(Something for V-E Day, except ther Swedes celebrated May 7th and the Russians
May 9th...)
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Pippi Longstocking's War
The author of the Pippi Longstocking books, Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002), began
a war diary the day World War II began. This diary, 15-16 handwritten booklets
(including newspaper clippings which are reproduced in a selection), is now
published as Astrid Lindgrens Krigsdagböcker 1939-1945 (Astrid Lindgrens War
Diaries 1939-1945; Salikon förlag).
Lindgren's war diaries were presented May 7th on the Royal Library in
Stockholm, by Lena Törnquist (organiser of Lindgren's archive), Karin Nyman
(Astrid's daughter) and Jan Bergman (author, his mother was involved in the
Swedish intelligence service during WWII). The diaries begin the 1st of
September 1939: "Oh! Today the war begins. Nobody wanted to believe it".
Swedes celebrated the war's end May 7th, as the German capitulation became
known, and Astrid Lindgren writes: "This is V Day! The War is over! The War is
over! THE WAR IS OVER! ... Insane jubilations lies this very moment over
Stockholm. King's Street is covered by inches of paper, everyone behaves as if
crazy".
The war diaries are being translated to German, Danish, Norwegian and Polish
- English wasn't mentioned, but an English edition seems very likely. Lindgren
writes about developments during the war, comments upon politics with contempt
for Hitler and Stalin but lots of sympathies for Norway, Finland, Britain and
the US, describes troubles in eeryday life like all the rationings, and sorrow
over the persecution of the Jews.
Astrid Lindgren was better informed than most, since she during the war
worked for the clandestine mail control office, which opened and read all mail
to/from abroad and military servicemen (and censored them in case they had
sensitive information). From this mail she often found information not
available to the general public. Some stories of tragedy from the letters are
mentioned (without giving names) in the diaries. She got this sensitive job as
mail controller after being recommended by the legendary Swedish policeman and
criminologist Harry Söderman, for whom she had worked as secretary. Some
believe that Söderman is the inspiration for Lindgren's Karlsson on the Roof
character, the little man flying around with a propeller on his back.
The diaries presents an author with talent and a strong voice, despite
Lindgren not being published yet at that time (except being an intern on a
local newspaper and having had minor short stories published). But as the war
ended, the first Pippi Longstocking book emerged.
And peace and the strongest girl in the world both made the world a little
better.
--Ahrvid Engholm
Swedish Press Release about the book:
http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/saltkraakan-ab/pressreleases/astrid-lindgrens-krigsdagboecker-1939-1945-blir-bok-nya-unika-texter-publiceras-1078207
News about the book in English:
http://www.alma.se/en/Press/News/News/Nyheter-2014/War-Diaries/
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