Kira Josefsson on 'Small Comfort' (Nominated for the International Booker Prize - 2026)

"Welcome to Harshaneeyam Podcast. Today, we enter the intricate, wickedly humorous, and deeply observant world of Swedish author Ia Genberg. Joining us is the acclaimed translator Kira Josefsson, whose English translation of the short story collection - Small Comfort, has been longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2026.

Kira is no stranger to Genberg’s sharp prose; she also translated the 2024 International Booker Prize-shortlisted novel The Details. In Small Comfort, the author shifts her focus toward the subtle, often invisible ways that money, status, and debt permeate our most intimate human relationships. From a former child star turned elusive interviewee to a divorced couple feigning marriage to secure an inheritance, these stories take us to the inner worlds of these characters.

Stay with us as we discuss the 'slippery' nature of success, the challenge of finding distinct tonalities for interconnected stories, and why Ia Genberg is a master of making the mundane feel extraordinary."

If you enjoy Harshaneeyam Podcast please follow the show on Apple, Spotify, or your favourite podcasting platform and leave a review for us. It will help truly help us; and don't forget to Share our podcast link with your other friends who enjoy similar content.

To help us provide even more value, please use the link given below in the show notes to complete our brief Listener Survey. Your feedback is the secret ingredient that helps us improve and create content tailored to your interests!

https://www.harshaneeyam.com/survey/Listener/

* Please complete Harshaneeyam Listener Survey using the above link.

It would be lovely to have your feedback.

***Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by Interviewees in interviews conducted by Harshaneeyam Podcast are those of the Interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Harshaneeyam Podcast. Any content provided by Interviewees is of their opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp