Book

Marie’s biography as an audio book

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Marie_Fredriksson
Pic by Patrícia Peres

As you already know, Marie Fredriksson’s long-awaited biography is planned to be published later this year. Well, Ginza, Bengans and CDON have already listed the book, so we can see the title will be Kärleken till livet (= Love for life). What is incredibly interesting is that it is listed as an audio book, CD with mp3 sound format. Wow! Wow! And once again: Wow! That’s what you call exciting! I have to add that CDON has a hardcover edition listed, too.

This is what CDON writes about the book:

“I just want to talk about it as it is. No fuss. Just simply and straightly about how it has been.” Marie Fredriksson presented her book idea to author Helena von Zweigbergk with these words.
Marie’s life has included a lot of drama. Growing up in poverty in the countryside in Skåne. Her family suffered from severe sadness when one of her sisters died in a car accident. Major breakthrough as an artist in Sweden and then an international career with Roxette. And then the disaster. The brain tumor that came as a death sentence. Marked by her illness, she stands on the stage today. Right now she is out on a world tour with Roxette again.
In the book about Marie Fredriksson she and her closest will talk. It is a story of great love, sorrow, incomparable success and revenge against all odds – thanks to the love for life.

Publishing date is 7th October 2015. Yee-haa!

 

Thanx for finding the listing at Ginza, Nicol Zentai.

The Per Gessle Archives and the books entered the charts

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The Per Gessle Archives beauty box entered the Swedish album charts at No. 7 and the Swedish Per Gessle book, Texter, Klotter & Funderingar. Den Svenska Delen entered Bokus’s charts in culture category at No. 14. The English book, Songs, Sketches & Reflections. The English Part is not yet on the charts, but let’s see what happens next week.

If you are still hesitating about buying any or all of these 3 gems, don’t think any further! They are so worth being bought! Check them out e.g. at Bengans, Ginza or CDON!

TPGA_No7_PG_book_swe_No14

Per’s opinion about the box’s position on the charts:

Great news. If you count the number of actual CDs sold last week the PG-Archives sold TEN TIMES MORE than the rest of the Top 10 combined. Unfortunately the CD box counts only as ONE CD…. /P.

Congrats!

Per Gessle at the Göteborg Book Fair – Chapter 2

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The second day for Per at the book fair was yesterday. The seminar he took part in started at 1 pm, but fans were already waiting for him since 10 am. We were continuously filling the rows and listened to all the authors who came before Per. One of the writers was funny, he told he was the book fair support act for Mr G.

PG_IMG_9879Per arrived with Miss Dimberg and Anders Roos at about 1 pm. PG already got stopped by fans who asked him to give them autographs even before the seminar. When Per got to sit on the stage before the conversation, he was drumming on his legs and whistling. He refused to use the microphone which they could have fixed on his head, but used a standard microphone.

Many-many people were curious about Per, but the stage area was so small that a lot of people couldn’t sit down. The seminar ended appr. 10 minutes earlier than planned, probably because they saw the signing session would last longer for that many people.

Per’s interviewer was Jan Gradvall. They talked about songwriting, specific songs, as well as rhymes. He talked about his childhood room, what posters were on the walls (e.g. Hep Stars), there was a gramophone player and there were also some Barbie dolls. The family moved a lot and e.g. in 1968 they lived in Simlångsdalen. Per said his best friend was pop music. ”Tragical, but true.” Watch the short video of this part of the interview HERE.

They talked about how productive and busy Per is. He is doing many projects at a time, but when one ends, he feels like: ”Tack, nästa projekt.”, looking forward to the next project. The archives are just the summary of one chapter in his life.

After the seminar, there was a signing session next to the stage. There were so many people queueing with the Per Gessle books in their hands. Unfortunately, the last 5-6 people were asked to go to the other signing place, at the Roos & Tegnér stand, because they were running out of time and the signing at the stand had to start at 2.30 pm, but there Per really took his time and draw a great amount of Leifs in many books and boxes.

Ah, there was one new info during the interview: the Roxette rehearsals start this week. Bring on the tour!

Thanx for all your time and for the fabulous weekend, Mr G!

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Per with Jan Gradvall at the seminar; Per signing the books next to the stage at the seminar place; Per signing the books at the Roos & Tegnér stand

All pics in the article © Patrícia Peres

 

P.S.: Seeing this post of Per on Roxette Official after the happenings at the book fair, you could feel he had a bit of inspiration. Good luck with The Look 2! 😉

Feel like writing something like this today! /P.

