MARIE LOK BJÖRK grew up in Västerås and Gävle, but now lives in Sigtuna. She is a journalist and has also studied cultural studies.

Her latest novel JAG VILL RIVA UPP HIMMEL OCH JORD (I WANT TO TEAR UP HEAVEN AND EARTH) was published by Bazar in 2023, and follows the life of Elise Ottesen Jensen – more commonly known as Ottar, one of the world's foremost fighters for female sexual freedom and the founder of RFSU (The Swedish Association for Sexuality Education).

Marie’s previous publications include the critically acclaimed novel ATT VÄLJA ETT LIV (TO CHOOSE A LIFE) (2021), the non-fiction book HANDBOK I JÄMSTÄLLT FÖRÄLDRASKAP (HANDBOOK IN EQUAL PARENTING) (2021) and the YA novel JAG BLUNDAR TILLS JAG FINNS (I CLOSE MY EYES UNTIL I EXIST) (2015).

Marie has been awarded several scholarships and prizes for her books. Her books are also often used as teaching material in both high schools and at university.

Agent Maja Hjelm

TO BE PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2025, BAZAR FÖRLAG
GENRE HISTORICAL FICTION
PAGES 300

ALL RIGHTS AVAILABLE

A powerful and moving novel about women's resilience, memories that must never be forgotten, and how writing can change both an individual's life and history itself.

Sigtuna, 1945. In the shadow of war, where lines are blurred and people are forced to make impossible choices, Edith and Viola meet in a world that still trembles with the unimaginable.

Edith, a young student with dreams of becoming a writer, seeks her place in life. Viola, a Holocaust survivor, arrives in Sigtuna on one of the white boats, carrying with her a story so painful that it threatens to destroy her. When their paths cross at the emergency hospital at the Sigtuna Foundation, everything changes. Edith sees her dream, her writing, in a new light, and Viola finds something she thought was lost.

IF I COULD FOLLOW is the first part of the Sigtuna Suite.