Special Appearance

As author Audrey Niffenegger sat in the auditorium of Stockholm's Östra Real high school, she was bombarded with questions from some 60 students.

"When did you decide to be a novelist?"

"Do you do a lot of research?"

"Were you inspired by anyone?"

"Do you believe in ghosts?"

Niffenegger, whose book Her Fearful Symmetry has just been translated into Swedish, was in Stockholm as part of her book tour. Along with the usual press events, she undertook something a bit unusual: She spent an hour with the students from Östra Real. Her visit was part of a special cooperation between her Swedish publisher, Albert Bonniers Förlag and fellow subsidiary Bonnier Utbildning, says publisher Charlotte Werner of Albert Bonniers Förlag.

Werner had seen author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie speaking with students in Oslo, and she wanted to develop the idea further. "When Audrey Niffenegger was going to be visiting Sweden, I decided with Lilian Anderson from Bonnier Utbildning to come up with a way to cooperate," says Werner. "I thought her latest novel would be especially interesting for young adults since it is about existential questions. So Lilian contacted writer Sven Eriksson who works at Östra Real, and he was immediately interested."

The planning began already in November 2009, with meetings with teachers responsible for both English and Swedish textbooks. As soon as the books came out, copies were sent to two classes that Eriksson had chosen because they were especially interested in literature.

"I hope it's inspiring for both students and teachers," says Werner. "Instead of a teacher talking about writing, students get to listen to a writer and ask their own questions. It's a fantastic complement to the regular instruction."

What makes the cooperation special is that Bonnier Utbildning as a publisher can offer students and teachers something far beyond the normal lessons. Werner says that there are many positive long-term results, and the experience is good both for the author and for the students. "And what made it especially unique is that Audrey Niffenegger is herself a teacher," says Werner. "And it was obvious as she talked to the students - she was very personal, honest and listened with great interest to all the questions. She really revealed a lot about her writing process, which was very inspiring."

The event is just the first in what Werner hopes to be more cooperation between Bonnier Utbildning and other literary publishers within Bonnierförlagen. "The experience is good for the author, for the students and for literature itself," she says. "It actually stretches storytelling to yet another level."

As for Audrey Niffenegger, does she believe in ghosts? "Unfortunately, I don't," she told the students. "But I'm open to the idea that they could exist."