The Helios Disaster
2017 Longlist

The Helios Disaster

Translated from the original Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles
artwork-image

ABOUT
THE BOOK

The Helios Disaster, a modern myth, is a unique, wonderfully written story about the relationship between men and gods, fathers and daughters, heaven and earth. A twelve year-old girl, born out of her father’s head like the goddess Athena, ends up in a foster home, starts to speak in tongues and is finally committed to a psychiatric institution. All this time, she dreams of seeing her father again. When they finally find each other, they run away together. Who are the girl and her father?

 

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Linda
Boström Knausgård

Linda Boström Knausgård, a Swedish author and a poet, made her critical breakthrough in 2011 with the short-story collection Grand Mal. Her first novel, The Helios Disaster, was longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature in the United States. Welcome to America, her second novel, was nominated for a number of awards including the prestigious Swedish August Prize. October Child became a bestseller in Sweden and throughout Scandinavia.

Linda Boström Knausgård, a Swedish author and a poet, made her critical breakthrough in 2011 with the short-story collection Grand Mal. Her first novel, The Helios Disaster, was longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature in the United States. Welcome to America, her second novel, was nominated for a number of awards including the prestigious Swedish August Prize. October Child became a bestseller in Sweden and throughout Scandinavia.

ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Rachel
Willson-Broyles

Rachel Willson-Broyles became interested in Sweden and the Swedish language at an early age. She majored in Scandinavian Studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, and received her BA there in 2002. She started translating while a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she received a Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies in 2013. Rachel lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Rachel Willson-Broyles became interested in Sweden and the Swedish language at an early age. She majored in Scandinavian Studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, and received her BA there in 2002. She started translating while a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she received a Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies in 2013. Rachel lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS

This novel is an intense exploration of the troubled existence of a young woman, written in a poetic, original language. Haunting.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Date published
12/02/2015
Country
Sweden
Original Language
Swedish
Publisher
World Editions
Translator
Rachel Willson-Broyles
Translation
Translated from the original Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles

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