The Library of Forgetfulness
– Essays on Dementia, Madness and Literature
In The Library of Forgetfulness, Ulf Karl Olov Nilsson (UKON), a celebrated poet, psychologist and psychoanalyst, investigates difficult issues on the very border of existence. Through historical case reports, examples taken from his long career of clinical practice, personal anecdotes and literature, UKON discusses the poetic of dementia, the logic of paranoia, trauma vs. language, madness, lobotomy, and the interpretation of dreams. It is a collection of essays both entertaining, insightful and thought provoking.
Shortlisted for the August Prize in the category Best Non-Fiction Book 2016 with the following motivation:
“When the words disappear. With erudition and playfulness, [UKON] deals with madness in relation to language, identity and writing. The text is winding, the mind boggling, through ingenious readings of patient records, screamingly funny stories and horrid experiments. An unusually refreshing book about frightening loss of memory and the threat against the ability to make oneself intelligible.”
Ulf Karl Olov Nilsson, also called UKON, is an acclaimed poet, psychologist and psychoanalyst. He is on the editorial board for the magazines Glänta and Arche and has published some fifteen collections of poetry. In 2002 UKON had a great breakthrough with his poetry collection Stammar and in 2014 he wrote his first novel Jag befinner mig i…
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About the book
– Essays on Dementia, Madness and Literature
In The Library of Forgetfulness, Ulf Karl Olov Nilsson (UKON), a celebrated poet, psychologist and psychoanalyst, investigates difficult issues on the very border of existence. Through historical case reports, examples taken from his long career of clinical practice, personal anecdotes and literature, UKON discusses the poetic of dementia, the logic of paranoia, trauma vs. language, madness, lobotomy, and the interpretation of dreams. It is a collection of essays both entertaining, insightful and thought provoking.
Shortlisted for the August Prize in the category Best Non-Fiction Book 2016 with the following motivation:
“When the words disappear. With erudition and playfulness, [UKON] deals with madness in relation to language, identity and writing. The text is winding, the mind boggling, through ingenious readings of patient records, screamingly funny stories and horrid experiments. An unusually refreshing book about frightening loss of memory and the threat against the ability to make oneself intelligible.”
