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The Blackbird

In November 2000, Torgny Lilja launched his portfolio site Blackbird's Nest. The purpose was to presen his poetry, literary theory and journalism to a bigger audience. When it was time for a major upgrade in 2008, Lilja was studying journalism at Santa Barbara City College in California. Consequently, he added an American site to the concept Blackbird's Nest.

Currently, Lilja is a candidate for the doctorate at Stockholm University. Since 2013, he holds a Master of Arts Degree in Humanities, Communication and Journalism from University of Gothenburg. He also holds a Licentiate of Philosophy Degree in Literary Theory, and since 1988, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literary Theory, Russian, and Linguistics from Stockholm University.

Besides, Lilja also holds diplomas in Web Journalism from Santa Barbara City College in California (2009), PR & Communications from Pace University in New York (2002) and Interactive Media, Multimedia and Web Page Production from ETC Akademin in Stockholm (1998).

Currently, Lilja is working on these book projects:

Palimpsest of the Soul:
Tradition and Value in Johannes Edfelt’s Poetry
Dissertation on the Swedish poet Edfelt (1904–97).

Dr Dracula & Mr Harker
A brand new collection of modernistic poems that will be released in 2013.

Hamlet post mortem
A sneak preview of his next collection of poems

Newly released book projects by Lilja are:

Anton Chekhov’s ”The Lady With a Dog”
Swedish rendering of the short story in Russian.

Anna Akhmatova’s Requiem
Swedish rendering of the Russian poet Akhmatova (1889–1966).

Skuggsång i Provence (Shade Song in Provence)
Prolonged and revised edition of Lilja's poetry 1980–2010.

Background

Torgny Lilja applying for visa to the US in spring 2008 Lilja was born in 1961 in Stockholm, Sweden, where he has been residing more or less permanently since 1988. During his teens, he lived in a suburban area outside Stockholm, which has influenced some of his poetry. In addition to Swedish and English, Lilja understands Russian, German, French and Latin.

During 2006–10, Lilja was responsible for translations and web content at Järva Interpreting & Translating Agency in Sweden. Before that, he worked short periods at the Communications Departments at IOGT-NTO (the largest Swedish organization in the field of temperance) and the Swedish Institute. He also has been an intern at the Section for Culture and Public Affairs at the Consulate General of Sweden in New York.

As a freelancer from 1992 to 1994, Lilja was a graphic designer for the Swedish Tourist Association, the Nordic Council of Ministers, book publisher Rabén & Sjögren, and others. From 1989 to 1994, he was responsible for desktop publishing at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

Some people say that Lilja got his nickname "Blackbird," when he was working at the Swedish national authority for signals intelligence from 1988 to 1989. For a full overview of his experience and education, feel free to go to Lilja's résumé page.

Footnote: “Blackbird's Nest,” “News From the Nest,” “Blackbird Publishing” and the Blackbird logo are trademarks. This site is fully compatible with Safari and Internet Explorer for Mac and with Firefox for Mac or PC.

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