Gun-Britt Sundström was surprised when she in the summer, got to know it as revealed to a lästörstande generally in the Rotunda of the Asplund’s library on Monday night. Her ”Lydia” is this year’s Stockholm read the book.

“Lydia” came out in 1973 and is Hjalmar Söderberg’s classic romance novel “The serious game” told from a completely different angle and in a completely different time.

the lovers Arvid Stjärnblom and Lydia Stille came out in 1912 and is set in the turn of the century Stockholm. Gun-Britt Sundström has not only moved the story to the 1960s and 70s. She tells the story from Lydia’s perspective.

Gun-Britt Sundström had some reservations when she found out that Författarcentrum and Stockholm public library selected the “For Lydia” to this year’s book. She thinks one should have read ”The serious game” to understand the point of her book.

”Lydia” is not written as a standalone novel and I can’t even imagine how to read it without having read Söderberg, says Gun-Britt Sundström, well aware that many have read her book and not Hjalmar Söderberg.

– There are even educated people who have missed The ”serious game”. They have read my book as an independent novel, and has apparently been able to get something out of it, ” she says.

Photo: Eva-Karin Gyllenberg

of course, that many will read her book, but recommend all those who do not read Söderberg to read it first. The fresher the reader has Soderberg in memory the better, and it also was the objection she had when she found out that she had been selected.

Stockholm reads initiated by the author Helena Sigander, inspired by the lässatsningar made in several cities in the united states. The idea is that a special book is chosen and the reading will inspire författarsamtal, workshops, city tours, etc, and in connection with the book presented (on Monday night) given the out of pocket for everyone to be able to buy it.

the First Stockholm-reads-the book was Hjalmar Söderberg’s “Doktor Glas”. The year was 2002. Even the Söderbergsboken has been interpreted; Bengt ohlsson’s “Gregory” came out in 2004 and was awarded with the August prize. Ohlsson chose to tell the story from pastor Gregory’s life, but also to keep them at the turn of the century. It was never in the news for Gun-Britt Sundström:

” If I had thought myself able to write the turn of the century environment I had at any time done it, but I had a hard time to imagine everyday life for a överklasskvinna who lived so monitored.

go on the town without a chaperone in the form of a friend or a relative at the time.

– much like today’s culture of honor. There is much to reflect on in which, ” says Gun-Britt Sundström and tells her that she brooded for quite a long time on the book before she started writing. The actual writing then took a few months.

It is no secret that the real Lydia Stille called Maria von Platen, and during a period Söderberg mistress – and not only Söderberg. She was described sometimes as a femme fatale, sometimes as trophy – unflattering.

– My image of the Söderberg Lydia was colored by what you had read about Maria von Platen, and I think sometimes you could not keep apart the stories, but it can get a little crazy when you mix in people’s biographies when talking about the literary.

” Then it should look different. I had probably a little too much respect for Hjalmar Söderberg and didn’t want to do something that was contrary to his description, says Gun-Britt Sundström, who does not remember when she read ”The serious game” the first time, but she remembers her first encounter with Söderberg. It was in the second ring. She had good grades and was awarded a scholarship on the final day. In her hand she had his short stories collected in an anthology. But only the first of the two bands.

the thing is that miss Sundström got good grades even in the third ring so then she got tape two.

” I didn’t think of Hjalmar Söderberg then. I thought he was cynical and illusionslös, ” says Gun-Britt Sundström and says that she always lived in the Arvid than in Lydia.

In what way?

He was, of course, murvel and lived in the set in the newspaper business. I recognize his velighet when it comes to making decisions, ” says Sundström, who recently was awarded with the Literary författarsällskapets Helga-price.

the Award is named after persuaded her to Helga Gregorius in Hjalmar Söderberg’s ”Doktor Glas”. She got it for her ”linguistic responsiveness, self-irony, gallows humor and sharpness. She is witty, bitsk and educated.”

in addition, she has been appointed to join the new Committee.

” Some say it is honorable. The other says ”How can you?”