Presentation in English

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TOMAS LÖFSTRÖM, WRITER AND TRAVELLER

This website is maintained by Tomas Löfström, Swedish writer and journalist. It contains information about Tomas Löfström, his books (novels, travelogues, essays), journalistic writings, etc, as well as pages about India (and Indian literature), Österlen (the far south of Sweden) and other places in the world. Most of the texts are in Swedish. However, for the benefit of the international audience some pages appear in English. Below you’ll find a presentation in English of Tomas Löfström and his writings. Would you like to read some of his texts in English translation? Go to the bottom of the page and click the links for a couple of translated texts: an essay about travel writing and excerpts from two novels. You will also find information about the Indo-Swedish Translation Project. Or, if you prefer a cup of coffee, or Indian chai, we recommend Café Kosmopolit!

TOMAS LÖFSTRÖM was born 1948 in Lund, Sweden. He is one of the best known travel writers in Sweden. His first book, Liftare (Hitchhiker), published in 1971, is a partly fictional story of hippies on the road in France, Spain and northern Africa. He has travelled widely in Europe and Asia – India, Afghanistan, Tibet – and has written several travel books, e. g. Vägen till Kathmandu (The Road to Kathmandu), 1975, about an overland trip from Europé to India and Nepal, Dalen där Buddha dör (The Valley Where Buddha Dies), 1978, about Ladakh in the Himalayas, and Den långa resan till Lhasa (The Long Journey to Lhasa), 1983, about Tibet and the Tibetan refugees in India (including an interview with the Dalai Lama).

Tomas Löfström has also published books on historical and topographical subjects, including some collections of essays, e. g. Transit (Transit), 1984, Hemligheten i Marabar (The Secret of Marabar), 1992, Mannen som reste (The Man Who Travelled), 2000 and William Arnes dröm om frihet (William Arne’s Dream of Freedom), 2005. In the middle of the 80's he turned to fiction with Gryningsflickan (Girl of the Dawn), 1986, a novel about a European woman in Afghanistan in the 1920's. It was rewarded with a divided first prize in a national novel contest by the publisher Bra Böcker. The novel Till min syster (To My Sister), 1988, is a fictional story of Löfström's own generation, covering places like Stockholm, Berlin and Calcutta during the years 1948-1988. His latest novel Änglar och rebeller (Angels and Rebels), 1995, is a story of myths and reality set in Europe and Morocco.

During the late 1960's and the beginning of the 70's Tomas Löfström studied art, ethnology and anthropology at the University of Lund. 1977–80 he was the editor of "Studiekamraten", a literary magazine. He has also been working as a radio producer. For several years he was a member of the reference group for cultural magazines of the National Council for Cultural Affairs. Later on he was a member of the board of the Swedish Writers Foundation. He was a member of the Swedish writers delegation touring India in March 1996 invited by the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. Since 1998 (together with Birgitta Wallin) he has been administrating a joint Indo-Swedish Translation Project with writers, translators and publishers from India and Sweden. More information at Indian Library.

As a free lance journalist and literary critic Tomas Löfström has contributed regularly to several Swedish newspapers and magazines, like Sydsvenska Dagbladet, Ystads Allehanda, the travel magazine Vagabond and the literary magazine Karavan. He lives in the countryside of southern Sweden and in Stockholm with his wife, architect Eva Maria Persson. They have two daughters. Aurora lives in Helsingborg, working as a veterinarian in Flyinge. Filippa is doing master studies in International Relations (European Studies) at King’s College, London.

E-mail: ftlof@telia.com

All texts © Tomas Löfström.

MORE READINGS IN ENGLISH

Translated excerpt from the novel Gryningsflickan/Girl of the Dawn

Some pages in English from the novel Till min syster/To My Sister

Travel Writing English translation of an essay from the book Transit, 1984

Indo-Swedish Translation Project (information in English)

Biblioteket/The Library A complete list of Tomas Löfström´s books (in Swedish, though)

A nice cup of tea? Or maybe a cappuccino? Try Café Kosmopolit (welcoming text in English)

Want to see pictures of Tomas Lofstrom´s family? Have a look!

More information about Swedish and Scandinavian literature is available from the Swedish Institute and Sweden Bookshop in Stockholm. Visit the website of Sweden Bookshop with lots of Swedish books translated into English, French, German, Spanish and other languages.