Life At Bonnier - books

Behind the Best Seller

By Bert Menninga on 2012-02-02
in
How do you make a best-selling book? For soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s recent autobiography, it was all about chemistry, going with the flow and bravery.

Mika Lepistö, David Lagercrantz, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Albert Bonnier

They broke all the rules. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, top international soccer star, penning an autobiography while at the top of his game, pulling no punches. "His opinions of other players, his coaches, his personal life, it's all there, he didn't wait like everyone else until he was at the end of his career and it was safe," says Albert Bonnier, his publisher at Albert Bonniers Förlag. "It was incredibly brave.

Around the Americas

By Bert Menninga on 2011-12-16
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Cruising World's Herb McCormick talks about his adventures circling the Americas, healthy oceans and how a world-first trip became a book.

When philanthropist David Rockefeller, Jr. and skipper Mark Schrader wanted to find a way to draw attention to the health of the oceans, they hit on a novel idea: Why not sail around the two American continents, a voyage that had never been done before?

Nurturing Nobel Winners

By Cecilia Björk on 2011-12-08
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Tomas Tranströmer's upcoming Nobel Prize is icing on the cake says his long-time publisher, Eva Bonnier. It's a very public symbol of the value of nurturing authors.

On Saturday, the Nobel Prize will be awarded to one of Sweden's most beloved poets. Tomas Tranströmer has been with Albert Bonniers Förlag since his 1954 debut, 17 Poems. According to Eva Bonnier, his publisher for the past 20 years, he was an accomplished poet from the beginning.

Eva Bonnier wastes no time getting down to the issue of the relationship between publisher and author. A good relationship between a publisher and an author guarantees that the author will stay with the publisher, she says.

Christmas with Arne & Carlos

By Bert Menninga on 2011-12-01
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Cult Norwegian knitting design duo Arne & Carlos' Christmas ornament book an international hit.

Norway's coolest export these days is warm and fuzzy: creative designers and hip knitting nerds Arne & Carlos' top-selling how-to book 55 Christmas Balls to Knit.

Meet Irene Hartsmar

By Bert Menninga on 2011-10-24
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TV4 veteran spreads her wings with GROW in the British book business.

Irene Hartsmar is a real veteran at Swedish TV channel TV4, with 15 years under her belt there.

Ullstein Celebrates 108

By Bert Menninga on 2011-10-11
in
Getting a jump start on the Frankfurt Book Fair, German publishing house Ullstein Buchverlage pulled out all the stops with the release of the Ullstein Chronik – the Ullstein Chronicle.

Siv Bublitz and John le Carré

Kicking off the Frankfurt Book Fair with a bang, German book publisher Ullstein Buchverlage celebrated the release of the Ullstein Chronik - the Ullstein Chronicle - with a lavish party with guests from around the world.

The party was not just for the book, a history of the venerable publishing house founded in 1903, but was a belated anniversary celebration. Originally planned for 2003, the anniversary was put off when the publisher was bought first by Random House and then Bonnier.

Pixi Hits the 200 Mark in Germany

By Bert Menninga on 2011-10-10
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Popular children's book series Pixi celebrates the 200th series with celebrity authors.

The popular children's Pixi book imprint, featuring small, very distinctive square books, reached a milestone earlier this year in Germany: the 200th series was published, with some 1,700 books published since the first came out in 1954.

To celebrate the series, publisher Carlsen Verlag did something special: Each of the books in the series was written by a famous German, from writers to chefs to TV personalities.

Bonnier Pocket Releases Classics in a New Format

By Bert Menninga on 2011-09-28
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Literature greats in a new design a hit with readers and bloggers.

The Swedish paperback series Albert Bonniers klassiker has long been around. But the entire series has gotten a facelift with graphic designer Petra Börner's new covers to Jane Austin's Emma, Hjlmar Söderberg's The Serious Game, Marguerite Duras' The Lover and John Fowle's The French Lieutenant's Woman. The books are published by sister publisher Bonnier Pocket and the theme is romance.

Cappelen Damm Supports Rebuilding of Utøya

By Bert Menninga on 2011-08-18
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Norwegian book publisher Cappelen Damm is creating a special memorial book filled with contributions from professional writers and the general public, with the proceeds going toward the rebuilding of Utøya after the recent massacre.

Photo: Aleksander Wiken

After July 22, Norway will never be the same. Norwegian book publisher Cappelen Damm has decided to produce a special memorial book that will document how Norway reacted to the recent catastrophe. With the help of a Facebook page, the publisher is collecting photos, blog posts, speeches, Tweets and other messages to include in the book.

Meet Kerstin Schöfisch

By Tora Bonnier on 2011-07-26
in
Licorice, a chance meeting and new ways of working are three things GROW participant Kerstin Schöfisch will remember when she finishes a three-month stint in Helsinki.

What do flags and licorice have in common? They are both prominent in Helsinki, Finland, says GROW participant Kerstin Schöfisch.  "It looks like the Finns hang out their national flags in the streets every second day and I was always wondering what they were celebrating," she says. "Even my colleagues could not tell me. And the Finns seem to be crazy about licorice, as there is licorice ice cream, yoghurt, donuts, coffee, etc.