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๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ช Sweden /Culture & Society

We probably owe Carola an apology

From Svenska Dagbladet · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Opinion Sources not specified Context piece
  • A commentary argues that Carola Hรคggkvist may be owed an apology by men who have failed her, including possibly journalists.
  • The piece recalls how Hรคggkvist entered Melodifestivalen at 16 after a call from Lasse Holm and soon became a national star.
  • At 60, she has published an autobiography covering her childhood, breakthrough with โ€œFrรคmlingโ€ in 1983 and divorce from Norwegian preacher Runar Sรธgaard in 2000.

A 16-year-old girl sits alone at the kitchen table doing her math homework when Lasse Holm calls to tell her she will take part in Melodifestivalen. She kneels and thanks God in the row house. A few months later, she sweeps across Sweden in a canary-yellow outfit.

Her name is Carola Hรคggkvist. Now 60, she has written her autobiography, simply titled โ€œI Am Carola.โ€ The first volume begins with her childhood and breakthrough with โ€œFrรคmlingโ€ in 1983, and ends shortly after her divorce from Norwegian preacher Runar Sรธgaard in 2000.

The commentary opens with the argument that Carolaโ€™s life has been filled with men who betrayed or failed her in different ways. It adds that journalists may also belong among them, and frames the book as a reason to reconsider how her story has been treated.

About this summary

Originally published by Svenska Dagbladet in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.