Nominerad till Urhunden 2024: Ulli Lust
Ulli Lust
I vår presentation av nominerade till Urhunden för 2023 års bästa till svenska översatta seriebok har vi nu kommit till Ulli Lust, som hyllas för sin seriebok Hur jag försökte bli en god människa i översättning av Sara Eriksson. (Texten är på engelska.)
Intervju: Bitte Andersson
What is your book about?
– It’s about an unusual threesome relationship, more specifically, a woman with two male partners. The female heroine allows herself to actively pursue her sexual desires. One of the partners is a hippie free spirit, while the other one unfortunately struggles between a very open mindset and super-traditional patriachal reflexes. He gives in to changing moods, which escalate into real outbursts of violence as the plot progresses. What is allowed for men is by no means allowed for women. It also describes a woman’s search for a fulfilling life outside of narrowly defined paths. Sometimes that works better and sometimes less well.
Describe your creative process!
– First, everything I remember about the story is written down in a notebook. I like to write by hand. Then I select important scenes and try to find a structure for the book. Next, I draw storyboards and develop the scenario, scene by scene, strictly from the beginning to the end. I do not draw unrelated scenes and edit them later. It is important to me to develop the story in a reading direction. Photos of places help me sketch out the actual scenes. I do not draw entirely realistic, but I try to portrait situations and places as accurately as possible.
What do you want to achieve with this book?
– I like to describe life as a tragic comedy. When someone wants to make their dreams come true, a lot can go wrong. And yet the attempt still works wonders.
