Emil in Lönneberga
Even if five-year-old Emil looks angelic, everybody knows he’s wild and stubborn, and gets up to more mischief than there are days in the year. He’s a clever and curious scatterbrain with an amazing gift for turning his God-fearing and respectable community in the county of Småland upside down.
Emil’s mischiefs are always hilarious and never mean. His wild ideas generally stem from his kind and caring personality. He can’t stand to see others suffer and will do anything to help. Emil has only good intentions, but acts of his own accord without due regard for social hierarchy or grown-up authority. He’s a streetwise farm boy and, unlike the people of Lönneberga, the reader is aware that one day he will make a success out of his life and shine in the role of Chairman of the local government.
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Jenny Adamsson
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Emil in Lönneberga News
30M
copies sold
7
picture books
3
chapter books
Written by Astrid Lindgren
First published in 1963
Illustrated by Björn Berg
Swedish Grammy winner
for Children’s Music of the Year 2024
Translated to 53 languages
4 feature films
based on the Emil stories
About Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) is Sweden’s most beloved and well-known author, and her works bring joy to children and adults worldwide. Her contributions are unique and significant and cannot be overstated. She was a committed humanist, and fought for children’s rights, equality, and animal welfare – but it’s as a writer of children’s books that she is most known.
Astrid wrote 34 chapter books and 41 picture books, which have sold around 200 million copies and been translated into more than 100 languages.
About Björn Berg
Björn Berg (1923–2008) illustrated the original books about Emil in Lönneberga, and Astrid Lindgren personally selected him for the collaboration. During the summer of 1963, the Swedish county of Småland served as the studio, background material, and inspiration for Björn. The intense weeks passed as he produced 100 ink drawings in time for the delivery ahead of that autumn’s book release, which led to success.
Björn Berg grew up in New York and was influenced by Walt Disney’s characters and style in the early 1930s. He later studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He worked as an illustrator for the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter for over 40 years, collaborating and traveling with different journalists, and received several awards for his work.
In addition to Emil, Berg is also known for his illustrations of Teskedsgumman (Mrs. Pepperpot).
– Emil in Lönneberga“S’not something you plan, mischief, it just happens. And knowing it’s mischief, well you don’t until it’s happened.”
Emil at Astrid Lindgren’s World
Astrid Lindgren’s World is a theme park located in Vimmerby, Sweden, attracting over 500,000 visitors each year. It is a place where the beloved characters created by Astrid Lindgren are brought to life. This park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Sweden.
