Osebol: Voices from a Swedish Village

Osebol is a remarkable book that has won numerous awards and been shortlisted for the British Academy Book Prize. It is a collection of interviews with nearly every villager in the secluded village of Osebol in northern Sweden, capturing the stories of the community's residents over the last half-century. The book is praised for its gentle rhythms, simple language, and open space, and for its ability to make the readers feel like they have gotten to know the inhabitants of the community.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 816 pages
Publication date: 03 November 2022
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

A SUNDAY TELEGRAPH AND GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNER OF SWEDEN S AUGUST PRIZE WINNER OF THE WARWICK PRIZE FOR WOMEN IN TRANSLATION SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE

Osebol is a magnificent success; it is hard to imagine it better ... Kapla is a magician ... mesmerizing

Sara Wheeler, TLS

A simple,pared-back and down-to-earth masterpiece

James Rebanks

We listen to them like something caught on the wind ... so moving and so strangely beckoning

Nicci Gerrard, Observer

[Among] the year s most pleasing books

Rishi Dastidar, Guardian

Engrossing and humbling and quietly revelatory

Max Porter

Fascinating ... I was riveted

Lydia Davis

Like standing outside an open window on a warm summer evening and listening to a piece of contemporary history

Länstidningen

What a wonderful book . . . You want to move into it

Expressen

Near the river Klarälven, snug in the dense forest landscape of northern Värmland, lies the secluded village of Osebol.

It is a quiet place: one where relationships take root over decades, and where the bustle of city life is replaced by the sound of wind in the trees.

In this extraordinary and engrossing book, an unexpected cultural phenomenon in its native Sweden, the stories of Osebol s residents are brought to life in their own words.

Over the last half-century, the automation of the lumber industry and the steady relocations to the cities have seen the village s adult population fall to roughly forty.

But still, life goes on; heirlooms are passed from hand to hand, and memories from mouth to mouth, while new arrivals come from near and far.

Marit Kapla has interviewed nearly every villager between the ages of 18 and 92, recording their stories verbatim.

What emerges is a rich tapestry of experiences, from the joys of childhood to the hardships of adulthood, from the triumphs of love to the tragedies of loss.

Osebol is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community.

It is a reminder that, even in the face of change and adversity, the values and traditions that have shaped our lives can still be cherished and passed down to future generations.

Weight: 553g
Dimension: 198 x 129 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780141994499