Europa Blues


Book Description

A Greek gangster arrives in Stockholm, only to be murdered in a macabre fashion at Skansen zoo, his body consumed by animals. As the Intercrime Unit – a team dedicated to solving international violent crime – investigate what brought him to Sweden, eight Eastern European women vanish from a refugee centre outside of the city while an elderly professor, the tattooed numbers on his arm hinting at his terrible past, is executed at the Jewish cemetery. Three cases, one team of detectives and an investigation that will take them across Europe and back through history as they desperately search for answers, and the identities of their killers.




Contemporary French and Scandinavian Crime Fiction


Book Description

This book offers a study of Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and French crime fictions covering a fifty-year period. From 1965 to the present, both Scandinavian and French societies have undergone significant transformations. Twelve literary case studies examine how crime fictions in the respective contexts have responded to shifting social realities, which have in turn played a part in transforming the generic codes and conventions of the crime novel. At the centre of the book’s analysis is crime fiction’s negotiation of the French model of Republican universalism and the Scandinavian welfare state, both of which were routinely characterised as being in a state of crisis at the end of the twentieth century. Adopting a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, the book investigates the interplay between contemporary Scandinavian and French crime narratives, considering their engagement with the relationship of the state and the citizen, and notably with identity issues (class, gender, sexuality and ethnicity in particular).




Civic Resources and the Future of the European Union


Book Description

This book shines new light on the political system of the European Union (EU) by focusing on civic resources as a keystone of the EU's ability to sustain. Less-tangible resources such as trust, solidarity, mutual recognition and citizens' social and political participation have been, until now, largely ignored in the research on European integration. Due to the fundamental changes to the EU in recent years and the challenges ahead, European citizens have become increasingly critical of a long-lasting unification process in Europe. This volume theoretically and empirically examines how the European citizens themselves may contribute to the long-term effectiveness, legitimacy and endurance of the EU. This book aims to examine the issues associated with the utilization of civic resources by the EU, and the ability of European citizens to develop transnational civic resources. Expert contributors in the field develop a framework to understand and explore the potential of citizens in the uncertain future of the EU. Civic Resources and the Future of the European Union will be of interest to students and scholars of European Politics and European Union Studies.




Swedish Crime Fiction


Book Description

Why have authors from the safe, social welfare state Sweden captivated the minds of the crime fiction readers across the globe? Kerstin Bergman suggests that killer marketing and a widespread curiosityabout the “exotic” Nordic welfare states, their waste landscapes and alleged gender equality, has propelled these authors and novels into the international spotlight. Bergman uses this innovative angle to retell the recent history of crime fiction in Sweden, exploring central themes and selecting key authors that have garnered national and international acclaim for their lethal plots. Swedish Crime Fiction: The Making of Nordic Noir contextualizes the explosive recent history of the genre, offering newcomers and aficionados insights into the minds of protagonists and their literary creators. This is the first research-based and exhaustive presentation of Swedish crime fiction and its Nordic “neighbours” to an international audience.




Imagining Mass Dictatorships


Book Description

This volume in the series Mass Dictatorship in the Twentieth Century series sees twelve Swedish, Korean and Japanese scholars, theorists, and historians of fiction and non-fiction probe the literary subject of life in 20th century mass dictatorships.




Europa Blues


Book Description

A Greek gangster arrives in Stockholm, only to be murdered in a macabre fashion at Skansen zoo, his body consumed by animals. As the Intercrime Unit – a team dedicated to solving international violent crime – investigate what brought him to Sweden, eight Eastern European women vanish from a refugee centre outside of the city while an elderly professor, the tattooed numbers on his arm hinting at his terrible past, is executed at the Jewish cemetery. Three cases, one team of detectives and an investigation that will take them across Europe and back through history as they desperately search for answers, and the identities of their killers.




