English version – Brief presentation of Barbara Voors

Fotograf: Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin

Barbara Voors was born in 1967 in Stockholm, Sweden. She was raised in Tehran, Iran, where she lived until her family had to flee the Iranian revolution in 1979. She has also lived in the United States and Great Britain. Voors is half Swedish and half Dutch, her father being of Dutch origin.

She has written several novels, one travel story about Tanzania and development work: ”När elefanter dansar” (”When elephants dance”), 1994, and several children´s books. (For a more in deapth summary of the books, press each title above). Her first novel ”Älskade du” (”Beloved you”) was published in 1990, and is the story of the first impossible love: the rise and the fall. After that she wrote ”Akvarium” (”Aquarium”), about a young girls memories from losing her mother in Iran och growing up in Stockholm. ”Tillit till dig” (”Trust in you”) came 1993 and is about a love couple doubting each others trust, while having an accident on their vacation in France. The novel ”Syster min” (”Sister of mine”), 1997, is a novel about sisterhood where the author got to mix two genres: the classic novel with a crime story. It has been on the best-selling list in Sweden for  a year, reached number two, and has sold over 160.000 copies in the Netherlands.

Voors has also written the novels ”Sömnlös” (”Sleepless”) in 2000, about Savanna Brandt who has stopped sleeping. While using her sleepless nights to finish her Phd about a dead British novelists, she receives anonymous e-mails implying something she saw at the age of 11. ”Smultronbett” 2003,  is a novel about a woman falling: economically, socially and emotionally. ”Mina döttrars systrar” (”The sisters of my daughters”)  2004, revolves around three sisters where the youngest is in a coma in New York. Trying to awaken her, the other two sisters tell their stories about longing and waiting.

In ”Islossning” (”The ice”) 2007, a father and a daughter goes through the ice. Those left behind seperate their lives in before and after while trying to answer why? Fantomsmärtor (Phantom pains” 2010, is about a woman who has ten days to decide whether to keep her unborn child with Downs syndrome. While she is thinking about the sad gap between theory and practise when it comes to human rights, her friends and family all see her to give advice.

The children´s books are published by Rabén &Sjögren and the novels by Albert Bonniers förlag. Her novels have been translated in to Danish, Finnish, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Spanish and Italian.

Barbara Voors lives in Stockholm with her husband and two daughters. She holds a degree in journalism and development studies. Due to a strong interest in third world issues she has worked with development work and human rights for many years. Besides writing books she works as a consultant for, among others, the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Unicef.

If you want to write to me:

barbara@barbaravoors.com

For more information about Barbara Voors, please visit her Dutch publisher:

www.degeus.nl

Agent on foreign rights:

www.jonathanclowes.co.uk

For children´s books and youth novels:
www.agency.rabensjogren.se

Books by Barbara Voors:

1990 Älskade du, (Beloved you) novel

1991 Akvarium (Aquarium), novel

1993 Tillit till dig (Trust in you), novel. In Dutch: ”Vertrouwen in jau”

1994 Fredrikas fräkneunion, childrens book

1994 När elefanter dansar (When elephants dance), travel story

1997 Syster min (Sister of mine), novel. Dutch: ”Zysje van me”

2000 Sömnlös (Sleepless), roman. Dutch: ”Slaapeloos”

2003 Smultronbett, novel. Dutch:””De aardbeibeet”

2004 Mina döttrars systrar (The sisters of my daughers), novel. Dutch: ”De Zussen van mijn dochters”

2005 Mamman som tjatade så att hon dog, children´s book.

2006 Flickorna som var vakna för länge, children´s book.

2007 Islossning (The ice), roman. Dutch: ”Dooi”.

2007 Pappan som rymde hemifrån, children´s book.

2010 Emmy Moréns dubbla liv (The double life of Emmy Morén), youth novel

2010 Fantomsmärtor (Phantom pains), novel