Astrid Lindgren Jubilee - Sunday June 17, 2007

Not only was today Father's Day in America (Sweden also celebrates Mother's Day and Father's Day but on different days), but it was also the day we chose to visit the Astrid Lindgren exhibit at the Kulturhuset (Culture House) downtown Stockholm. This exhibit was very moving especially to J as she remembers reading these books in America as a child.

Astrid Lindren is the beloved children's literature writer born on her family's Näs farm, near Vimmerby in Småland. 2007 is declared an Astrid Lindgren jubilee year to celebrate Astrid (in Sweden and all over the world) as she would be 100 years old this year on November 14. She died at the age of 94. She is the most successful author of children's books in the world. Her books, toy characters and Pippi dolls are seen all over Sweden.

There are plenty of nice websites for information and pictures from her own collection and the Astrid Lindgren celebrations and about her in general.

Beginning with Pippi Longstocking, her works are among the most read and translated (about 85 languages) children's books over the world. The characters and places are drawn from her own childhood:
The Children From the Noisy Village, Emil in Lonneberga, Bullerbyn, and, of course, the Pippi series. The display included many photographs and collections from Astrid's own private collection. The most striking thing to me was how Astrid herself had a playful side and a twinkle in her eye that looked as if the child in her spied the child in you. And then she would bring out that part of a person....the fun loving playful side.

One photograph showed her climbing a tree at the age of 75ish. The caption quoted her as saying "The Ten Commandments do NOT say an old lady can NOT climb a tree!!!!"

In an episode in one of the Pippi books, the kids put a message in a bottle that read "We can't survive much longer on the island without more snuff." Astrid says in a television interview that that story was based on a true story about some kids she'd known while growing up. In real life, the message was "Bring liquor and snuff, we can't survive on the island much longer without." The kids got in trouble when an uncle found the bottle floating near shore in the weeds. In the book, Astrid removed the reference to liquor to avoid a public outcry.

Recently, it was discovered that there were thousands of her books in a warehouse in Turkey. They had decided not to distribute them (for reasons I can guess). Too bad they don't view her as the global treasure she is and was.

In one film of the exhibit, Astrid tells how vivid life is to children. ..yet she reminds us that child is always alive in each of us. She spoke fondly of the wooded meadows and farmland she played with her many friends and siblings, the animals, the barns, the houses, the smells of the earth and trees. She states that every rock and tree was a living being to them. Astrid cared deeply about animals, nature, peace and children's rights.

Although she acquired fame and fortune, she stayed the same. Many have told me that she was seen shopping and living life normally around Sweden. She lived in a modest apartment above a restaurant for some 40 years before she died. Visitors commented on how someone so famous would live so modestly. The world is certainly a much better place since Astrid was here!