The last interview with PO Enquist was conducted in 2018 by journalist Sandra Stiskalo at Sweden's Radio P1 Culture. There, 83-year-old Enquist then told how the stroke he suffered in 2016 had affected him.

- Some of the brain capacity disappears. You lose all words, and then they come back. You lose names. You lose the toolbox, he told the radio.

A painful experience for a writer - but PO Enquist couldn't be beaten, according to Norstedt's literary director Håkan Bravinger.

- He talked very openly about his stroke. And when it was finished, he wanted to talk about books and literature, he was as present as ever. Even when the body became weaker, PO was included in the conversation to one hundred percent.

For 59 years, PO Enquist was the publisher at Riddarholmen in Stockholm, from his romance debut to his passing away.

- I think he decided the day he stepped in that this is a lifelong relationship. Although he could have chosen any publisher over the years, it was with Norstedts that he had entered into a marriage.

Another reason was the "Western botanical tongue" that was constantly present at Enquist, according to Norstedt's literary director.

- It was always there. You should not think that you are something, even if you are one of Sweden's most famous writers, but you should do the right thing for yourself.

Håkan Bravinger has been active at Norstedst for twelve years and remembers when the book of Parable was published in 2013, which turned out to be PO Enquist's last novel.

- I think he felt it was his last. It was saturated in a way. When you are 80 years of age and put on a new novel project, you always have a clock ticking.

- At the same time, he was so anxious that it would be as good as he could. He was very proud of that book - and he has every right to be.

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Despite a rich author life filled with awards and tributes, Håkan Bravinger noticed a self-doubt at PO Enquist growing.

- He was his harshest critic. He didn't want anything scruffy, he wanted to know: is it good enough? He was an old high jumper after all and here the bar only got higher and higher for him.

- That is why the Book of Equality was important because he managed to deal with his demons, they were overshadowed by his great joy for writing.