When My Mother Died (2025)

The death of a loved one is a deeply wounding experience that leaves its mark on a person — on their outlook, emotions, and relationships with others.

"A unique work about the author’s experience accompanying her mother on her final journey. It offers an honest and candid portrayal of the powerful emotions that arise around death and farewells—love and care, but also feelings such as guilt and helplessness. The book speaks urgently to contemporary society. It addresses the conditions in which society places those who are dying, and not least the strain and responsibility that relatives must shoulder at these unavoidable turning points." THE JURY OF THE ICELANDIC LITERARY PRIZE, WHEN NOMINATED

"... the heart of Sigrun Alba's narrative revolves around the grieving process and the working through of sorrow. She approaches this subject from various different angles: personal, academic, and poetic. She describes well how our bodies react to grief and trauma, but also how the senses are sharpened ... it became clear to me how well Sigrun Alba manages to weave together threads from different directions, and I was truly surprised how much she manages to convey in such a short text. Despite everything, and thankfully, life pulls us along even when loved ones fall ill and die. Sigrun Alba's book shows us this, and her personal working through of grief should be able to help others in the same situation." SAB, VIDSJA CHANNEL 1