In the beginning of 2004 I got the idea to a series of books that should be dealing with the society we live in today. To reach a wider audience I chose to write them as crime novels, since that is a genre that many people read and also is suitable for what I had to say. I wanted to describe the life in Malmoe, Sweden and things that happen around the world. The stories are pure fiction with invented characters, but I base them on the actual reality. I wanted my books not only to be crime stories but to give the readers food for thought. My novels are also meant to be platforms for discussions among teenagers, young adults and grown-ups in all ages alike for how we treat each other. On November 6th I wrote an article on this blog more specifically about how I think when I write.
I wanted my novels to be used in lower- and upper secondary schools, in adult education, sfi, Swedish for immigrants, police education etc. I also wanted my stories to describe the multicultural society we have today with it’s pros and cons. Since I wanted to show that immigrants don’t have to be problems, but an asset, and have several characters in my books as positive role models, I invented the lawyers Rima Said and Elif Altundal who appear in my first three books. Rima is 33 years old in the first book, comes from Lebanon and wears hijab. Elif is 32 years old when we first meet her and is a Kurdic woman from Turkey.
My debut novel Dödande fakta, Killing facts, appeared on the market in April 2006 and quickly spread over Sweden. My second book Heder eller samvete?, Honour or conscience?, which deals with issues like honour related murders and oppression, gender inequalities, social injustices and racism was released in it’s first version in April 2009. Then I decided that I should rewrite and extend it to make the novel better. The improved and extended edition of Heder eller samvete? was released together with a study booklet in November 2010. This book quickly spread over Sweden too and gladly enough for me the book is now used here and there all over Sweden as I had intended. On December 5th 2011 I recieved an e-mail from the education ministry, the Swedish government, that wished me good luck. Of course that made me glad.
My intentions are good and I hope that my books will contribute to making our society a little better place to live in. Our world is hard and cold enough as it is and we need a more humanitarian thinking and an acceptance for the value in human variety. We are different from each other and that’s wonderful, but we have the same common human value… Or at least we should have. What do you think?
Anders Moberg, November 21st 2012
swedish heart and soul 