Out of the Darkness: Translators and Editors Shine Light on a New Treasure Trove of Swedish Literature

Out of the Darkness is an exciting new anthology of classic Swedish literature which brings many stories to an English-reading audience for the very first time. Vendela Vida and David Katznelson, co-editors of the collection, and translators Victoria Häggblom and Amanda Doxtater will discuss the selection and translation process and highlight the work of these authors in particular: Hjalmar Söderberg, Karin Boye, Agnes von Krusenstjerna, August Strindberg and Selma Lagerlöf. The editors will elaborate on these writers' relevance to Swedish culture and to literature today, and the translators will focus on the joys and challenges of translating work from another era. The discussion will be moderated by Linda Haverty Rugg, professor of Scandinavian Studies at UC Berkeley. This event took place in Downtown Berkeley, at the Bay Area Book Festival, May 29-31 2026.  Thank you to our sponsor, The Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, for this program.  Support our work and help to keep the Bay Area Book Festival 96% free! https://givebutter.com/writingthefuture Check out our upcoming events www.baybookfest.org Follow us on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baybookfest/