The Namesday Girl

Kristoffer Leandoer, illustrated by Åsa Ekström

An exciting combination of everyday realism and fantasy with a hint of super hero comic books.

Kim and Robin have their own fantasy world: the medieval land of Berghendia that they control with an iron hand. They share everything, even though it is Kim who breathes life into the country with drawings. Robin’s little sister, The Namesday Girl, has her own small corner, mostly as onlooker but occasionally as clever ideas person. But as reality imposes itself Berghendia’s existence is threatened. As the parents’ quarrels tear the family apart, Kim and Robin also argue their creation into non-existence, and the Namesday Girl is unable to save it.

In anger Kim leaves them, going into the world of super heroes instead: the heroic ninja Kassandra Karat is born.
But the Namesday Girl is persistent and despite the separation she continues to trail after Kim as Kim’s comic series becomes more and more successful, but in the end her eager encouragement becomes far too intrusive for Kim … and now she has been lying in an inexplicable coma for the past week.
Odd signs indicate that the Namesday Girl is trapped in their old fantasy world, a secure place according to her, but full of violent fantasies! The Namesday Girl must be woken from her coma and Robin is forced to contact Kim – Kim’s drawings are the only gateway into Berghendia … The Namesday Girl is the person who sees a connection between our desires and the reality we create for ourselves. Will she succeed in communicating this insight to Kim and Robin?

A many-faceted story, constructed around three layers: recognisable reality, a weird fantasy world and a cool comic book superhero. In closely interwoven text and illustrations this tender story of relationships unfolds, in which imagination and creativity play a major part.