Group Name "Once upon a time in Scandinavia ..."
A Literary Tour of Sweden, Denmark and Norway
Organization Australians Studying Abroad
Group Leaders Mrs Susannah Fullerton, President Jane Austen
Society, Australia, and Russell Casey
No of people 25adults+2Leaders
Guided tour in Lilla Björka: Elin Wägner's House in the village of Berg, near to Växjö
Guided tour by Bengt Bejmar Ingemar Lönnbom Författarmuséet Jämshög:
Two writers from Jämshög, Olofström: Harry Martinson and Sven Edvin Salje

Have you seen a steam collier come from a hurricane -
broken booms, wrenched railings,
dented, wheezing, done-in -
and a captain quite hoarse?
Snorting, it ties up at the sunlit quay,
deadbeat, licking its sores,
while the steam in the boiler tubes thins away.
HARRY MARTINSON: Har ni sett en koltramp... /SPÖKSKEPP
ANIARA (from 53)
In our eleventh year we saw a vision,
the slenderest of visions, the most meagre -
a spear travelling the Universe.
It came from where our space-ship came
and held its course, undeviating.
Its speed being greater than Aniara's
meant it drew ahead and left us.
But afterwards we sat for long in groups
eagerly deliberating what
the spear could be, its course, its origin.
No one knew and no one could have known.
Some guessed but no one was convinced.
It was in some way not to be believed,
was pointless as an object of belief.
It just - flew across the Universe.
The spear of emtiness made its way
pointlessly. Yet that vision
had the power to touch the brains of many.
Three went mad, one committed suicide.
And still another founded a new sect,
a shrilly dry, ascetically boring crowd
who made their presence felt among us long and loud.
That spear then had as good as struck us all.
HARRY MARTINSON: ANIARA (from 53)
Li Ti's Advice
If you own two coins, said Li Ti on a journey,
buy a loaf and a flower.
buy a loaf and a flower.
The flower you buy means
that life is worth living.
HARRY MARTINSON: The grass in Thule
THANK YOU FOR A MOST INTERESTING VISIT.
WE HAVE ENJOYED LEARNING ABOUT TWO
SWEDISH WRITERS WE KNEW LITTLE ABOUT
Group Name "Once upon a time in Scandinavia ..."
Group Name "Once upon a time in Scandinavia ..."
Organization Australians Studying Abroad
/ Rune Liljenrud