Lisa Ridzén debuted in early 2024 with "The Cranes Are Flying South" - a novel about the old man Bo who lives alone with his dog in a small town in Jämtland and receives daily visits from home care services.
The book quickly became a talking point in Sweden, was named Book of the Year, and has been sold to 44 publishers around the world. Ridzén herself, who can now call herself an international shooting star, still doesn't quite understand what happened.
It was not in my imagination that it would be translated, she says.
The story of Bo is in many ways very Swedish, even Jämtlandish – but the book is still on bestseller lists in the US, the UK, Germany and Italy, among other places.
At the same time, they are quite universal themes. Aging, death, relationships between family members, animals and nature. It's something that the vast majority of people, wherever they live, can relate to.
These themes are all over the world, she continues.
Persistent brain fatigue
But when Sweden and the world discovered Lisa Ridzén – and there was already a promise of a new book, “In the Trail of the Hare” – her little daughter accidentally pulled down a freshly watered flower pot that hit Ridzén in the head. The result: a severe concussion and subsequent persistent brain fatigue.
Things are getting better very slowly, but there are many setbacks.
The author has also previously suffered from a rheumatic disease that attacks her back - being bedridden for long periods is therefore not new to her.
The fact that I even started writing fiction came in the aftermath of when I first fell ill with rheumatic fever.
“Should be grateful for everything”
At the same time, she opposes the idea that "one should be grateful for one's illnesses."
It's often only when you get sick that you're told to be so grateful for everything. But I can see that it has, yes, opened up some perspectives and experiences that I couldn't understand before.
The launch of “In the Trail of the Hare” was planned for March last year, but the book has not been completed. It is uncertain when that will happen, and now Lisa Ridzén is focusing on the international launches to the extent that she can work, and several trips are planned.
It is what it is, as my dad always says.
Facts: Lisa Ridzén
Current work: The novel "The Cranes Are Flying South", which was published in 2024, and "In the Trail of the Hare", whose launch has been postponed due to illness.
Family: Husband, daughter, dog, parents and friends.
Lives: In the village of Hegled, which is located outside Östersund.
Besides writing novels, she is a PhD student in sociology at Mid Sweden University where she collects life stories from men living in the Jämtland countryside.
