Screening of Comedy Queen by Sanna Lenken

Jenny Jägerfeld (1974) is a Swedish writer and psychologist. She made her literary debut in 2006 with the work Hål i huvudet (A Hole in the Head) about a 23-year-old girl named Minou whose lover leaves her unexpectedly. In 2010, her young adult novel Här ligger jag och blöder (Me on the Floor, Bleeding) won Sweden’s main literary award, the Augustpriset. Jägerfeld is mainly praised for how she skillfully combines a humorous style and serious or even tragic topics, such as social exclusion, suicide, poverty, and mental health issues. Estonian readers know her for Min storslagna liv (My Royal Grand Golden Life, 2019) and Min storslagna död (My Royal Grand Golden Death, 2021) about a Stockholm boy named Sigge and his life with his grandmother in a retirement home with all the social challenges it entails. Through these, Jägerfeld addresses issues that speak to us all: how do you combine being on your own with social rules and expectations, and how can you be treasured while maintaining your core? The Estonian Union for Child Welfare and the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre highlighted My Royal Grand Golden Life among the best children’s books of 2020. In addition to these two books, Comedy Queen (2018) about 12-year-old Sasha has also been published in Estonian.