Only in Sweden - Case Study 1 - What Swedish Authors Do

At the end of August seven Swedish authors published a “Manifest” in the pages of Sweden’s New York Times AKA Dagens Nyheter (DN) about the rules that they say Swedish authors of fiction should follow in the future. This started a debate, which continues in DN and in the blogosphere. The entire phenomenon is definitely an Only in Sweden phenomenon.

I enter this note in case someone actually reads the comment I just entered (2 August) in DN and looks here in my blog for a promised expansion of the thoughts expressed in the 684 character ”kommentar” in DN.

But in the event some American reads these few sentences I will ask if you might name 5 American authors of fiction and then answer the following question: What is the probability that these five would spend time writing a manifest stating rules that American authors should follow in the future when each author plans his or her next novel? That’s what the Swedish authors did-Only in Sweden, Never in America. Why? Stay tuned.