Congratulations to your honorary doctor’s degree, Katarina Kieri!

Photo: Niklas Werkmäster

ALMA jury member Katarina Kieri has been conferred an honorary doctor’s degree at Luleå University for Technology. The university describes the significance of Katarina’s body of work in the citation:

Kieri’s authorship is charachterized by quietness and reverence for the written word. She emphasize the significance of language and literature for everyone, and says that at a time when young people’s reading habits are being described as problematic, literature and art should be given a greater value. Her poetic language in descriptions of everyday life makes her a singular voice in Swedish literature. (extract, our translation)

The ceremony was held in Luleå on November 14th.

Photo: Niklas Werkmäster

Congratulations Katarina!

Thank you so much! I´m naturally both delighted and honored. I´m especially glad that I´ve been appointed by a university in my old home district. It feels good that they´re keeping check on me.

You have published two books during this autumn. Could you tell us more about them?

En annan Abbe (Another Abbe) is part two in a planned trilogy about some children who are somewhat constrained in their existence, having to help each other to expand their living space. Vårt värde (Our value) is a poetic novel for adults based on the time and geographical circumstances that marked my childhood. This was during the progressive 60s and 70s in northern Sweden, with deep roots further to the north in the Finnish-speaking Tornedalen. My life was strongly influenced by the fact that my parents, like thousands of others in their generation and because of a very hard language policy, not brought their native language on to me.

What´s your next project?

I´ll write the third and final part of the trilogy of children’s books.

En annan Abbe (Another Abbe. A collaboration with illustrator Helena Lunding Hultqvist) is published by Lilla Piratförlaget.