December Dispatch

Photo: Stefan Anderson

December is one of my favorite months; a bright, festive respite from the grey doldrums of November when my energy level and spirits flag. However, it’s also a month full of paradoxes. Holiday lights and burning candles artificially illuminate hours of intense darkness. We rush like mad to complete those final projects while simultaneously longing for a much-needed break. Although the year’s close signifies a noble ending, the desire for a fresh start is never far behind. December is billed as a sociable, cheerful time, but it can also amplify feelings of loneliness and melancholy. Finally, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, yet there’s little spirituality and lots of commercialism.

On top of these conflicting impressions, the fast-moving Omicron situation has colored what we hoped would be a less restrictive holiday season. Collectively, it feels like we’ve experienced a lifetime of stress over the past two years, and our weariness can obscure the strides we’ve made with the vaccines and our ability to treat the virus. Yet, even with these highs and lows, the days leading up to Christmas and the New Year still fill me with hope and anticipation. Even with the gloomy omicron news, I’m determined to keep my spirits up and will take extra layers of precaution (home antigen tests are my new best friends). Call me naive, but I’m still holding on to the belief that I’ll be able to gather with family and friends responsibly.

Creatively, my writing this month has come in fits and starts. It’s become clear I won’t reach my word count goal by Christmas, and after lots of guilt and self-reproach, I‘ve chosen to be kinder to myself and accept it. There were just too many distractions competing for my attention (it is the holiday season, after all). Nevertheless, I’m cautiously optimistic about what I’ve written so far and think there may be some potential, but who knows?!

After a hectic but incredibly fulfilling year, I need some time to decompress. I know that a short writing break and surrounding myself with people and experiences that spark joy will bring me peace and nurture new ideas. This may be the best present I can give myself this Christmas. I hope you will also treat yourself to a mindset that enables you to relax and enjoy the blessings of another December because despite the ongoing challenges, we've made it this far!

Wishing you and your loved ones a healthy, happy Holiday Season! Thank you so much for your support and for reading my work this year. See you in 2022!

BOOK LOVERS & BEYOND HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2021

After another challenging year, the holidays are finally upon us and I hope you will be able to find peace and joy this season. I love giving well-thought-out presents to family and friends and have put together some of my favorite pieces to channel your inner Santa. I always start from a bookish perspective and then add other book-adjacent items that have caught my fancy. There has been lots of talk about supply chain issues and shipping delays so start in good time to maintain your sanity :). My goal is to have a little fun and inspire, not to push products! Nothing beats good health and the company of loved ones...

Photo courtesy of BookBub

BOOKS

So many interesting titles have been released just in time for the holidays. Bibliophile Diverse Spines is the latest installment to the much-appreciated series. Foodies will love Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer's Guide and creatives will find inspiration in the living spaces of Artists in Residence. The Afro Surf tome makes me want to hit the waves!

Art, design, beauty, style, and decor are front and center in these beautiful coffee table books: ACNE PAPER; Mickalene Thomas; Life in a French Country House; Estée Lauder: A Beautiful Life; Slim Aarons Style; Hill House Living.

These new biographies dig deeper into the lives of beloved icons: Will; Tim: Biografin om Avicii; Garbo.

The Something's Off book came out in June, but it would be the perfect gift for (and homage to) fans of the late great designer and artist, Virgil Abloh.

COZY FASHION

Want to keep someone warm or up their WFH game? These pieces may just do the trick: Soft Goat cashmere pants and hoodie; Ugg Cozette slides; Ugg Scuffita slippers; Stand Studio purple furry hat; Stand Studio Lucille shearling tote; Stand Studio cocoon coat.

HOME

Home for the holidays takes on new meaning with these pieces: Svenskt Tenn Mareld vase in forest green; Svenkt Tenn emerald Glasiett leaf; Anissa Kermiche striking Love Handles vase; Chamois Pomegranate tablecloth; Not Another Bill personalized Table Seating Planner for dinner parties; Skultuna's newest Veermaker's Bluebell candlestick.

