, because distances are not big.

And then there is all this water around. You can both swim and fish in several places around the city. Not to mention all the areas where you can take a break during your walk beside the water and sit by the quayside, dangle your legs and just enjoy the view.

There are many boats taking you out in different directions into the archipelago. It´s actually one of the world most island-rich archipelagos, 30 000 islands. Too many to imagine, but it is amazingly beautiful.

Tell us a bit about the cultural life of the place.

Stockholm has a long tradition of theatre. As well as the royal theatre and the city theatre there are several small theatres with financial support from the city. There are also free, outdoor programmes in the summer. Mostly theatre, but also dance and music.

As all big and proud cities, Stockholm of course has a Royal Opera. But there is also a public opera that is more about experimenting with the art form and always singing in Swedish. I still have a problem to hear what they are actually singing but I really appreciate the thought.

The Cullberg Ballet have been world famous since the sixties. And it seems like, during recent years, more and more Stockholm contemporary dance companies are becoming established on the international scene.

The music scene is of course one of the biggest and a big part of the city’s pulse. Compared to the number of citizens Sweden has great international success in music. And of course, Stockholm is the centre.

The most conspicuous development in recent cultural life must be the explosive growth of new film festivals. Niched by ethnicity, gender, LGBTQ or thematic. Everyone wants their own festival and that is really exciting.


What´s hot? What are people reading? 

I believe that crime stories are the most popular genre. There are a lot of famous crime writers in Stockholm. And I think there is something very special about reading a book from your own environment. It makes it easier to build up the “inner picture”.

But there is also a big interest in other culture or just other ways of doing things, like the books of Jan-Philipp Sendker. “The art of hearing heartbeats”, about a romance in Burma, have made more than one Swede cry over the relentless faith of a loving couple followed by decisions that are really hard to understand. A Swedish book that got a lot of attention a few years ago was the true story about Katarina Taikon, a Roma woman, and her struggle for both her artistry (she was a writer) and the human rights of her people.

There are big investments being made into getting children to read. Modern technology and communication are still the most attractive alternative for many young people, compared to the slower art of reading. But when they read they enter the world of fantasies; anything from Harry Potter, vampires, space wars, dark angels to tiny creatures that live underground. Being a child of the sixties when social realism dominated children´s books I totally love fantasy stories for kids (and adults) to explore.

Can you recommend any books set in the city?

The most famous book is of course “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. The City Museum even offers very popular hikes, with a guide who leads you in the footsteps of the characters. As if it had happened for real. A really interesting phenomenon.

Per Anders Fogelström has written a series of books, starting with City of my Dreams, about a family in Stockholm from 1860 to 1968. An important piece that helps you understand the city’s development during the last few centuries. Reading these books, you learn to know these families so well that you mourn the one who dies and eagerly welcome new-born family members.

Jens Lapidus takes the reader, with his books Easy Money and Never Fuck Up, into the violent and criminal world of Stockholm. Where a mistake is never forgiven and drugs mess up too many minds.

And of course I have to mention the most famous of them all, even if dead for many years. August Strindberg. One of his books, Röda Rummet (The Red Room), describes Stockholm more than a hundred years ago and the city’s hottest spot both then and in the early eighties. A place with red-velvet covered furniture and big mirrors, where me and my friends used to hang out as much as we could afford.


Who are the best-known local writers?

In crime the queens and kings are: Camilla Läckberg, Lisa Marklund, Jan Guillou, Jens Lapidus, Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, Arne Dahl

Famous novel writers: David Lagercrantz, Lena Andersson, Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Klas Östergren, Katarina Mazetti, Ernst Brunner

And the classical writers who are long gone: August Strindberg, Astrid Lindgren, Hjalmar Söderberg, Stieg Trenter, Lars Widding

Is the location an inspiration or distraction for you?

When I first moved to Stockholm, from my hometown in the far north, I was amazed by all the nice and beautiful inhabitants. That first summer I got to meet a lot of new people, just by walking the city. I was saving for a trip to Europe and had nearly no money to spend. But the summer was fantastic with the bright nights, new friends and never knowing if the evening would end in a party somewhere or just chatting hours away with some inspiring person.

I went off to southern Europe around late August and returned in November. I could not believe it was the same city. This was long before the iPhone entered the world. So I did not have any phone numbers of my new friends. We just used to meet outdoor in the city centre. In the cold November, filled with rain or snow, they were no longer there. At this time of year, you were no longer met by curious eyes and friendly smiles in the street. Everyone was more or less in their own bubble — pale, tired and avoiding eye contact when stressing towards work or home again. All the magic was gone. Until the next summer.

So summertime it is amazingly inspiring to live in Stockholm. I no longer hang around meeting new friends as I used to. But I love to walk the city, especially close to the water. During winter, when there is only daylight between ten in the morning and two in the afternoon, it´s harder. All these hours of darkness make me exhausted. It’s hard to get up in the morning, hard to get out into the cold, hard to muster energy for writing.

What are you writing?

I am writing my second book about Gunvor Ström, a woman who started to work as a private detective in her mid-sixties. She lives in the suburb of Fruängen, in the outskirts of Stockholm. She engages two young friends that have always seen themselves as losers until they start working together. They are not always good at what they do but they struggle to develop and sometimes they really succeed.

My best news today is that my first book “Three Days in September” will soon be published in English. It’s a story about friendship, love and adventure but also manipulation, infidelity, violence and death. As it says in the text on the back of the book: After three days in September there is no way back.


Sum up life in Stockholm in three words.

Beautiful, contrasting, challenging.

Luna Miller is a pretty new part of me that has been living my passion for writing over the last few years. I published my first Luna Miller novel, Tre dagar i September, in Swedish, towards the end of 2015. A few weeks later I followed it with Den som ger sig in i leken (Playing with Fire) – the first book in my crime series, which has been translated into German as Wer sich auf das Spiel einlässt and Spanish as Quien juega con fuego.

Right now, I am working on my second book in the crime series, but at the same time, I am really excited about the imminent release of my first book in English. You will soon be able to find Three days in September on Amazon and other major e-book distributors. 

https://lunamiller.com/en