Small Comfort

Ia Genberg's Small Comfort collects five interlinked short stories — published in Swedish as Klen tröst & fyra andra berättelser om pengar ("Small Comfort and Four Other Stories About Money") — about money, worth, debt, and value.

They range in form: an interview transcript with a former child actor turned petty thief, a young researcher's notes on how wealth reshapes relationships, a wedding speech that takes a dramatic turn, and others besides. Together they probe what people are worth to each other, and what it means to be indebted — financially and otherwise.

Translated by Kira Josefsson, whose English translation was longlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize.