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Mankell, Henning
3 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
Henning Mankell refutes the 'myth of the Swedish model'
Interviewed by Gilles Anquetil and François Armanet, the Swedish writer Henning Mankell questions the particularly positive image his country benefits from. "This paradise is a myth that you created, not us. It is foreigners who became fascinated by the 'Swedish model' and ... by Swedish blonds ! Sweden is not responsible for the mythology that surrounds it. And it is naturally aware of its share of problems, especially that which I refer to in my books: the relationship between democracy and the judicial system. If there is a dysfunction in the justice system, democracy cannot work either. Sweden has experienced numerous scandals that give the impression that corruption and organised crime are developing. There are even notable racist tendencies, albeit much less pronounced than in other countries. The Swedish followed the riots in the French suburbs very closely. We haven't reached that extreme yet, but we might if we're not careful."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Integration, » Sweden
All available articles from » Gilles Anquetil, » François Armanet
Henning Mankell praises Ingmar Bergman's creative force
The Swedish writer Henning Mankell was the son in law of the film-maker Ingmar Bergman, who passed away on July 30th, aged 89. He pays homage to him in an article published by several papers. "Ingmar found the meaning of life in creativity. If he did have a God, then that was it: the creative force that gave purpose to an otherwise highly troubled life. When he, around a year ago, noticed that his creative capability had started to wane, I could see that he was already leaving us. Without that power to create, there was nothing left. ... When he died, he had completed a tremendous body of work. One of the hardest working men in art, he handed down innumerable films, screenplays, theatrical productions, plays and books. He is one of the few who will survive from last century's Swedish/Nordic/European/global cultural life into the future. Precisely how, we can't say. Only that it will happen."
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More from the press review on the subject » Film, » Literature, » Sweden
Mankell and the tradition of crime fiction
Interviewed by Tristan Savin, the Swedish writer Henning Mankell, author of successful crime fiction, maintains that the genre is a "good means" of commenting on contemporary society. "We know that the majority of people do not read anything other than thrillers. So it's a good way to reach people. But crime fiction can also be a very efficient form for storytelling. Don't forget that crime fiction is one of the oldest literary forms. Going back to ancient Greece, what does Medea tell us ? It's a play about a woman who kills her children through jealousy, in short a crime story written two thousand five hundred years ago. The fact that crime stories are among the oldest is one of my sources of inspiration. It's evident that we enjoy these stories as much today as two thousand year ago."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Sweden
All available articles from » Tristan Savin
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