Enquist Plays: 1: The Night of Tribades, Rain Snakes, The Hour of the Lynx, The Image Makers

Description

The first collection by Sweden's foremost contemporary playwright NIGHT OF THE TRIBADES (1975) centres around the triangular relationship between August Strindberg, the actress Marie Caroline David and Siri von Essen. It has been translated into twenty languages including a short run on Broadway. THE IMAGE MAKERS (1998) deals with Selma Lagerlof's father and his alcoholism whilst THE RAIN MAKERS is a fascinating study of Hans Christian Anderson. THE HOUR OF THE LYNX: "Enquist's play, feelingly translated from the Swedish offers a profound exploration of spirituality, love and faith within a text that is grippingly dramatic, unfailingly absorbing and often upliftingly lyrical." "At a time when young writers were looking for new forms of literary expression, Enquist settled for an investigative style, and attempt to reconstruct events reported to have happened, but where the truth is often too inaccessible... it was a style that was to remain Enquist's literary landmark characterising both his novels and his plays" Contemporary World Authors ed. Tracey Chevalier

Per Olov Enquist was born in Hjoggboele, Sweden, on 23 September 1934. He has gained international fame as a playwright, novelist and documentarist. After studying at the University of Uppsula, his debut novel, Crystal Eye appeared in 1961. His third novel, The Magnetist's Fifth Winter (1964) received critical acclaim, and his novel The Legionnaires (1968) won the Nordic Council's prestigious Literary Prize. Enquist turned to play-writing in 1973 when, as a visiting professor at UCLA, he began to write his first and most famous play, The Night of the Tribades (1975). Returning to the novel more recently, Enquist's The Visit of the Royal Physician (1999) won several awards including the prestigious August Prize.