Queen

Synopsis

Originally published in 1964, Queen is the long-awaited English-language debut of one of Sweden's greatest modernist writers. Set in the rural village of Bäck, the novel follows Judit, a fiercely independent young woman known as the Queen, whose inner life is shaped by family, loss, desire, and the harsh rhythms of the natural world. As decades pass and those around her leave, return, or disappear, Birgitta Trotzig crafts a visionary novel of extraordinary emotional and spiritual depth. Lyrical, uncompromising, and unlike anything else in twentieth-century literature, Queen introduces English-language readers to a singular literary voice.

About the Author

Birgitta Trotzig (1929–2011) was one of Sweden's most celebrated writers and a member of the Swedish Academy. Her novels are renowned for their poetic language, spiritual intensity, and unflinching explorations of suffering, compassion, and human resilience. Though widely revered in Scandinavia, Queen is the first of her works to appear in English, translated by Saskia Vogel with an afterword by Hanne Ørstavik.

Publisher
Archipelago Books

Publication Date
February 24, 2026

Format
Paperback

Pages
168

Subjects
Literary Fiction · Translated Fiction · Swedish Literature · Modernist Fiction · Classics

ISBN
9781962770538