Inger Edelfeldt


Inger Edelfeldt is a Swedish author, illustrator and translator. Many of her books are for young adults and children.

Personal life

Edelfeldt was born in Stockholm in 1956. Her father was an engineer and her mother was a house wife. Her father used to tell her stories before he went to work in the mornings. He also had depression and was treated with electrotherapy. The situation at home reflected on the young Edelfeldt, she was bullied at school which lead to self-harming behaviour. As an adult she tried several therapies and finally settled on Zen coaching and meditation.

Career

Edelfeldt made her debut in 1977 with the book Duktig pojke. The novel is about the boy Jim who is lonely and asserts himself by excelling in school. The book was later reworked into a book for young adults and it is regarded as one of the first coming out novels in Sweden. She has written more than 30 books since then, most of which are novels, short stories, poetry books, comic books and books for children and young people. Edelfeldt's young adult novels often revolves around subjects like identity and efforts of liberation. Another common theme is mans double nature, the mirror image and the dark side of a good life. She writes in a multitude of styles such as satire, fable, drama and has been described as easy to read with a special sense of humor.
Edelfeldt is a self-taught artist and she says that she has been inspired by the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Arthur Rackham and Maurice Sendak. She has worked as an illustrator since 1976. She made watercolour paintings for the 1985 edition of the Tolkien calendar in the United States and the United Kingdom.

In other media

In 1995, the Swedish television the TV-series Nattens barn, made after Edelfeldt's young adult novel Julliane och jag. The series was directed by Lisa Ohlin.
On 30July 1990, Edelfeldt hosted the noted radio program Sommar I P1.

Selected works

Own books

  • Duktig pojke
  • Hustru
  • Missne och Robin
  • Kärlekens kirurgi
  • Juliane och jag
  • I fiskens mage
  • Drakvinden
  • Breven till nattens drottning
  • Kamalas bok
  • Den täta elden
  • Den kvinnliga mystiken
  • Hondjuret
  • Den förskräckliga lilla mamsellens stol
  • Rit
  • Genom den röda dörren eller Sagan om den lilla flickan, Gråtkungen och Lejonpojken
  • Nattbarn
  • Den förunderliga kameleonten
  • Stackars lilla Bubben
  • Betraktandet av hundar
  • Ensamrummet
  • Det hemliga namnet
  • Salt
  • Hondjurets samlade värk
  • Riktig kärlek
  • Sagan om Ja-trollet och Nej-trollet
  • Skuggorna i spegeln
  • Efter angelus
  • Svarta lådan
  • 4 x Edelfeldt
  • Finns det liv på Mars?
  • Hemligt ansikte
  • Namnbrunnen
  • Hur jag lärde mig älska mina värsta känslor
  • Samtal med djävulen
  • ''Konsten att dö''

Book illustrations, Tolkien (Swedish editions)

Book illustrations, other authors (Swedish editions)

  • Att spela människa by Ursula K. Le Guin, translation and illustrations
  • Det brutna svärdet by Poul Anderson, translation and illustrations
  • Rhiannons svärd by Leigh Brackett, cover illustration
  • Den Långa Tystnaden by Wilson Tucker, cover illustration
  • Moa och Pelle: en kärlekshistoria by Kerstin Johansson i Backe, illustrations
  • Sagornas öar: en resa i den grekiska gudavärlden by Enel Melberg, illustrations
  • Arrakis – Ökenplaneten by Frank Herbert, cover illustration
  • Bröllopet i Marsipanien by Lena Karlin, illustrations
  • Det var en gång by A. A. Milne, illustrations
  • Ljugmusen och andra sagor by Ervin Lázár, cover and illustrations

Awards