he meets. Deep down he is a wise and
emotional person. Towards the end he longs
for his mother and father.
The wonders of nature are given a lot
of room in the story. Selma Lagerlöf took
the opportunity to voice her opinions.
Among other things, she lets Akka express
amazement as to why humans, who are said
to be so wise, are not taking better care of
their natural surroundings. She was also
among those who fought for more national
parks in Sweden, where plants and animals
could be protected.
Lena suggests that
another good book to
start with if you want to discover Selma
Lagerlöf’s literature is Herr Arne’s Hoard,
published in 1904. It is a fairly short,
yet thrilling story packed with drama.
She also recommends The Emperor of
Portugallia – the story about Jan the crofter
in Skrolycka who loves his daughter Klara
Fina Gulleborg more than anything else; a
father’s love that draws him into a dream
world with unforeseen consequences.
– If you want to get to know the more
private side of Selma Lagerlöf, we mustn’t
forget about all the letters that have been
kept, Lena continues. The National Library
of Sweden in Stockholm holds a collection
of 40,000 letters. Most of them were writ-
ten to her, but there are also many letters
which she wrote to friends and relatives.
– Selma Lagerlöf was an idol with
star status. She received a lot of letters
from people who admired her work. By
reading the letters, we get an insight into
her everyday life, her business enterprise
and agricultural work. We get to know her
better.
Parts of Selma Lagerlöf’s mail
correspondence with her life partners,
Sophie Elkan and Valborg Olander, have
been published. You Teach Me to Be
Free (Du lär mig att bli fri), published in
1992, and A Real Author’s Wife (En riktig
författarhustru) published in 2006, provide
insight into two strong relationships as well
as allowing the main character to show
proof of her versatility and her commitment
when it comes to, for example, women’s
issues and peace.
In 2013, Mårbacka
will open an interactive
family exhibition about Nils Holgersson.
They will also continue to run the popular
dramatised tours which bring the author
to life in an exciting and gripping way. To
test your knowledge, the whole family can
take part in an outdoor quiz on the estate.
The youngest visitors can also spend time at
the arts and crafts table or go on a treasure
hunt.
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