Stig Claesson

John Stig Claesson (2 June 1928 – 4 January 2008), also known under his signature Slas, was a Swedish writer, visual artist, and illustrator. Claesson was born on 2 June 1928 in Huddinge, south of Stockholm. He attended the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts between 1947 and 1952, during which time he began to illustrate Swedish literature such as the novels of Per Anders Fogelström. Claesson is the father of actor Leif Claesson. His son, artist Nils Claesson, published a revealing portrait of his father in the book Blåbärsmaskinen (The Blueberry Machine, 2009) which was much discussed in Sweden on its publication. Stig Claesson died on 4 January 2008 in Stockholm.

Career

Claesson debuted in his writing career in 1956, when he was 28 years of age. During his career Claesson published more than 80 books. A number of his books are based on travel abroad and move in the frontier between reporting and fiction. Among his best-known works include En vandring i solen (Walking in the Sun, 1976), which was made into a film with Gösta Ekman in the role of the main character. Claesson provided works about the remote and rural regions of Sweden and describe the conflict between the town and the country in books such as Vem älskar Yngve Frej (1968; Who Loves Yngve Frej), which was translated into 10 languages and was filmed for television in 1973 starring Allan Edwall. A stage adaption was created in the 1990s. His last book was God Natt Fröken Ann (Goodnight, Miss Ann), published in 2006.

Stig Claesson's work has received many awards, such as the literature prize of the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet and the Selma Lagerlöf Prize. The University of Uppsala awarded him an honorary doctorate degree in 1974.

He died on 4 January 2008.

Bibliography

• Berättelse frÃ¥n Europa, 1956
• FrÃ¥n Nya världen, 1961
• Supportern, 1962
• Bönder, 1963
• Ugnstekt gädda, 1964
• Västgötalagret, 1965
• En Stockholmsbok, 1966
• Kiki, en liten man, 1966 (foto Yngve Baum)
• DrÃ¥p i hastigt mod, 1966
• Lage Lindell, 1966 (Bonniers smÃ¥ konstböcker)
• Flickor, 1967
• Döden heter Konrad, 1967
• I stället för telegram Finland 50 Ã¥r, tillsammans med Jens Hildén, 1967
• 21 Berättelser, 1968
• Vem älskar Yngve Frej, 1968; filmatiserad 1973
• Nelly, 1969
• Den ensamme nobelpristagarens vardag, 1970
• Knut K. Selma Johansson med rätt att leva, 1970
• Sanningen och ingenting annat än, 1970
• Att resa sig upp och gÃ¥, 1971
• Samtal pÃ¥ ett fjärrtÃ¥g, 1972
• Min vän Charlie (My friend Charlie), 1973
• Yrkesmän emellan, 1974

• Brev till en hembygdsgÃ¥rd, 1974
• Stockholmsbilder, med ill. av Svenolov Ehrén, 1975
• PÃ¥ palmblad och rosor, 1975
• Bättre kan det inte sägas, 1976
• En vandring i solen, 1976 (filmatiserades 1978, se vidare, En vandring i solen)
• Henrietta ska du ocksÃ¥ glömma, 1977 (filmatiserades 1983, se Henrietta (film))
• Ni har inget liv att försäkra, 1978
• Allt stÃ¥r i lÃ¥gor, 1979
• Medan tidvattnet vänder, 1980
• Om vänskap funnes, 1981
• Sveaborg eller Rock happy, 1981
• Lika oskyldigt som meningslöst, 1982
• Sagor för barn och vuxna, 1982
• 10-Ã¥rskalendern, 1982 (specialtryck)
• Utsikt frÃ¥n ett staffli, 1983
• I boulevardens skugga, 1983
• Dagarna före lunch, 1984
• De tio budorden, 1984
• Det bortglömda landskapet, 1985
• BlÃ¥ mÃ¥ndag, 1985
• Lantlif i Budapest, 1986
• Kamrerns julafton, (Bonniers julbok) 1986

• PÃ¥ behörigt avstÃ¥nd, (teckningar och collage), 1987
• Nya Stockholmsbilder, (ill. Svenolov Ehrén), 1987
• Skam den som fryser, 1987
• 21 Sagor, 1988
• Kärlek rostar inte, 1988
• Landet som inte längre finns, 1989
• Iakttagen (mÃ¥lade porträtt), 1989
• Innan himlen klarnar, 1989
• SommarStockholm, (teckningar) 1989
• En mörts drömmar, 1990
• MÃ¥lade porträtt, 1991
• Yngve Frejs landskap, (pasteller) 1991
• Rosine, 1991
• SkÃ¥nebilder, (pasteller) 1991
• Han och hon, (sagor) 1992
• Blues för Mr Shelley, 1992
• Män i min Ã¥lder 1992
• Nästa man till rakning, 1993
• Nästa Katrineholm, 1993 (specialtryck)
• PÃ¥ landet, 1993
• Årstider och Ã¥sikter, 1993
• Vägen till brevlÃ¥dan, 1993

• Nice Mat Sol, 1994, (med Nils Emil Ahlin)
• Till Europa 1994, (foto Leif Claesson)
• Den extra milen, 1994
• Eko av en vÃ¥r, 1996
• Vandring med mig själv, 1996
• BlÃ¥ stolar, 1996
• Man mÃ¥ste det man önskar, 1997
• Vad man ser och hedrar, 1998
• Varsel om kommande tilldragelse, 1999
• Svart asfalt grönt gräs, 2000
• , 2001
• Efter oss syndafloden, 2002
• Följ Alltid Cecilias Exempel, 2003
• Sov du sÃ¥ diskar jag, 2004
• Liv och kärlek, 2005
• Sekonderna lämnar ringen, 2005
• God natt fröken Ann, 2006

Claesson also wrote the television show Harry H - Fallet Mary (Directed by Jan Halldoff), which was originally aired on Swedish TV 2 in 1978.

References