/ Sara Lidman about her literary breakthrough, The Diary 1976
Sara Lidmans debut as an author came with Tjärdalen (The Tar Sill) in 1953.
The reviews were overwhelmingly positive and the first edition sold out in a few days. The
novel was later described in The History of Nordic Women’s Literature as “… an exploding star, a surprising supernova on the literary sky.”
I willingly admit that The Tar Sill with its exaggerated use of dialect
is an assertion – and an act of vengeance –
Westerbothian is by all means good enough to write a novel with!
A year later Sara makes her debut as a dramatist with the play Job Klockmakares dotter (The Daughter of Job the Clockmaker). Her second novel Hjortronlandet (Cloudberry Country) comes out in 1955 and breaks all records. This same year she is elected as the youngest member of the literary society “Samfundet de nio”. Sara’s second play “Aina” goes on stage the year after. Sara Lidman then becomes the first Swedish playwright after Strindberg to have two plays running at the same time in Stockholm.
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