Ellika Shilling
ELLIKA SHILLING, born and raised in the northern town of Kiruna i Sweden, lives in Patterson, a small community in the state of New York, since 1993, Trained as an acupuncturist, she works from home where her husband, two half-grown children, four alpacas, six dogs, and a cat reside.
Maria’s Odyssey
The story of Maria Isaksson came to Ellika when she read Maja Hagerman's biography of "Dearest Herman," which is about Professor Herman Lundborg. All aspects of his life are discussed, but what tickled Ellika’s imagination were the chapters about his mistress and later wife, Maria Isaksson. After all, she was Ellika’s mom's aunt.
Professor Lundborg was the founder and chief scientist of the world’s first racial biological institute in Uppsala, Sweden, in the early 1920's. His views on race were later highly appreciated by the Nazi party in Germany. Maria was of the “wrong” race which makes their secret relationship with the professor so much more interesting.
Ellika decided that Maria’s story needed to be told. Based on factual events, diaries, letters and a thorough research Ellika could portray her own interpretation of Maria’s first ten years in Uppsala. A life in the shadow of Professor Lundborg.
Original title: En enkel till Uppsala: Majas resa
Publication: Storify Publishing
November 2023
Pages: 341
Rights sold: All rights available
Contact: Renée Ripman
More fiction Authors
