Congratulations to Ann-Luise Bertell, the author of HOMESTEAD (Heiman, Förlaget 2020), which has been nominated for Runeberg Prize 2021.
In Ann-Luise Bertell’s novel HOMESTEAD words and one’s own country are the center of existence. The background is the 20th century, where wars cast long shadows, but the gaze is firmly on the individual, the family relationships and the narratives that draw them to their own place, their Ostrobothnian home. The novel reveals the greatest and most difficult thing in life: when you get to know yourself more than you wanted or are able to handle. Ann-Luise Bertell has written a great novel about humanity, with linguistic distinctiveness and narrative rhythm.