The British newspaper The Guardian has described "Sommar" as "the radio program that unites a nation" – and in these times, it's a responsibility that weighs extra heavily, thinks program manager Bibi Rödöö. This year, the editorial staff thought "who can help us navigate this complex time".
It's perhaps not those with a little knowledge and a high voice this year, but those with a lot of knowledge that unite instead of dividing, she says, quoting diplomat Jan Eliasson, who was winter host last year.
He said, "I am unemployed now, there is no one who wants a mediator." Diplomacy is not what is sought after, but instead people stand on opposite sides and just want to kill each other.
Freedom of Expression
Director Maryam Moghaddam will talk about whether it's worth risking everything for the truth. She has made films such as "A Small Piece of Cake" – for which she was sentenced to a 26-month conditional prison term for defying Iran's censorship laws.
The choice to come to Iran, work with film, try to create change and confront censorship and unjust laws has always been made with the risks in mind, she tells TT.
She is grateful for the opportunity to summer speak.
I hope that I can open a new window and reduce the distance between me and my other homeland, Sweden, which I am far from right now, she says.
Even EU official Johan Floderus, who was imprisoned in Iran, summer speaks. Is it a statement for freedom of expression? Yes, confirms Bibi Rödöö.
One might think that Johan Floderus' story will be a description of the deplorable he experienced. But he lands instead in something wise, loving and encouraging.
Love Declaration
It will also be both programs that "remind us that it's fun to live" and personal stories. 20-year-old poet Aya Kanbar is the youngest.
It feels really nice, despite not having lived for long, I have so much to talk about. I don't talk about myself and my career, not about being a poet or about the industry, she says.
Instead, she makes a love declaration to Örebro where she grew up – which was shaken by the murder on Campus Risbergska this year. She also highlights other places that are important to her: Paris, Alanya – and the internet.
I have had a mobile phone for most of my upbringing. Being online was the third place, it was where I was if I wasn't in school or at home. A chapter is dedicated to it – what kind of escapism and calm it can give.
"Sommar i P1" has its premiere in Sveriges Radio on Midsummer's Day, June 21. Petra Mede is the first of the 59 summer speakers.
