Pomperipossa in Monismania facts for kids

"Pomperipossa in Monismania" (also known as Pomperipossa in the World Of Money) is a clever and funny story. It was written by the famous Swedish children's book author Astrid Lindgren. She wrote it in 1976 because she faced a very high tax rate of 102%. This story was first printed in a newspaper called Expressen on March 3, 1976. It caused a huge discussion about how taxes worked in Sweden.

What Was Pomperipossa in Monismania?

This story is a type of writing called a satire. Satire uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to make fun of something, often to make a point about politics or society. "Pomperipossa" is also an allegory. An allegory is a story where the characters and events represent other things, often ideas or real-life situations.

In this story, Astrid Lindgren wrote about a children's book writer in a faraway land. This writer had a big problem with taxes. The story was a way for Lindgren to talk about the real tax issues she and others faced in Sweden.

Understanding the High Tax Problem

The main reason Astrid Lindgren wrote "Pomperipossa" was because of a very unusual tax situation. In 1976, she had to pay a "marginal tax rate" of 102%. This sounds impossible, right? How can you pay more than 100% of your income in tax?

This strange situation, sometimes called the 'Pomperipossa effect', happened because of special tax rules. People who worked for themselves, like writers or artists (called self-employed individuals), had to pay two types of fees. They paid regular income tax and also something called "employer's fees." Even though they were their own boss, the law made them pay both. When these two fees were added together, it pushed the total tax rate above 100% for some people.

How the Story Made a Difference

Astrid Lindgren's story led to a very big and heated discussion about taxes in Sweden. Many people believe that her story played a key role in a major political change.

Later in 1976, there was a general election in Sweden. An election is when people vote for their leaders and political parties. For the first time in 40 years, the Swedish Social Democratic Party lost the election. This party had been in power for a very long time. Many people think "Pomperipossa" helped change public opinion and contributed to this election result.

Even though her story had a big impact on the election, Astrid Lindgren continued to support the Social Democratic Party throughout her life.

Translated for the World

"Pomperipossa in Monismania" was later translated into English. Sarah Death translated the story, and it was published in the first issue of a magazine called Swedish Book Review in 2002. This allowed more people around the world to read and understand Astrid Lindgren's powerful satirical message.

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