What does ‘A Time on Earth’ sound like?

What does one of the Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg’s most reflective novels sound like? This exhibition brings together research, music, and literature in a musical interpretation of A Time on Earth (Din stund på jorden). Twelve newly written songs give voice to the novel’s themes, characters, and atmosphere, inviting visitors to experience the story in a new way.

The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between researcher Pär Strandberg and musician Ola af Trampe as part of a research project at Linnaeus University. Here, you can explore the ideas behind the project and listen to the songs inspired by the novel.

When A Time on Earth was published in 1963, Vilhelm Moberg had already spent many years portraying the experiences of Swedish emigrants. The novel follows Albert Carlson, a Swedish immigrant living a quiet life in California. Through the routines of everyday life and recurring memories, he is drawn back to his childhood in Småland and to the people and events that shaped him. As the narrative moves between past and present, it explores questions of belonging, identity, longing, and the meaning of life.

Moberg’s novel is a quiet yet deeply existential reflection on how the experience of migration continues to shape a person’s life long after the journey itself has ended.

Exhibition opening: Friday, 14 August, 3:30 pm
Venue: The House of Emigrants, Växjö, Sweden