I was planning to celebrate my birthday last year at my regular bar Ugglan, but turns out that was actually the very week they closed. So my birthday is also my one year anniversary of dealing with corona in our society. In many ways an awful year for all of us but I have also had some nice things happen. Time to state them and spread some happiness. Pic taken by my mother for our birthday fika four days ago.
I'll start with the writing. I am finally a published author, and not just one book. The writing is done together with my mother. We were both surprised at first by how easy it was for us to stay professional colleagues while writing, daring to be honest with one other about anything in our texts and not staying silent to be nice. We have no problem admitting that the other one had a better idea at all, and very rarely disagree completely. When we do we've managed to solve those situations too. But don't get me wrong, we do of course still fight and annoy each other, we are mother and son after all. We just don't do it at all while writing.
We talk a bit about writing together in the interview I link below. Only in Swedish tho, as it's a Swedish newspaper.
https://www.mitti.se/nyheter/mamma-och-son-har-skrivit-barnbok-ihop/reptki!FK24XEeFUqaWA8kuWWVCzQ/
Our first book Dåligt Humör (Bad Mood) was published in November. It's the first book about Kim and Hilma, or Kilma as I call them. Kim's best friend Hilma is in a bad mood. When she goes in from the balcony Kim stays out. In order to get an idea that might work for Hilma he asks the neighbours what they do to get happy again, maybe the running neighbour or Goran with the cool dresses have some ideas?
In December our second book, Skrällets nio liv (The nine lives of Skrället) was published. Unlike Dåligt Humör it rhymes, the books are very different except for that they both are for children. Inspiration comes from Dartis, my neighbour's cat in Mälarhöjden where I grew up. Dartis was a cat that acted first and thought of whether the idea was good or bad afterwards The name Dartis (according to us, the owners might have a different one) is based on a dart, thrown forward mindlessly and often missing. That and the title of the book should tell you enough about the basic story. We started writing about three years ago but I actually first came up with the idea when I was 15 years old.
My next book about Kim and Hilma, Världsbäst (Best in the world), was published in January. Kim and Hilma see the world's strongest woman on tv and also want to find something that they are the best in the world at, which turns out to not be very easy. There doesn't seem to be anything ... or is there?
Bästa jobbet (The best job) will probably be published in May. starts with that Kim accidentally kicks a football onto Hilma's pillow castle. Then in their fantasy the castle and other things become real. A castle can start burning and need firefighters, and a tiara in the moat can call for a diver. A lot can happen when you play.
We have not yet written contracts on more but we have two more or less finished drafts, På Rymmen (On the run). Kim and Hilma go on the run to the playhouse on the courtyard and Hårdrockaren (The hard rocker)
--------
Writing is not all I've been doing. I've also worked as a preschool substitute at my friend's preschool. I was a bit worried that it would be weird having him as the boss of my section but it worked just fine for both of us. It only really meant he set the schedule, we never had things to "decide" that we could disagree on. I spent three great weeks there in late November and the first half of December and I know that the kids kept playing chess after I left them. My friend actually told me that one of the 6 y.o. kids had gone to a chess club and made a impression good enough that they asked who taught him. He said Leo at my preschool and they actually asked asked if the second name was Brodin (mine).
Even if I don't end up coming back I left my print. Saying goodbye to all my kids on the last day was a bit sad of course. Most gave a quick hug and left with their parents but two of them asked to hug me again and said they'd miss me and another said that he'd never stop playing chess and that he'd beat me the next time he met me, because we would meet again. I am usually not a big fan of rain but that day my face being wet was very convenient for my macho manliness.
Laters :)
Link to my books
https://www.akademibokhandeln.se/sok/?sokfraga=Leo%20Brodin