The Embassy of Sweden will host an in-depth conversation about the ways in which American historical material is transformed into contemporary Swedish literature and performing arts. A group of prominent artists, authors, researchers, and theatre practitioners will discuss how writers and theatres in Sweden engage with documents from the American Civil Rights Movement, what they are inspired by, and the status of children’s right to culture and education in Sweden and the United States today.

Author and journalist Elisabeth Åsbrink, one of Sweden’s most prominent non-fiction writers, is currently writing a book about the Little Rock Nine in close collaboration with one of its nine members, Gloria Ray Karlmark, who has lived in Sweden since the 1960s. Meanwhile, Västmanlands Teater, a Swedish performing arts theatre, will soon show a stage performance by playwright Irena Kraus and scenographer Annika Bromberg about the nine students titled A Moment in Time, directed by Rebecca Örtman.