Gunilla Bergström’s Studio at Alfie Atkins Cultural Center

G for Gunilla

We are so grateful to honor the memory of Gunilla Bergström through the activities at Alfie Atkins Cultural Center; to enhance children’s development through play and learning. Through read-alouds, theater performances, the house’s scenography, and our educational projects, we preserve the beloved characters from the Alfie Atkins books as well as Bill and Bolla. Gunilla leaves a lasting legacy—her illustrations and stories will live on, bringing joy to children and their adults for many generations to come.

“My dream is for all children to keep their enthusiasm and curiosity. A parent’s most important task is to help the child retain that fierce thirst for knowledge and eagerness that shines in their eyes when they are three or four years old. The look that says life is interesting. Because it is, if you want to know. I hope that this won’t just become Alfie’s house, but all children’s house. In this building, history and the present meet to awaken children’s joy of discovery.”

We have now taken the next step by recreating parts of Gunilla Bergström’s studio at Alfie Atkins Cultural Center. In this way, Alfie’s creator also moves into the cultural center. We are displaying original furnishings from the studio, awards, and curiosities. Our hope is to inspire creativity in both young and old and draw more people into the fantastic world of books. It was a worthy contribution to the 2022 jubilee year, as we celebrated 50 years of Alfie Atkins in children’s literature and 10 years of the cultural center’s existence.

Collaboration behind the exhibition

“G for Gunilla” has been made possible through a collaboration between Alfie Atkins Cultural Center, Barnutställningar AB, and Bok-Makaren AB, with support from the Swedish Arts Council.

“Gunilla had so much energy. Her whole studio was infused with that energy, curiosity, humor, and joy of creation, which we hope will be contagious to both children and adults who visit the house,” says Sofia Torell, Bok-Makaren AB and niece of Gunilla Bergström.

Getting to know Gunilla Bergström

The exhibition is produced by Tor and Klara Svae from Barnutställningar AB.

“To take down the studio of a genius and rebuild it here in Gothenburg, at Alfie Atkins Cultural Center, is a privilege,” says Tor Svae, who collaborated with Gunilla Bergström on several exhibitions.

“I want to convey to children, their parents, and their parents in turn how Gunilla worked with collages and pen. In the exhibition, you get to know Gunilla and how she worked in her studio.”