Europa Sun Issue 4


Book Description

Europa Sun Issue 4 is finally here! We have a fantastic issue thanks to the remarkable writers who contributed! This issue is possibly more diverse in its offerings than past editions thanks to the presence of subjects such as European prehistory and, on the other end of the historical timeline, the genre of rock 'n roll. Prehistoric humans who became the earliest Europeans are explored in detail in relation to the Campanian Fire event (a massive volcanic explosion that changed the landscape of Europe). And we look at how the musical genre of rock n' roll, despite criticisms, very much channeled the soul of the European musician. In addition, you will find our typical cross section of European culture from the ancient world through the Middle Ages and into more recent history. We cover little known cultures with another piece on the pre-Roman Lusitanian tribe of Iberia. Ancient Greece makes an appearance with a discussion on the philosopher-playwright, Aristophanes, and how his concerns for the culture of his own day are relevant for us today. We move into the Middle Ages with an exploration of the figure of Mary Magdalene and another on the famous English king, Richard III. In both instances we find that each figure has been misrepresented unfairly in the public mind. Our cover art was designed by Bo Isanov in the "Fash-wave" style. We take a closer look at his art and the inspiration behind it. And, as always, there is much more in the pages that explore, discuss, and celebrate European cultural heritage!




Encyclopedia of Nordic Crime Fiction


Book Description

Since the late 1960s, the novels of Sjowall and Wahloo's Martin Beck detective series, along with the works of Henning Mankell, Hakan Nesser and Stieg Larsson, have sparked an explosion of Nordic crime fiction--grim police procedurals treating urgent sociopolitical issues affecting the contemporary world. Steeped in noir techniques and viewpoints, many of these novels are reaching international audiences through film and television adaptations. This reference guide introduces the world of Nordic crime fiction to English-speaking readers. Caught between the demands of conscience and societal strictures, the detectives in these stories--like the heroes of Norse mythology--know that they and their world must perish, but fight on regardless of cost. At a time of bleak eventualities, Nordic crime fiction interprets the bitter end as a celebration of the indomitable human spirit.




The Mirror of Public Opinion?


Book Description

Central to the study is the relevance of media actors as actors in civil society for the European integration process. This relevance is empirically assessed, making use of a selection of print media from two founding members of the European Union, Germany and the Netherlands, analysing the path-dependency of journalistic coverage and reporting along two questions: Is the focus on and evaluation of the 'European Project' and its different aspects in Germany and the Netherlands alike, or does it differ? How do traditional political and societal perspectives affect opinion formation in the media? The country comparison draws on the neo-institutional school of thought. The large corpus of newspaper content (articles and commentary) has been assessed quantitatively as well as qualitatively searching for major issues, motives, and discourses in temporal perspective. The last major treaties of the European integration process, the so called Constitutional Treaty and Reform Treaty, serve as temporal starting and endpoint for analysis. Anne-Dörte Balks, M.A./M.Sc., studied European Studies (focus: political science) at the University of Osnabrück, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, and the University of Twente (Enschede, NL). Her research interest is on the discourse on European integration in European societies and media. She currently works as Personal Assistant to the Vice President International at Freie Universität Berlin.




European Identity Revisited


Book Description

It has been argued that the emergence of a European collective identity would help overcome growing disparity caused by the increasing diversity of today’s European Union, with 28 member states and more than 500 million people. Research on European integration is facing the pressing question of what holds ‘Europe’ together in times of crisis, growing distributional conflict and instability in its neighbourhood. This book departs from the ideas of group cohesion in the EU, and reflects on the newest dynamics and practices of European identity. Whilst applying innovative qualitative, quantitative and experimental research methods and an interdisciplinary approach, this volume looks at a variety of issues such as European citizenship, mobility of European citizens, space-based identities, dual identities, student identity and value-sharing. In doing so, this volume presents new perspectives on this complex and dynamic subject and points to potential solutions both in the academic discourse and the political practice of the EU. This text will be of key interest to scholars and students of European integration, European studies, international relations, citizenship studies, political sociology as well as more broadly in the social sciences.