Stig Claesson

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 från Europa, 1956
Från Nya världen, 1961
Supportern, 1962
Bönder, 1963
Ugnstekt gädda, 1964
Västgötalagret, 1965
En Stockholmsbok, 1966
Kiki, en liten man, 1966 (foto Yngve Baum)
Dråp i hastigt mod, 1966
Lage Lindell, 1966 (Bonniers små konstböcker)
Flickor, 1967
Döden heter Konrad, 1967
I stället för telegram Finland 50 år, 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 gå, 1971
Samtal på ett fjärrtåg, 1972
Min vän Charlie (My friend Charlie), 1973
Yrkesmän emellan, 1974
Brev till en hembygdsgård, 1974
Stockholmsbilder, med ill. av Svenolov Ehrén, 1975
På 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 också glömma, 1977 (filmatiserades 1983, se Henrietta (film))
Ni har inget liv att försäkra, 1978
Allt står i lågor, 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-årskalendern, 1982 (specialtryck)
Utsikt från ett staffli, 1983
I boulevardens skugga, 1983
Dagarna före lunch, 1984
De tio budorden, 1984
Det bortglömda landskapet, 1985
Blå måndag, 1985
Lantlif i Budapest, 1986
Kamrerns julafton, (Bonniers julbok) 1986
På behörigt avstånd, (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 (målade porträtt), 1989
Innan himlen klarnar, 1989
SommarStockholm, (teckningar) 1989
En mörts drömmar, 1990
Målade porträtt, 1991
Yngve Frejs landskap, (pasteller) 1991
Rosine, 1991
Skånebilder, (pasteller) 1991
Han och hon, (sagor) 1992
Blues för Mr Shelley, 1992
Män i min ålder 1992
Nästa man till rakning, 1993
Nästa Katrineholm, 1993 (specialtryck)
På landet, 1993
Årstider och åsikter, 1993
Vägen till brevlådan, 1993
Nice Mat Sol, 1994, (med Nils Emil Ahlin)
Till Europa 1994, (foto Leif Claesson)
Den extra milen, 1994
Eko av en vår, 1996
Vandring med mig själv, 1996
Blå stolar, 1996
Man måste det man önskar, 1997
Vad man ser och hedrar, 1998
Varsel om kommande tilldragelse, 1999
Svart asfalt grönt gräs, 2000
Det lyckliga Europa, 2001
Efter oss syndafloden, 2002
Följ Alltid Cecilias Exempel, 2003
Sov du så 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
Swedish illustrators
Swedish-language writers
1928 births
2008 deaths
Selma Lagerlöf Prize winners