Fredrik Backman Dishes Out Humor and Honesty

Check out the hilarious and heartwarming video below, where international bestselling author Fredrik Backman (left) takes the stage on April 08, 2024, at the Simon & Schuster centennial celebration humorously admitting that he's only there because his agent insisted it would be good for his career!

 

Backman jokes about being more comfortable with the characters he creates than with real people. He then jokes about his struggles with anxiety, using his Scandinavian roots as a comedic touchpoint. He compares Swedish depression to its American counterpart with an IKEA joke, saying it's cheaper and self-assembled, often with missing parts. 

 

His knack for procrastination is highlighted as he confesses the real reason he's speaking: to avoid finishing his current book. 

 

Wrapping up, Backman offers a heartfelt message to aspiring writers, acknowledging his own insecurities and encouraging them to chase their dreams despite any doubts!

 

 

FYI, Backman wrote A Man Called Ove (2012), Things My Son Needs to Know about the World (2012), My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry (2013), Britt-Marie Was Here (2014), Beartown (2017), Us Against You (2018), Anxious People (2020), and The Winners (2022). The books were number one bestsellers in his home country of Sweden. His books have been published in more than twenty-five languages. 

 

All of Backman's books focus on the amazingly complicated, beautiful, funny, unexpected, and sometimes tragic experience that we call life while featuring quirky characters who try to do their best at living it. That's exactly where the magic of these books lies.