It was spring in Varberg, Sweden. Tulips, roses, and lots of flowers were in abundance. It was colourful, with the blue firmament overhead. A festive mood everywhere welcomed us, an independent publisher from India. In April 2019, we were there to meet iconic ‘disloyal European’ Jan Myrdal. Jan, son of two Nobel laureates, Gunnar Myrdal and Alva Myrdal, greeted us with a smile at his doorstep.

In 2019, we were invited by Folket i Bild/Kulturfront a famous Swedish magazine, known for their commitment to people already from the 1940s, to deliver a lecture as Jan Myrdal’s Indian publisher at an international seminar to commemorate a remarkable 75 years of Myrdal’s writing. It was a prestige for not only for Setu Prakashani, but also an impetus to adhere to the principles of liberty, equality and justice for all the likeminded publishers. The seminar was organised by Folket i Bild/Kulturfront and co-sponsored by the Swedish Cultural Council at Stockholm on 15 April 2019.

Thereafter Jan invited us to his house at Varberg, a town nestled in the lap of nature. Myrdal and his friend Skansen drove along with our daughters from Stockholm to Varberg and I along with my wife reached the town by train.

The house where Jan lived was, in fact, a huge library covering all the genres of literature. We were surprised to see his collection in the two storeyed house with a beautiful courtyard. Here we also came across his binding and small printing machine. He was escorting us to browse over the books and critically evaluate the contents. During the discussion, I was attracted to a poster book with texts in Swedish language. I understood the contents. It was about the First and Second World Wars. The book was published in 2005 by a Swedish publisher. It was a collection of European posters made during and after the two wars.

Jan along with his wife Gun Kussle collected those posters from the streets and by-lanes of France, Italy and Germany. He narrated the background and history of the wars that ripped apart our civilisation. It was his desperation to document the victory of humanity lest such wars smash us into catastrophe again. Jan donated the posters to Swedish Royal Library and these are preserved in proper temperature and light. I was taken aback by the book. I requested Jan to allow us to publish the book in English version so that it can be accessed by a wider audience. Now I feel the request was like dreaming to touch the moon in the sky, but he agreed and gladly gave me permission to go ahead. 

For Setu Prakashani the current English-language edition of Swedish author Jan Myrdal’s Selling War as Margarine is a milestone. It marks the realisation of a mission given directly to me by Jan and thus carries an emotional significance also. The volume’s theme is universal, the author deciphering the processes of mass-agitation, processes that lead up to war and reinforces actions during the hot phase of conflict. While the book Selling War as Margarine deals with a European context, mainly focusing on France and Italy, as well as their adversaries and allies such as Germany and Russia/Soviet Union, it should have an enduring appeal to readers beyond borders.

Now, every day the newspapers and other media are rocked by the possibility of war. War has become a regular affair in Ukraine, Gaza and all over the globe, and so many occupied lands .It has become a norm to ignore peoples’ opinion for a war-free society. The commoners, irrespective of their nationality, are crying for justice and peace. In this context this book will uphold the necessity of peace, harmony, brotherhood and fraternity. History will testify whether this voice of peace will be defeated or not, but there should be an effort to stand up and say loudly that, “We Have not given up and  left the battlefield amidst crisis, come what may.” Let the song of Gupi and Bagha, the characters of the film Gupi Gayen Bagha Bayen directed by the maestro Satyajit Ray, reverberate everywhere: 

O you Halla’s troops
We want to know
What will you gain from this war
Why lose your lives
Holding these petty weapons
Ominous it is
The war between countries
The King shouts and scowls
And the Minister follows suit
With people like bunch of bananas
The whole country is a mess
What will you gain from this war…