Per Gessle at the Göteborg Book Fair – Chapter 1

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As you already know, Per attended the book fair in Gothenburg today (26th September). Some fans were already there at the Roos & Tegnér (publishing company) stand to wait for him and buy the books before he arrived. When I arrived to the stand at about 2 pm and bought the Per Gessle books, one of the R&T guys, Christer asked me where I’m from. Told him I’m from Hungary, then he said with a big smile on his face: ”You know that… Ah, of course, you know…” Haha. Yes, it was quite evident I knew Per would sign the books at the stand at 3 pm. It was a lovely waiting time, meeting and chatting with familiar Roxer faces and having a little wine tasting. They offered us Per’s Fru Nordin white wine to taste. Benny Mårtensson, the designer of the PG books was also there. He did a great job, that’s for sure. Sven Lindström, Pär Wickholm and Jan Gradvall were there, too. It was first Nisse Hellberg who signed his book at the stand from 2 pm.

Per signing his books at the Roos & Tegnér stand
Per signing his books at the Roos & Tegnér stand

Mr G arrived to the stand with Miss Dimberg and Anders Roos (from the publishing company; photographer of the Alla tiders Gyllene Tider book) almost exactly at 3 pm. He took his place at the signing desk and started signing the books for those who were queueing. He was in a great mood, smiling all the time and joking with those who asked him if they could take a pic together or if he couldn’t understand the name of the one who asked him to sign the book. When I told him the books are awesome, he told they are cool and he could find only 5 mistakes in them. So, count them when you start reading, guys! 🙂 He also mentioned that there will be (a) Roxette concert(s) in Sweden most probably in summer, 2015. Sounds good for our souls.

The signing session lasted for about half an hour, then Per disappeared before getting on stage for the pop quiz seminar with Sven Lindström and Nisse Hellberg at 5 pm. The seminar was quite an entertaining one. They were talking about songwriting, lyrics, bands, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Sven prepared a tough quiz for the guys with pop songs from different eras. After listening to a short part of the songs, Per and Nisse had to say which song they heard, who’s song it was and from which year. You can imagine it was a tough quiz if even Per couldn’t tell all the details of each song. But of course, he doesn’t like to lose and he did his best to win. PG : NH – 6 : 2. When Sven forgot to give Per points, he was ”fighting” for those points. Lovely. He enjoyed the music so much he was even humming the tunes and ”dancing” with his head and legs. Watch it with your own eyes in THIS short video. The audience was also very helpful when The Lonely Boys couldn’t find out which song was heard. I can imagine Per going home after the book fair and checking all the songs he couldn’t recognize.

The quiz should have lasted until 5.45 pm, but everyone was having fun, so it ended almost at 6 pm. We could have enjoyed it for even more hours. After the seminar, Per and Nisse were signing their books outside the congress hall. Until then Åsa arrived as well. She looked wonderful and was very nice to all of us fans, as usual. The signing session lasted again for about 30 minutes and after that Per went ”backstage”. Probably, for an interview. Then Elvis left the building and so did we.

This guy always makes me feel like I had the best day of my life when I meet him. It happened today as well. Chapter 2 on Sunday!

PG_book_fair_20140926_02  PG_book_fair_20140926_03  PG_book_fair_20140926_04

Per, Sven and Nisse doing the pop quiz; Per at the seminar; Per signing his books after the seminar

All pics in the article © Patrícia Peres

 

Articles and stuff related to PG at the book fair:

Expressen
Expressen’s video
Vaja.se
op.se
Bokmässan photos on flickr

 

Per Gessle’s agenda at the Göteborg Book Fair

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Photo © Anders Roos
Photo © Anders Roos

In an earlier article we wrote about the Göteborg Book Fair that is going to happen this weekend. Per will take part in 2 seminars, one on Friday and another on Sunday. Before and after the seminars he will gladly sign THE books (and probably, anything else you want him to sign, e.g. TPGA box if you haven’t pre-ordered it signed). All the details regarding the tickets and content of the seminars are in that earlier article. Click here to check it!

As publishing company Roos & Tegnér informs, you can meet Per several times during the book fair. Here is the agenda:

Friday, 26th September
15:00 Per Gessle signing his two new books at the Roos & Tegnér stand (B07:21)
17:00 Seminar: Stjärnspäckat Popquiz – a pop quiz with Per Gessle and Nisse Hellberg (ticket required)
18:00 Per Gessle and Nisse Hellberg signing their books outside the congress hall

Sunday, 28th September
13:00 Seminar: Låtsnickare och textmakare – hantverkaren Per Gessle (Per about the books and songwriting) /no separate ticket needed/
14:00 Per Gessle signing his two new books at the Library & Storytelling Stage (Bibliotek & Berättarscen)
14:30 Per Gessle signing session at the Roos & Tegnér stand (B07:21)

Sounds like a fab weekend program, doesn’t it?

P.S.: The books you can buy at the Roos & Tegnér stand at the book fair.