Johanna Ekström

Born in 1970 in Stockholm.

Ekström works as a writer and visual artist.

She made her literary debut in 1993 with a collection of poetry, praised by critics for its powerful imagery. Johanna Ekström has since published five poetry books, two collection of short stories titled »Vad vet jag om hållfasthet« (»What do I know of stability«, 2001) and »Titta, hon kryper« (»Look, she´s crawling«, 2006) and the novel »Avskedsstafetten« (»Goodbye Relay«, 2004). Her next collection of poetry »Det enda främmande« (»The only thing unknown«) will be available in April 2008.

Ekström has held readings in Europe and USA. Her poems and short stories have been translated and published in anthologies in England, Portugal, Rumania, Canada, Nepal and India. Translations of her poems in German by Sabine Neumann will be finished shortly.

She collaborates with the Swedish choreographer Björn Elisson, writing the underlying synopsis for his performances. Their most recent work »Minnesdvärgar« (»Memory-dwarfs«), with a prose poem by Johanna Ekström, will premiere in mid October, 2007 at Dansens Hus, Stockholm.

She has written librettos for the Swedish composer Ylva Nyberg, composer Philippe Boix-Vives and cellist composer Peter Schuback.

Johanna Ekström has just completed a translation of poetry by the Italian writer Corrado Calabro into Swedish together with the writer Tomas Lappalainen.

Fellowship at the Helge Axelsson Johnssons Foundation (Stockholm, 2004), a two-year writers grant from the Swedish Authors’ Fund (2003-2004) and in 2007 a five-year writers grant from the same fund.