CANDLES

Let there be light with these elegant scented candles: Perennial favorite La Forêt from Victor Vaissier will bring the essence of the forest to your home. Pair it with another one of their seasonal fragrances, Saison Bleu. Holiday from Harlem Candle Company was inspired by Billie Holiday. Evening Amber, a new, aromatically chic blend by style maven Nathalie Schuterman. Light it all up with this smart match set from Eldstickan.

LUXURIOUS SELF CARE

Do you want to spoil someone in your life? Or maybe reward yourself for getting that raise or publishing a book? Hermès hand cream and nail polish are the latest entries into the luxury beauty space. Chanel also produces a luxurious hand cream for winter days. Dr. Barbara Sturm skincare boasts a loyal clientele and I'm happy to see she has developed products for darker skin tones. The Molton Brown Christmas Cracker with four woody-scented bath gels would make the perfect stocking stuffer.

COOL LUXURY

These gifts are sleek and gender-neutral: stylish Hermès Apple watch; Satake Ame knife set; Rimowa's classic silver cabin bag; Tiffany Supreme keychain.

FUN & WHIMSICAL

Holiday breaks aren't complete without a complicated puzzle to put together and bibliophiles will be scratching their heads for days with In the Bookstore and Classic Paperbacks! Olympia Le Tan trades in her signature book covers for an adorable CEO Barbie clutch. Pärlans Julkalender is a wonderful collection of delectable caramel candies.

LAST WORD...

Please consider donating to a charity in need or a cause close to your heart. Among other charitable organizations, I will be supporting Mentor International.

Wishing you all love and light this holiday season!!

HELLO AGAIN!

October 10, 2021

Photo: Ariana Ghatan

I’m back! My apologies for the lack of blog updates. My goal has always been to write a monthly post, but the period before and after the release of Sommaren på Nornö took me on an all-consuming but incredible ride. If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you know the novel was chosen as the sommarföljetong (summer book selection) by TT News Agency and serialized in over 30 newspapers across Sweden. The thought of having my words in local papers and reaching such a broad audience had never entered my wildest dreams. Truthfully, I had never even heard the word följetong before and did not know what it meant! But what a privilege and pleasure it was to connect with so many engaged readers around the country. I was also fortunate to receive some media coverage, and being interviewed on Nyhetesmorgon, Sweden’s most popular morning program, was such an honor. However, the most extraordinary part of my book release has been seeing the photos and reviews posted by readers and book influencers. Beautiful vignettes and creative bookstagrams. Honest opinions and deeply thoughtful comments about the narrative. Agnes, Linn and Zoë Holmgren, and the fictional island of Nornö, really took on a life of their own. I have learned so much from this journey and am enormously grateful for the experience.

Things culminated with the Göteborg Book Fair a few weeks ago, where I met other writers and more of the Norstedts team IRL. I love Norstedts and feel so lucky to be a part of their family! Sometimes I feel like the new kid on the block, but everyone is so nice and helpful, putting my nervousness at ease.

Admittedly, Summer 2021 was quite intense, and the last few months have also been a whirlwind of personal travel and celebrating my milestone birthday—interspersed with some book events. As a result, I have felt the need to rest, read, and replenish. At the end of August, I had lunch with Jennifer Lindström, Senior Editor at Norstedts (and the woman who made it all possible 😊) to discuss my next project. I shared my ideas with her, and once we outlined a plan, I felt like I could finally leave my obsessing over the stats and reviews about Sommaren på Nornö behind. It was time to look ahead and move on to the next story.

However, all is not lost. I can now officially announce that I will be writing a sequel to Sommaren på Nornö! Although this wasn’t my original plan, many readers are curious about what happens next and have expressed a longing to read more about the characters. So, you will continue to follow Zoë, but in a new time and place (yet still with her connection to Nornö) and get inside the head of a new character. I am so excited to begin writing and hope you will want to read this new story once it comes out (hopefully Autumn 2022). Until then, you will find me hunkered down over my computer—typing away—but see you in this space next month!