Gunilla Bergström Explained

Gunilla Bergström
Birth Date:3 July 1942
Birth Place:Gothenburg, Sweden
Death Place:Stockholm, Sweden
Occupation:Author, journalist, illustrator
Nationality:Swedish
Period:1960s–2021
Notableworks:Alfie Atkins book series

Gunilla Elisabet Dukure Bergström (3 July 1942 – 23 August 2021) was a Swedish author, journalist, and illustrator. She is best known for her series of children's books about the character Alfie Atkins (Swedish: Alfons Åberg), which she wrote and illustrated.[1] Books about her character were translated into many languages, and some were adapted into film, television and theatre plays. She received several awards, including the royal Litteris et Artibus.

Life and career

Born in Gothenburg, Bergström moved to Stockholm in 1966 to begin her career as a journalist.[2] She worked for Swedish newspapers such as Aftonbladet and Dagens Nyheter.[1] [3] Bergström debuted as a children's book author in 1971, and released her first Alfie Atkins book in 1972. The character is a boy who lives with his single father.[4] She has been a children's book author ever since, having released twenty-five Alfie books as of 2007.[1] [5] These books have been translated into 35 languages[6] and have sold over eight million copies worldwide.[1] Four million copies have been sold in Sweden alone.[7] In 2006, her book Alfons och soldatpappan was released simultaneously in seven different languages; this had never happened before for a Swedish children's book.[1]

Bergström has also written children's books about characters such as Milla, Bill, and Bolla.[8] Bergström said she received the inspiration for her stories from everyday life.[9] She was also interested in psychology and human behavior, and incorporated this into some of her books. Bergström described herself as a nit-picky person when it comes to writing.[1] She illustrated her own books and often worked with collage.[10]

Bergström ran her own company, Bok-Makaren (English: Book-Maker), which handles the licenses to the Alfie Atkins series, which have been granted for theatre productions and Alfie dolls, puzzles, and computer games.[1] Bergström has commented that there is "nothing wrong with making commerce of famous things, but we are careful about who we sell licenses to."[1]

As of 2007, Bergström was living in Stockholm with her West African husband. They spent their winters together in West Africa.[1] Bergström was a grandmother.[1] In 2012, she was awarded Illis Quorum by the Swedish Government.

Bergström died on 23 August 2021, almost two months after her 79th birthday.[11] [12]

Awards

Her many awards have included:[13]

Books

Bergström's books were published by Rabén & Sjögren, including:[16] [17] [18]

Notes and References

  1. News: Ingen vila för Alfons skapare. Karlsson. Mattias. 2 July 2007. Sydsvenskan. sv. 16 January 2010. 10 August 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110810181437/http://www.sydsvenskan.se/familj/fodelsedag/article249175.ece. live.
  2. Web site: Barnboksförfattaren Gunilla Bergström död. 26 August 2021. GöteborgDirekt. 26 August 2021. 16 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211116154058/https://www.goteborgdirekt.se/nyheter/barnboksforfattaren-gunilla-bergstrom-dod/repuhz!afGSk79aRmiz39U4JQfBQ/. dead.
  3. Web site: Författaren Gunilla Bergström är död. SVT. 26 August 2021. 26 August 2021. sv.
  4. News: Kinderbuchautorin Gunilla Bergström ist gestorben . 26 August 2021 . . de . 26 August 2021 . 26 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210826101223/https://www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/kinderbuchautorin-gunilla-bergstroem-ist-gestorben.265.de.html?drn:news_id=1294857 . dead .
  5. https://www.thelocal.se/20210826/why-one-of-swedens-most-famous-childrens-book-series-is-so-relevant-even-today-alfons-aberg-alfie-atkins/ Why one of Sweden’s most famous children’s book series is still so relevant
  6. News: Motgiften Albert Åberg. Brekke. Ingrid. 12 May 2005. Aftenposten. no. 16 January 2010. 30 January 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100130090923/http://www.aftenposten.no/kul_und/article1314640.ece. live.
  7. News: Göteborg först med Alfons-staty. 12 November 2008. Norrbottens-Kuriren. sv. 16 January 2010.
  8. Web site: The author Gunilla Bergström . Alfons Åbergs Kulturhus . 26 August 2021.
  9. Web site: Verkligheten inspirerar Gunilla Bergström. Eleonor. Ekström-Frisk. 11 February 2018. Göteborgs-Posten. 26 August 2021.
  10. News: Alfons flyttar till Lund. Martelius. Eva. 10 January 2008. Sydsvenskan. sv. 16 January 2010. 10 August 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110810181625/http://www.sydsvenskan.se/lund/article292496/Alfons-flyttar-till-Lund.html. live.
  11. Web site: Gunilla Bergström. 2022-08-04.
  12. News: Gunilla Bergström död. 26 August 2021. 26 August 2021. Svenska Dagbladet. 26 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210826093344/https://www.svd.se/gunilla-bergstrom-dod. live.
  13. Web site: Petri . Jennifer . Gunilla Bergström . Alfie Atkins . 26 June 2019 . 26 August 2021.
  14. Web site: Gunilla Bergström: Autorin der "Willi Wiberg"-Bücher ist tot . . 26 August 2021 . de . 26 August 2021.
  15. Web site: Sök ordens- och medaljförläningar . King of Sweden . sv . 26 August 2021 . 16 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211116154059/https://www.kungahuset.se/monarkinhovstaterna/ordnarochmedaljer/medaljer/medalj/sokmedalj.4.30963a1811be3fda3ab800012080.html?medaljar=0&medaljtyp=Litteris+et+Artibus&medaljnamn . dead .
  16. Web site: Gunilla Bergström . Rabén & Sjögren . 22 October 2019 . sv . 26 August 2021.
  17. Web site: Alfons Åberg . Alfons Åberg . 16 April 2013 . sv . 26 August 2021.
  18. Web site: Petri . Jennifer . About Alfie Atkins . Alfie Atkins . 22 July 2019 . 26 August 2021.
  19. Book: Mias pappa flyttar . 4 September 2017 . 9789129700831 . sv . 26 August 2021 . Bergström . Gunilla . Rabén & Sjögren .

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