Between the Lines
The ‘Between the Lines’ toolkit provides a means to both deepen and broaden the promotion of Swedish literature abroad. The material is aiming at promoting contemporary Swedish literature while at the same time creating an interest in literature as a concept and some of its core concerns and practices. You will find a
poster exhibition, films, social media materials and event suggestions.
Literature is much more than just words on a page. It’s an inquiry, an answer, an activity, and a condition. It is an individual pursuit and a concern for society at large. The exhibition aims to highlight this and delve into the experiences and perspectives of Swedish literature.
Background
The international interest in Swedish literature is growing, making Sweden a welcome participant in book fairs and literary festivals all over the world.
Meanwhile, the literary scene inside Sweden is both vibrant and multi-faceted, thanks to a wide range of factors. Not least among them are a vivid book market, and an intricate network of book festivals, independent magazines, creative writing workshops, residencies, as well as writers’ and translators’ associations.
Swedish writers and literature professionals presented in the toolkit
Karin Smirnoff (novelist), Steve Sem-Sandberg (novelist), Jan Stolpe (translator), Elin Anna Labba (non-fiction writer), Mats Strandberg (YA writer), Emma AdBåge (childrens’ book writer), Parvin Ardalan (journalist, former ICORN resident), Elisabeth Åsbrink (non-fiction writer), Mats Malm (permanent secretary Swedish Academy), Jonas Hassen Khemiri (novelist/playwright), Balsam Karam (novelist), Bim Eriksson (comic books artist), Sara Garib (spoken word poet), Lydia Sandgren (novelist), Ida Linde (writer/director of Biskops Arnö Writers’ Workshop), Malin Persson Giolito (crime fiction writer), Bagir Kwiek (former Swedish national reading ambassador).
Karin Smirnoff. Photo: Swedish Institute
Mats Strandberg. Photo: Swedish Institute
Bim Eriksson. Photo: Swedish Institute
Building blocks
Exhibition
The material contains a poster exhibition in the form of Q&As, gathering representatives of the Swedish literary scene – writers, translators, educators, literacy promotors – who share their thoughts on different literary matters.
Exhibition overview – both for wall-mounted and in exhibition modules (English, pdf)
Exhibition texts – for translation (English, Word)
To obtain high resolution print files, please email Oskar Röhlander.
Videos
The toolkit includes videos featuring Swedish novelist Karin Smirnoff, horror/sci-fi/fantasy novelist Mats Strandberg and comic artist Bim Eriksson. The videos can be used for screenings at events and social media.
Here is just one example of the videos in this toolkit:
Videos for screening and social media, instructions and copy – one version with embedded English subtitles and one clean version and srt-files for translation (mp4, srt and Word files in English for translation)
Social media
Highlight unexpected ways to experience literature, short interviews with writers and test your follower’s knowledge in a literature quiz! The social media materials can be published as a campaign when activating the toolkit or throughout the whole year.
Videos, instructions, captions and copy – short interviews with the writers for social media (mp4 and Word files in English for translation)
Quiz and captions (mp4 and Word files in English for translation)
Posts (jpg and Word files in English for translation)
Suggestions on how to activate your followers – (pdf) coming soon
Book competition
Launch a book competition on Instagram! Get your social media followers to come up with an imaginative ending to this sentence: ’I sat with a cup of tea and gazed out the window…’. Maybe with a book by a Swedish author as a prize for the winner?
Events
Embassies around the world are invited to bring the “Between the Lines” exhibition to life through a variety of events including:
- Book Fairs and Literature Festivals: Take part in cultural events focused on books and literature. Showcase Swedish literature and engage with local audiences through author talks, readings, and book signings.
- Swedish Book Circles: Organise book clubs where participants can read and discuss Swedish literature. Invite Swedish authors or local experts to lead discussions.
- Readings and Individual Author Visits: Invite Swedish authors to give readings and talks about their work or arrange visits for individual authors. This is a great way to bring Swedish literature to local audiences and build a connection between the embassy and the local literary community.
- Workshops for Translators: Arrange workshops for local translators to learn more about Swedish literature and techniques for translating it into different languages.
- Swedish Teaching and Alumni: Connect with local universities and alumni organisations to promote Swedish literature and the “Between the Lines” exhibition. Invite Swedish authors to give talks or workshops on campus or organise alumni events to celebrate Swedish literature.
Press
Invite the press or guests to your event or exhibition!
Press release (Word file in English)
To obtain high resolution print files for press images – email the Swedish Institute contact person Oskar Röhlander.
Inspirational stories
“Between the Lines” at the Book Fair in Riga, Latvia:
Financial support
Applications for projects in April to December 2023
Due to the extraordinarily high number of toolkit applications, and a limited budget, we are unable to grant any further financial support for toolkits in 2023 with the exception of toolkit applications with following purposes:
– Higher education promotion
– Sweden alumni relations
– Sweden 500 celebrations (maximum of 5 000 SEK)
– The Nobel Prize (a limited numer of applications)
You can of course also use all material on sharingsweden.se but without funding from us.
Swedish embassies and consulates may apply for financial support of maximum SEK 40,000 for travel costs and remuneration for Swedish guest speaker(s).
For projects aiming to strengthen cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region the level of financial support is limited to a maximum of SEK 100,000. Up to 30 per cent of the granted sum may be used for external project management.
How to apply
To apply, please fill out the application form.
The application must be sent in at least two months before the event. Resources are limited and financial support may not be available at the end of the year. Limits may apply.
How to report
After completed event, fill out the project report for toolkits.
Repayments
If more than 10 per cent of the total grant has not been used, then the full amount of unused funds must be repaid to SI. Repayment shall be via UD EKO. When repaying, enter the project’s registration number (available in the agreement) and the name of your organisation in the notification field and notify the project manager in question.
Contact at the Swedish Institute
For more information, contact Oskar Röhlander.