Ringell, Susanne 1955–

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Ringell, Susanne 1955–

PERSONAL: Born 1955.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Söderströms Förlag, Georgsgatan 29 A, 2 vån., PB 870, 00101 Helsingfors, Finland.

CAREER: Writer and playwright.

WRITINGS:

De förlovade barnet: noveller (novel; title means "The Betrothed Child"), Söderströms (Helsinki, Finland), 1993.

Gall ell Våra osynliga väntrum en berättelse i sviter (title means "Barren; or, Our Invisible Waiting Rooms"), Söderströms (Helsinki, Finland), 1994.

Vara sten (poems; title means "Be Stones"), Söder-ströms (Helsinki, Finland), 1996.

Åtta kroppar (title means "Eight Bodies"), Söderströms (Helsinki, Finland), 1998.

Av blygsel blev Adle fet: alfabetiska nedslag (short stories; title means "It Was Embarrassment That Made Adele Fat"), Söderströms (Helsingfors, Finland), 2000.

Katt begraven (title means "Cat Buried"), Söderströms (Helsingfors, Finland), 2003.

Och om bettlare och vägmän (radio play; title means "Of Pilgrims and of Beggars"), produced on Swedish Radio Drama in Finland, 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: Susanne Ringell is especially known for her somewhat absurd short stories. In her collection Av blygsel blev Adle fet: alfabetiska nedslag, which means "It Was Embarrassment That Made Adele Fat," the author presents a short story for each letter of the alphabet, focusing in each of her stories on a person and their foibles. The collection begins with a story about Adele, a fat, shy woman. Other stories include one about Walter ("W") who prefers to eat rather than see his therapist. Covering "E" and "F," Ringell writes about Egil and Folke, who are an absurd duo waiting for a train in much the same way that they are waiting in life. Writing on the Helsinki University Library Web site, Maria Antas commented that "each letter is coloured by a human fate that seldom figures largely in the history books, but on which Susanne Ringell confers dignity." The reviewer went on to note "the joy, humour and playfulness of the texts" and added: "No one in a long time has been as serious and exhilarating as Susanne Ringell when she blends linguistic analysis with psychology and absurdism." Ringell is also author of the play Och om bettlare och vägmän ("Of Pilgrims and of Beggars"). Derived from a poem by Dan Andersson called "The Beggar from Luossa," Ringell's play focuses on people in a bathhouse in Helsinki, revealing their lives both through their conversations and their own inner monologues. Writing on the Nordic Literature Web site, Maria Lindh Garreau reviewed a radio production of the play and commented, "Here we find body and soul next to each other, naked and natural."