The jury behind the trade union prize emphasizes that Bakhtiari, like Ivar Lo-Johansson, portrays groups that are not always seen in Swedish novels. In Bakhtiari's case, we follow the everyday lives of Swedish-Iranians, and social developments in both Tehran and Malmö.
"Marjaneh Bakhtiari has truly brought the people of Malmö to life. Her books are both part of a realistic tradition in the spirit of Ivar Lo and of a Scanian humor tradition," says Kalle Holmqvist, chairman of the Ivar Lo-Johansson Memorial Association, in a press release.
Marjaneh Bakhtiari was born in 1980 in Tehran, Iran. She made her debut in 2005 with “Call it whatever the hell you want” and has previously been awarded the ABF literary scholarship and the Lars Ahlin scholarship, among others.
The Ivar Lo Prize has been awarded since 1986. The prize money is 125,000 SEK and the award ceremony takes place on Ivar Lo-Johansson's birthday, February 23.
