Radio

~ Portfolio of selected independent audio work ~

The Assignment Bureau Podcast about people facing challenges by doing creative tasks. This independent project launched in 2017, and the pilot was selected to be presented at the International Features Conference in Prague, in 2018.

“It’s Private” (29 minutes), produced through the Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts. This piece has been nominated for a Prix Europa and also received an honourable mention at In The Dark Sheffield. It was also included in independent producer Rikke Houd’s The Amazing Radio Vertikalisator session at the Third Coast International Audio Festival.

~ Selection of public service segments and programs done for the Swedish Radio ~
(in English)

For the Swedish Radio Brett has produced and reported a wide range of stories, from politics and economics to culture and sports. She’s interviewed both the sitting and former Swedish Prime Ministers (and many other ministers), party leaders, Olympic gold medalists, Eurovision sensations, a Nobel laureate, celebrities, scientists, and plenty of interesting people who don’t have a fancy title in front of their name. But most of all, she enjoys putting together pieces that ask listeners to reconsider aspects of their everyday life that they might otherwise ignore.

“Discrimination against elderly in Sweden is so bad” 2021 (6 minutes)
This was part of a series I reported on this year, in collaboration with all the other language groups (Somali, Arabic, Persian, Kurdish) in my department. It dealt with what it’s like to reach pension age in Sweden, especially for immigrants, who tend to have a significantly lower pension than people born in Sweden. Other pieces in the series included facts and figures, advice for newcomers who want to save up for a decent pension, an interview with a young newcomer who is concerned about his retirement, and interviews with foreign-born people who have reached retirement age but continue to work. A colleague and I also made a video on the subject for social media, and I did a 2-way about the issue in our weekly broadcast and podcast.

Return to sender? Why some packages don’t make it through customs 2021 (7 minutes) Our listeners have complained of an array of problems they encounter when they get shipped parcels from abroad, often from their friends and families. Those problems can range from what listeners call “unnecessary fees” to packages never arriving at all. Listeners are baffled. I visited the postal terminal at Arlanda airport to see what happens to post as it arrives in Sweden, and what the pitfalls can be when sending post to Sweden from abroad.

Will your bed lie where the water cooler once stood? 2021 (6 minutes)
Against the background of Covid-19 restrictions, this is about what might happen to architecture in the future.

Workers still counting ballots in tight election (Sept 2018) A visit to the Swedish capitol’s City Hall, where workers patiently make their way through thousands and thousands of absentee votes.

Stefan Löfven: we have a traditional Social Democratic migration policy (Aug 2018) This is an interview with Sweden’s Prime Minister as his party heads into the general election.

Sweden to World Cup 2018 quarterfinals, Almedalen, new sexual consent law (July 2018) In this episode of the weekly broadcast (and podcast), hear the cheers when Sweden beat Switzerland 1-0 at the World Cup, advancing to the quarter-finals for the first time in more than two decades.

‘Half a holiday’: Black Friday with no Thanksgiving (Nov 2018) Thanksgiving is not a holiday in Sweden, but a lot of stores still run big sales the following day, in line with their US counterparts. What gives?

Rural Problem: giving birth in a car 2018 (7 minutes)

An exhibition at the Kiruna city hall, up above the Arctic Circle, is about women in the north of Sweden who’ve had to give birth in their cars, because the nearest maternity ward is far away. Marie Rahkola’s account of giving birth in a parking lot during a snowstorm, is one of five women’s stories that make up the exhibition. She and the artists behind the exhibition hope to rekindle a debate on the shortage of maternity care facilities in rural areas. We also speak to a politician in Norrbotten about what’s being done to alleviate the need for women to deliver babies in cars.

Home of Sweden’s first pizza? A special program about foreign workers in Västerås (Nov 2017) This municipality an hour west of Stockholm, profiles itself as a municipality with a long history of innovation and tech. In this special program, find out about foreign-born workers there, past & present.

Why Sweden has so few drinking fountains and Could drinking fountains be making a splash once more? (July 2016) and a version in Swedish, Från dricksvattenfontäner till plastflaskor (Sept 2016)

Sweden’s Eurovision hopeful shuns celebrity (May 2016)

Greens’ drama, vague terror threats, King’s 70th, how to enjoy taxes (Apr 2016)

Teaching love today: Ghost cupid, sex ed and taboos (Feb 2016)

Domicile dash – scrambling for housing in Sweden (Feb 2016)

It’s year 2100. Are there crocodiles in Sweden? 2015 (29 minutes) I produced this a few years ago to envision how the country could change as the global temperature rises.

Filmmaker takes on “fake feminism” in Strindberg-inspired flick (Nov 2015)

Stockholm subway escalator stoppage “damned nuisance” (March 2015)

Diminishing congregation forced to put church up for sale (Feb 2015)

New-fangled takes on classic semla pastry fire up controversy (Feb 2015)

Translators “sprint” to knock down Wikipedia language barriers (Jan 2015)

Battle for customers’ allegiance as Starbucks expands in Sweden? (Dec 2014)

Just how inspiring are the Nobel Prizes, anyway? (Dec 2014)

Interview with Foreign Minister Margot Wallström on Sweden’s decision to recognize Palestinian state (Nov 2014)

How defeat unfolded at the Moderates’ election HQ (Sept 2014)

Automatic sobriety checkpoints aim to bar drunk drivers (Sept 2014)

Many leave Lost and Found empty-handed (Jan 2013)

Convicted murderer speaks about redemption (interview with Annika Östberg) (Aug 2011)