Linda and David live in an apartment with two rooms and a 50s-style kitchen. It’s close to the water, to the Kulturens hus culture centre and to the museum. 

“It’s great fun to be able to create a national production from Luleå, and it’ll be fun to work more with fiction. For a fairly small city, there are a lot of jobs in journalism, and there’s a lot of interest in what’s going on up here. Some people might not believe that you can make a career here, but that’s not true.” 

Linda Jones has published two books: Bete sig was published in 2019 and her second book – De tar allt ifrån mig – appeared in 2023. Young adult novels that are set in Norrbotten. 

“The latest book depicts the dismantling of the county. I’ve tried to lay bare that sense of frustration. What would happen if you weren’t so accepting?”

In the book, elk hunting is brought to a halt when the county administrative board finds a mysterious creature in the forest – and the village is up in arms.

“Norrbotten always provides a backdrop as a source of inspiration. I think it’s important that books and films are played out here, young people in particular need to see their own space portrayed in culture.”

Linda Jones lives with David Väyrynen, who is also an author. As parents of a young child, they take it in turns to write, and each has an understanding of the other’s need for writing time. Linda is a member of two writing circles, one of them in Luleå. 

– We can meet up and chat about writing, we read each other’s texts and talk about what we’ve read and felt, and come up with suggested improvements. But mostly it’s encouragement to keep on writing.

Linda has started a third script, this time with the action taking place at Bergnäset in Luleå. 

– I grew up there and know virtually every single pine tree, but we’ll see if anything comes of it, she says.

She describes her childhood at Bergnäset in Luleå as being safe, fun and free. Now that she’s a mother herself, however, she advocates living in the central parts of the city. Linda and David live in an apartment with two rooms and a 50s-style kitchen. It’s close to the water, to the Kulturens hus culture centre and to the museum. 

– Almost everyone we know has bought a house, and I can understand people wanting to do the that. But I’d still recommend all parents to live in central Luleå. The open preschool, which is incredibly nice and they remember every single child, even though new ones come along all the time. It’s been really great being on parental leave with Siv in Luleå.

In many ways, Luleå is just right for Linda. Just the right size. Just the right degree of anonymity. It’s not so small that you always meet someone you know when you go out. 

– It feels small, but you can go years without meeting someone you know if you don’t make the effort. 

She feels that it’s possible to live a simple life, but a good one in Luleå. The mentality of the people in the city is also something she appreciates. 

– People don’t have any hang-ups here, which I love. There’s a lot of warmth, a kind glance... they let people in. And there’s a mindset that you go out and help each other.

Living in an apartment suits someone like Linda, who likes to leave her home and go out. Running and exercise serve the same function for her as writing. 

– Everyday life and meetings with people consume a lot of energy. When I’m writing and when I’m exercising, I can switch off and just let my thoughts drift of their own accord, it’s a wonderful feeling. It’s like resting, even though you’re pushing yourself.

Text and photos: Maria Ekman