Is “Summer in P1” filled with people talking about their traumas? It’s a common image, which program director Bibi Rödöö addresses. The goal is to highlight authentic stories in an age controlled by AI, she emphasizes. This also includes stories from minors.
"It's a bit careless to say that there's so much trauma in 'Summer.' Sorry, that's not true," she says.
In this year's lineup, she is proud that Carolina Dybeck Happe, vice president of Microsoft, took the time.
"She's a unique Swede in the business world."
Got shaky
Amanda Romare received the request at the same time as there was a storm in the media surrounding her latest, much-hyped novel "Judas".
"I was so prepared for it to be a debate about my relationship with my boyfriend. And then just, 'Hey, do you want to do "Summer"?' It was probably one of the most beautiful moments of my life."
At first she was shocked - "Summer" had already been significant in her childhood, as a safe point after her parents divorced.
Her summer talk will partly be about the Bjäre Peninsula where Romare grew up. But in recent years she has been in Uppsala a lot to take care of her sick grandmother.
"It also brings you so close to death and the end of life, and the horror of that. I kind of want to delve into that in my 'Summer.' But there will still be some humor, nostalgia and warmth, I think, even though it is a heavy subject."
The story of the mask
Melodifestival winner Felicia, who abandoned her alias Fröken Snusk last year, is looking forward to revealing even more of her real self.
"My closest fanbase knows quite a lot about me, but there are many who don't know everything and it feels fun to open up more," she says.
Will there be an unmasking on the radio?
"I'm taking it one step at a time. I'll at least tell the story of the mask so people really understand. When the mask comes off, I don't actually know."
Eastern Europe researcher Martin Kragh also gets personal. He was a widely sought-after expert in the media after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He underwent surgery and received chemotherapy, but in the summer of 2024 the cancer returned.
Together with his wife, he discussed the "honorable" request.
"The summer talk is a personal format. When I participate in the media it is usually as a researcher; here it is a different type of hat. We ended up thinking that it was a nice thing to be able to do."
Kragh will talk about the situation in the world, but also about more personal experiences.
"Finally, I also talk about my illness," he says.
Facts: Ruth Kvarnström-Jones about her summer talk
Author Ruth Kvarnström-Jones will tell the story of how a British girl moves to Sweden and begins writing books about Stockholm's history, including successes such as "Friends at the Nordic Company".
She thinks it "felt a bit like being ennobled" to participate.
"It is in some way a confirmation that you have truly entered Swedish society," she says.
She is well-known in the book industry - but she doesn't mind if radio listeners don't recognize her in town.
"I have always said that my ambition is to be a household name, but not a household face," she notes.
Is there anything you are worried about before your "Summer" program?
"It would be embarrassing for people to turn it off after ten minutes."
