Nytt om resor på Bokmässan 2024

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Guest writer: Maria Frid Selin

I am now sitting in the middle of the crowd at this year's book fair in Gothenburg. I've been looking for travel books and travelogues to be able to offer you something new worth reading this autumn and maybe some of the tips below can give you new ideas and travel destinations.

The themes of the 2024 Book Fair

This year's two themes at the fair were Sápmi and Space.

Sápmi had many interesting lectures and books about their culture, history and philosophy. At one stand they also sold their wonderful crafts, Sami duodji. If I were to award a prize for the best exhibition space, it would be for their stage. You enter the environment with reindeer skins, fabrics with Sami motifs and colours, tree branches in their natural forms and several everyday objects.

Katarina Spik Skum is the artist who created this little oasis that is very inviting. I would have liked it to have been given more space. The feeling of wanting to travel up country was strong. It will be on the top of our bucket list for our next trip! Have you been there?

The second theme of the fair was Space.

As I assume this is not anyone's immediate travel plans, I will not go further into that subject.

I would guess that the longest travellers at the fair are Christer Fuglesang and Marcus Wandt, our two Swedish astronauts. I listened to a talk by Wandt and he was actually asked where he wanted to travel next: Europe was his answer.

Travelmaniac

One of the authors I met on the exhibition floor was Martin Källstrand, who is probably one of the more well-travelled!

His book "Travel Maniac" has just come off the press just in time for the book fair and despite his young age he has been to every country in the world, 195 of them! (those recognised by the UN as independent states). Some longer and some shorter for obvious reasons.

He has now summarised a fraction of his experiences in a fun, easy-to-read book. He gives his top tips on what he likes about travelling in his book as well as good facts. At the end, for example, there is a great packing list ready to check off.

I asked him which of all the countries was his favourite and it was clearly Palau. It offers wonderful nature and if you like snorkelling and diving like he does, it's perfect! Other places he likes are Japan, Colombia, the Philippines, and more. If you ask about cities, Munich and Visby come out on top. He gives his top ten lists in the book that he has experienced as worth seeing and after each country he gives "Don't miss" tips, don't miss them!

With the book, he wants to inspire others to make travelling more than a holiday with sun and swimming, but to add their passion to the trip as well and read up beforehand. For example, if you have a great interest in food, you can discover the food culture and history of other countries, or whatever your interest is. Wine holidays and retreats are popular, but why not a knitting trip or stamp collecting trip or whatever appeals to you.

He is interested in politics and military history, and he reads a lot about the country he is travelling to beforehand. He emphasises that preparation is important to him and sometimes takes longer than the trip itself. He wants to see a lot and it's full speed ahead once he reaches his destination.

What's next for this well-travelled man, one wonders? Shorter trips to Rome and northern Hungary are the next in line. Otherwise, he plans to visit the capitals of all the countries. He feels he may have missed out when he took all the countries. Can we expect a book about it in the future then?

Travel books within Sweden

There are many books about places and experiences in Sweden. Among other things, there is a book about abandoned houses that walkers can spend the night in. It sounded very exciting!

I couldn't find one about motorhome holidays unfortunately. Maybe you're sitting on that script until the next book fair?

There were many books about the sea and boats and travelling by boat.

Others at the fair included Sweden's pilgrimage routes. "It's a different kind of journey, the inner one and on foot. We have many beautiful hiking trails in our country and group hiking is also organised.

Bucket List

When I was doing research for the fair, I found two books I thought seemed fun: Bucket list...

I didn't find these at the fair either, but I'm including them as book tips. Seemed like a fun guide and inspiration.

Do you have any good books on travel or travel stories? Please share them below!

Facts about the 2024 Book Fair

Started: 1985
Programme: 320 seminars and 4,000 programme events
Number of participants: 2 500+
Visitors: 80 000+ (40 % industry and 60 % general)
Countries at the fair: 40

Follow Jöran and Maria here:

Jöran and Maria Selin

Jöran and Maria are the names behind the former blog Magnolia Magis. They sold the house and lived 3 years outside first in a motorhome then a caravan. Travelling mostly in Sweden and Europe. Today they have switched to a small cabin in the forest and a camping-equipped Land Rover Defender with which they hope for many nice trips.