During the eighties and nineties, cultural life in Gothenburg was characterized by economic crisis, squatting and a lively underground scene. These were the decades of black clubs, punk and black rock. But what did the literary scene look like? What kind of texts and expressions emerged from the local counterculture? Welcome to an entire evening about Gothenburg's unique literary scene.

19.00

Lina Ekdahl reads "The Archive"

Lina Ekdahl has a long series of poetry collections behind her, and with her colloquial simplicity has won the approval of both audiences and critics. She debuted in book form in 1994, but began reading her poems from the stage much earlier, and has been part of Gothenburg's cultural scene since the 80s. As a starting point for the evening, she reads the text "The Archive", which is about the archives of the Gothenburg Poetry Festival, and a coup in 1984, originally published in Ord&Bild 2015.

19:15

From house occupations to poetry festival - Gothenburg as a (literary) place

Literature often grows out of an environment, out of a specific place and time. Just think of 19th-century Paris, or post-war New York. Or, why not in the Gothenburg of the eighties and nineties.

Meet Ord&Bild's editor Ann Ighe and sociologist Håkan Thörn in a conversation about an environment that shaped an entire generation of cultural practitioners.

8:30 p.m

Mare Kandre - Punk's own literary voice

No other literary voice is as associated with punk and Gothenburg as Mare Kandre. But what is it that makes her texts live on and constantly find new readers? In short, why aren't we done with Mare Kandre?

Meet writer Malin Lindroth and literary scholar Mattias Fyhr in a conversation with writer Jessica Schiefauer about Mare Kandre's greatness.

The actress Caroline Andreasson reads from Mare Kandre's writing

21.45

Suspension

The evening is part of the Gothenburg Novel Festival 2022, and is made with the support of the City of Gothenburg, the Swedish Academy and the Cultural Council.