Balsam Karam
Balsam Karam (born 1983) is a Swedish writer and librarian of Iranian Kurdish descent.[1][2]
Early life and education
Born in Tehran, in Iran, in 1983, her family moved to Sweden when she was seven. She studied at Biskops Arnös författarskola before doing a master's degree at the University of Gothenburg.[3]
Career
She works at Rinkeby Library in Stockholm and is a member of the Swedish Writers’ Union's library council.[4][5][6]
In 2018, she released her first book, Händelsehorisonten (Event Horizon).[7][8][9][10] For the book, she received the Smålits migrantpris in 2021.[11]
In 2021, she released her second book, Singulariteten (The Singularity).[12][13] The book was shortlisted for the 2021 European Union Prize for Literature.[14]
Her next novel Mörk materia – en kärleksroman (Dark Matter – A Love Story) is expected to be released in September 2025.[15]
References
- ^ Samhälle, Bibliotek I. (26 April 2018). "Tre frågor till Balsam Karam".
- ^ "Debattartikel: "Besparingarna är olagliga och rimmar illa med mycket"". SVT Nyheter. 24 June 2019.
- ^ Wallin, Nicole Jonsson (17 April 2021). "Månadens kreatör: Balsam Karam".
- ^ "Texttävling vill locka unga samtidsskildrare". www.aftonbladet.se. 17 December 2020.
- ^ "Kulturdebatt. Författaren Balsam Karam: Inga högerextremister ska tillåtas hetsa på våra bibliotek". Dagens Nyheter. 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Balsam Karam: "Det är inte den arbetarklass som rasifieras som röstar på SD"". Dagens Nyheter. 21 April 2018.
- ^ Radio, Sveriges (9 April 2018). "Stark debutroman av Balsam Karam - Kulturnytt i P1". Sveriges Radio.
- ^ "Bortom Händelsehorisonten". Kontext. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ "Balsam Karam skriver om punkten utan återvändo". op.se. 10 January 2018.
- ^ "Recension av Händelsehorisonten: "En mörk och realistisk bild av nuets grymheter"". SVT Nyheter. 26 March 2018.
- ^ ""Ett helt eget språk" — Balsam Karam prisas". Aftonbladet. 9 January 2021.
- ^ Radio, Sveriges (23 March 2021). "Recension: Singulariteten av Balsam Karam - Kulturnytt i P1". Sveriges Radio.
- ^ Ravini, Sinziana (22 March 2021). "Recension: I det nya landet vill ingen anställa ett tortyroffer". Göteborgs-Posten.
- ^ "European Union Prize for Literature announces 2021 shortlist | EU Prize for Literature". www.euprizeliterature.eu. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ Mellin, Hanna (27 July 2025). "Balsam Karam: "Absolut ingen maskulinitet är god"" [Balsam Karam: “Absolutely no masculinity is good”]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 6 September 2025.