Bill Bergson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Bergson |
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The character's hometown Lillköping is inspired by Vimmerby
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| First appearance | 1946 |
| Created by | Astrid Lindgren |
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| Gender | male |
Bill Bergson (in Swedish, Kalle Blomkvist) is a fun character created by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren. The very first book about him came out in 1946.
Bill Bergson is a regular Swedish boy who loves solving mysteries. He lives in a small town called Lillköping. Bill is always looking for clues and trying to figure out puzzles. He even solves real crimes like murder and kidnapping, often when adults don't notice anything is wrong. Astrid Lindgren learned about solving crimes from working with a criminology expert. She used this knowledge to make Bill's stories exciting.
Bill and his friends also play a special game called the Wars of the Roses. Bill, along with his friends Anders and Eva-Lotta, are part of the White Rose team. Their rivals, Sixten, Jonte, and Benka, are the Red Rose team. They "fight" to get a strange-looking stone called Stormumriken. The team that doesn't have the stone tries hard to find it. The team with the stone gives clues to the others.
Even though they have a "war," all six kids are good friends. It's just a playful competition. The Red Roses always help the White Roses if they face real danger.
Astrid Lindgren wrote three books about Bill Bergson:
- 1946 – Bill Bergson, Master Detective
- 1951 – Bill Bergson Lives Dangerously
- 1953 – Bill Bergson and the White Rose Rescue
She also wrote three plays about him:
- 1950 – Mästerdetektiven Blomkvist
- 1955 – Mästerdetektiven Kalle Blomkvist: För kasperteater två korta akter
- 1968 – Kalle Blomkvist, Nisse Nöjd och Vicke på Vind
Contents
Bill Bergson Books in English
Many of Bill Bergson's adventures have been translated into English.
Viking Editions
- 1952 - Bill Bergson, Master Detective
- 1954 - Bill Bergson Lives Dangerously
- 1965 - Bill Bergson and the White Rose Rescue
Oxford Editions
- 2017 - Master Detective
- 2017 - Living Dangerously
- 2018 - The White Rose Rescue
Bill Bergson Films
Bill Bergson's stories have been made into several movies:
- 1947 – Bill Bergson, Master Detective
- 1953 – Bill Bergson and the White Rose Rescue
- 1957 – Bill Bergson Lives Dangerously
- 1966 – Mästerdetektiven Blomkvist på nya äventyr
- 1996 – Bill Bergson Lives Dangerously (a new version)
- 1997 – Bill Bergson and the White Rose Rescue (a new version)
Bill Bergson's Legacy
Bill Bergson's character has inspired other writers. For example, in Stieg Larsson's famous books, a character named Mikael Blomkvist is sometimes called "Kalle Blomkvist" by the newspapers. This is a playful nod to Astrid Lindgren's detective. Also, another character, Lisbeth Salander, has a name similar to Bill's friend Eva-Lotta Lisander.
Astrid Lindgren's books are even mentioned in some other stories. For instance, in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, three of her books are talked about. These include The Children of Noisy Village, Bill Bergson and the White Rose Rescue, and Pippi Longstocking.
