Monday, March 20, 2006

FSF - II


My visit to Helsinki to receive the Stora Pris (Grand Prix) of the Swedish-language authors’ association was quite a quick one – it all happened at such short notice. If I’d known a little further in advance, I would have tried to arrange to stay in Helsinki a bit longer – but I have to be back here for work purposes today!

I really enjoyed attending the annual dinner. I hope that the authors took note of the role that Books from Finland magazine has played in presenting Finland-Swedish writing to an English-speaking public over the past thirty years or so, and to Soila Lehtonen’s editorship of the magazine. Many of my translations first appeared in BfF, and it’s through the journal that British and U.S. publishers were able to read them.

It was good to talk to Thomas Wulff, Peter Sandelin, Henrika Ringbom and others, and to meet my old friend Gösta Ågren. I’m looking forward to visiting Helsinki/Helsingfors again before too long.

I am very pleased with the text of the award (in the picture).

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