Lars Love Philipson

What was your favorite book as a child?

I had many favorite books, but one that still holds great emotional value for me is Rasmus and the Vagabond (Rasmus på luffen in Swedish) by Astrid Lindgren. It’s about a nine-year-old boy who escapes from his orphanage in hopes of finding a family. He ends up accompanying a tramp called Paradise Oscar on an adventure through the early 20th-century Swedish countryside. It’s a story that has it all: you laugh, cry, and bite your nails. My dad loved it too; he used to quote it all the time. We even played a song from the movie adaptation at his funeral.

Do you remember the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

I think the main reason was that I wasn’t very good at anything else. As a kid, I was mediocre in sports and didn’t have many friends, but I’ve always loved to read and make things up, and I was lucky to have encouraging teachers from a young age. In third grade, my homeroom teacher asked me to send her a copy of my first published book when the time comes. Having someone believe in my abilities like that motivated me to keep going. I will definitely keep my promise and send her a copy of my first book.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

A couple of years ago, I was in an accident that caused extensive and permanent nerve damage to my left arm, leaving my left hand completely unusable. This meant I could no longer do many of the things I love, like playing the guitar. I was in a lot of pain, and I hit rock bottom. But half a year later, as I waited in the hand surgery clinic at my hospital for a follow-up appointment, listening to the rain tapping against the window while my right fingers drummed on the armrest to the rhythm of a song playing on the radio, I noticed a slight twitch in my left index finger. I concentrated hard, picturing a stream of signals flowing from my brain to my left hand, and managed to consciously bend the upper joint of that finger by a few degrees. It felt like finally getting a response from extraterrestrial intelligence! Now, that finger and thumb are fully functional, and I have all I need to hold a guitar pick.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

I prefer reading in silence to fully concentrate on what the text offers, but when I write, I enjoy listening to music that matches the mood and atmosphere I want to create. While writing “The Last Child,” I often listened to the album The Songs of the Death by the Russian black metal band Путь (no, I don’t know how to pronounce that). According to the internet, the songs explore themes of coldness, winter, and death. However, the album also features an accordion, which adds a softness and warmth that blends with the darkness and despair. I hope readers will sense that accordion throughout my story as well.