Jubilee 2007
The 14th of November 2007 will be the centenary of the birth of Astrid Lindgren at Näs in Vimmerby.
This will be celebrated not only in Vimmerby but in many places all around Sweden and the world.
In Vimmerby there will be events and activities throughout 2007 for children and adults. The thought behind the jubilee is to shine a light on Astrid Lindgren as one of the most successful authors of children’s books in the world. We also want to show how she cared about children’s rights, animals, nature and peace.
About Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Lindgren died in January 2002. She left a big empty space behind her. For generations of Swedes and millions of people all around the world she has become a symbol for the good forces in life. For play and laughter, humanity, caring for the weakest, moral courage, generosity and compassion. She was a true democrat who influenced the society in a way no other children’s books author had done before. Therefore is no surprise that the Unesco has chosen her archive, with ten thousands of letters and other documents, to be part of The Memory Of The World International Register. This implies that it is declared a big value for the entire human race to preserve.
Astrid Lindgren left Vimmerby already in 1926 and then lived in Stockholm for the rest of her long life. Nevertheless she didn’t lose contact with her home town. Her child hood on Näs was and should ever be her major source of inspiration. In many of her books the readers can recognize the small town of Vimmerby or the surroundings of the Noisy Village, inspiration that came from the village of Sevedstorp where her father grew up. Astrid Lindgren succeeds in describing the things that are genuine for the region of Småland in books like Emil in Lönneberga and The Children of the Noisy Village, Bullerby and at the same time catches the universal things and those that mankind has in common. Her books are available in more than ninety languages and children all over the world are identifying themselves with the characters in her books, in spite of them having completely different living conditions.
The last decades of her life Astrid Lindgren played a very important role as one of Sweden’s foremost leaders of the public opinion. The mass media was keen on getting a commentary from her on almost anything that happened in the society. She was showered with marks of honour from close by and far away, was appointed honorary doctor not less than four times and got a new animal right’s law named after her – an honour that she found to be quite questionable when she got to know its contents. The only school in Sweden that was allowed to carry her name is situated in Vimmerby (but she herself was never a pupil at this school), streets in a whole residential district of Vimmerby have names after her invented characters and a statue of her will be raised on the market place in her home town.
In spite of having received honour, fame and richness Astrid Lindgren always stayed the same, a peasant girl from Vimmerby in Northern Småland.
Jubilee organization
Vimmerby
The organizers of the celebration of Astrid Lindgren’s centenary are the Coordinator Birgitta Karlén, the Public Relations Officer Ina Koller and the Coordination Group for all Astrid Lindgren-work within Vimmerby Municipality. This group, functioning across the administrative organization boundaries, is lead by the chief of development within Vimmerby Municipality: Christer Johansson. Aside from the people mentioned above, the group includes representatives of the cultural administration, Astrid Lindgren’s Näs, the schools in Vimmerby, Astrid Lindgren’s World and the administration of social structure.
The Regional Council in Kalmar County
The contact at the Regional Council in Kalmar County is Pär Kågefors. The Regional Council cooperates with Vimmerby Municipality when organizing events and projects in Kalmar County. Since Astrid Lindgren often is associated with our region and our landscape through her authorship and engagement for the cultural landscape of Småland, cooperation within the region before and during the year 2007 is welcomed.
National jubilee organization
The Astrid Lindgren-society is the contact for all projects. The society has the following homepage: www.astridlindgrensallskapet.se
Projects
The jubilee will be taking place throughout 2007 and the thought behind it is to shine a light on Astrid Lindgren as one of the most successful authors of children’s books in the world. We also want to show how she cared about children’s rights, animals, nature and peace.
The jubilee will be approaching children and adults and offers the opportunity to emphasize the values that Astrid Lindgren promoted. In practice that means that many different issues are given topical interest – environmental questions, questions concerning democracy, cultural issues, issues of integration, themes concerning language, the preservation of cultural landscapes, animal rights and lots of other issues.
New projects
The jubilee committee welcomes ideas for projects that are connected with Astrid Lindgren and the values she promoted. Please contact the Coordinator Birgitta Karlén who will raise your idea in the jubilee committee.
Calendar
2006
September 6
Children’s and youth literature with Astrid Lindgren-profile, 5p. Jönköping University. Start of the course is the 6th of September. Place: Astrid Lindgren’s Näs in Vimmerby.
September 21 – 24
Book and Library Fair in Gothenburg. Vimmerby is participating with a stand (number A04:19), at the „place of the children“. Information about the jubilee 2007. Small lectures at the stand Thursday and Friday by Barbro Alvtegen and Gunvor Runström.
September 28 – October 1
Comenius 1 – Contact Seminary
Theme: “The use of local heritage and surroundings to enhance pupils’ creativity and linguistic expression - in the footsteps of Astrid Lindgren”.
Contact Seminary to find cooperation schools in Europe within the field mentioned above
Organized by Vision Vimmerby in cooperation with the International Program Office.
October
30 September
To create and take care of memories. Conference for literary museums and the homes of authors and composers in the Nordic countries.
Visit of Astrid Lindgren's Näs and the Astrid Lindgren Exhibition Centre. Lecture (Lena Törnqvist, librarian at the Royal Library: Being a prophet in your own town - Astrid Lindgren and Vimmerby)
Guided tour of Astrid Lindgren's childhood home
Lecture (Norway: The director of the Ibsen Museum Erik Henning Edvardsen: What writer's jubilees can contribute with. Henrik Ibsen finds himself)
31 – November 1
Culture and lust for teaching
The regional education days for teachers. The main theme is the Children’s Convention.
November 14
Astrid Lindgren’s birthday
Start of the jubilee „Astrid Lindgren 100 years 2007“ in Vimmerby municipality. Presentation of the jubilee program and start of the campaign in favour of the SOS Children Villages: Astrid Lindgrens Child Village.
November 26 – January 27 Exhibition at the Museum Näktergalen about the book project ”Literary surroundings in Vimmerby”
A book that is ment to be a guide to places with literary connection within the Municipality. Target group: Citizens of the Municipality and tourists.
2007
During 2007 (exact date not yet determined)
Inauguration of the area Astrid Lindgren’s Näs - kunskapscentrum och museum and the new exhibition about Astrid Lindgren
Berit Lindfeldt‘s sculpture group "Well Astrid" at Näs
Marie-Louise Ekman’s lifelike statue of Astrid Lindgren on the market place of Vimmerby municipality.
January 27 – March 4
”PLAY! A serious exhibition”
Grounded on Astrid Lindgren and the UN’s Children Convention about Children’s Rights the Swedish Travelling Exhibitions is producing an exhibition about children’s right to play and childhood. Sweden premiere in Vimmerby.
February 28 – March 1
„Children’s rights with a speciell focusing on play“
Conference for teachers and head masters amongst others within the program for children and spare time (net work meeting)
Arranged by the upper secondary school Stångådalen gymnasium/Program for children and spare time in cooperation with The Swedish National Agency for Education. Place: Tullportsteatern.
APRIL
Amateure theatre festival
The Småland festival is arranged in Vimmerby.
April 19 – 21
Småland’s Academy has its spring convention in Vimmerby.
Public lectures and seminaries about different subjects.
June 18 – 23
Children’s theatre festival in Vimmerby
Nordical children’s theatre festival ”SPUNK”
November 14
Astrid Lindgren’s birthday
Centenary celebration