Our invitation to the Nordic literary salon online in October was accepted by translator Linda Kaprová. Together, we will introduce a deeply moving debut When the cranes fly south by Swedish author Lisa Ridzén. The novel is about a man nearing the end of his life, about ‘, reminiscing, children and parents, and also about dogs. The story about longing to gain control over one’s faith became the Swedish book of the year 2024 and this year it was published in Czech translation by publishing house Host. Moderated by Hana Švolbová.
You can watch the live stream on Thursday 16th October 2025 from 20:00 on the Scandinavian House Facebook page. The recording will later be made available on our YouTube Channel.
In Czech.
About the book:
Bo doesn’t have much left in his life other than regular visits to day care, the loyal love of a dog and a mason jar with a scarf that still holds the smell of his beloved wife. But Bo’s rheumatic fingers are no longer able to open the lid. Bo doesn’t have much time left to make things right and do that which seems the most impossible of all – to fix his relationship with his son. Because to top it all off, his son is trying to take Bo’s last consolation in life – his dog Sixten. The fear of losing his loyal companion evokes a storm of emotions in the old man, which forces him to take a look back at his life, at fatherhood and at the way in which he’s been expressing his love.
The partner of Nordic literary salon online is Czech Translators of the North – an association that brings together translators of fiction from Northern languages to Czech. The event is part of the Scandinavian House’s year-long project Nordic Literature in the Heart of Europe 2025. It is supported by the Prague City Hall and the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
