Alexandra has published several critically acclaimed books in which she gives a voice to those who are rarely heard.
Books by Alexandra
The Mothers (Mammorna)
We come from the mothers.
All mothers throughout history – from Mother Earth to the Virgin Mary and Mother Svea – have had one thing in common: they have rarely been given the chance to speak. Until now.
In the book you get to meet 20 mothers living in Sweden’s poorest, most marginalised and stigmatised suburbs, collectively known as Sweden’s “no-go zones”. The mothers come from all corners of the globe and together they weave a fabric of the world into Swedish society.
Meet the mothers who carried their children closest to their hearts and woke up in the middle of the night by policemen announcing that their children had been murdered. They have witnessed multiple forms of violence, from physical abuse to psychological warfare to the silent, structural violence of racism, injustice, discrimination and segregation. This is a book about sorrow and struggle, but also most importantly about love – the mother’s unconditional love for her children.
In this book Alexandra gives a voice to the voiceless and invisible mothers by telling their stories, using their own words. Without a filter.
It’s time to listen to the mothers!
me too – Moving Forward (me too – Så Går Vi Vidare)
What started as a hashtag, turned overnight into a global uprising. In fact, this is what activist and survivor Tarana Burke had envisioned when she founded the #metoo movement 10 years ago. In social media, women around the world shared their personal stories of sexual harassment and abuse with the hashtag #metoo.
Swedish-Greek author, journalist and human rights advocate Alexandra Pascalidou wanted to ensure that the issue became top priority on the political agenda. She collected voices of the Swedish movement from women of all ages, professions, sexual preferences and cultural backgrounds. Authors, journalists, artists, influencers, politicians, gender-activists share their stories in the book me too – Moving Forward and contribute with advice on how to act if you have been victimized and on how to prevent sexual harassment.
CHAOS (KAOS)
CHAOS is a captivating, inquisitive and deeply personal showdown with the country that has gone from Dionysian parties to deprivation diets.
This critically acclaimed book breaks down the Greek crisis through the Greek words we all know – from Anarchy, Economy and Democracy, to Misogyny and Xenophobia.
My Big Fat Greek Cookbook (Min Stora Feta Grekiska Kokbok)
Alexandra Pascalidou takes us on a personal food journey in My Big Fat Greek Cookbook, in which she has selected the best of the recipes that form the backbone of Greek cooking. This is the vibrant tale of a childhood in which money was scarce and flavour abundant. It takes us from a little Greek village via the rich vegetable stalls at Rinkeby square to the Greek gastronomy of today. Alexandra’s culinary excursions fascinate, with their variety of flavours, anecdotes and personal encounters. Her collection of wonderful Greek recipes have been amassed during a whole lifetime of meals and memories.
Winner of the 2010 Gourmand World Cook Book Award in the “Best Foreign” category.
Taxi
Alexandra Pascalidou’s book Taxi is made up of 23 journeys – 23 tales – from a world on the move. The book features interviews with Taxi drivers from Nigeria in New York, from Persia in Los Angeles and from Kurdistan in Stockholm.
“The stories have the directness of a spoken report, the disarming charm of unembellished speech. In short: a book about journeys between heart and heartbreak.”
Aris Fioretos, Dagens Nyheter
“…the book gripped me in a way that, to my shame, I hadn’t actually expected.”
Paulina Helgeson, SVD
“…certainly this is about journalism as a fine art.”
Carl Erland Andersson, Göteborgs-Posten
“She is brilliantly good, Alexandra Pascalidou.”
Åsa Petersen, Ledarskribent Aftonbladet
Frontkick – Collected Texts (Frontkick – Samlade Texter)
Frontkick will take you to the suburbs of Paris, to the struggles against terrorism in Athens and through encounters with the fashionistas of Stockholm.
Visit “the Swedish Valparaiso” in Chile, make the acquaintance of the Swedish poverty and be impressed by the clientele at the upscale restaurant Cipriani in New York.
“Refreshingly honest, clear-sighted and current.”
Shortcut
“Frontkick is written using brisk, humorous and occasionally cocky language.”
Norrbottens-kuriren
Crossroads – Voices on Suburban Culture (Korsvägar – Röster om Förortskultur)
Alexandra Pascalidou gives the people of the poor, segregated suburbs a voice and a story in this book of interviews with legendary artists like Joakim Thåström, Jerry Williams, Dogge Doggelito, football-player Kennedy Bakircioglou, activist Nabila Abdul Fattah, Lena Sundström, Héctor Barajas and Markoolio, among others.
“Read Korsvägar (Crossroads) by Alexandra Pascalidou, a wonderful book of interviews with well-known and unknown personalities from the suburbs.”
Amelia
Beyond Mamma’s Street (Bortom Mammas Gata)
A book about all the dreams that came true. But also about the nightmares, like the racism Alexandra encountered and the fear she felt the day that Nazis were standing right outside her door. A story of class, gender, ethnicity, migration and segregation.
Beyond Mamma’s Street has both been praised and received multiple awards, among them the Swedish PEN’s award, Kommunal’s Culture Award, the Immigrant Institute’s Award, Fastighetsettan’s Award for Courage. The book has also been translated into Greek and is also critically acclaimed in Greece. (see below or click the link).
“Buy, read and learn.”
Tomas Wennström, Fönstret
“Alexandra Pascalidou is one of the best things to have happened to Sweden in a long time.”
Jakob Ronsten, Revansch
“This book mercilessly exposes official hypocrisy.”
Dagens Nyheter
“Pascalidou’s verbal bashing is like a wallop in the stomach. She is deft in her turn of phrase and strikes resolutely. But never at those who are down. Her book is a message of strength.”
Nerikes Allehanda
Σε ξένες γειτονιές
Κόρη Ελλήνων μεταναστών, κατάφερε με το δυναμισμό και την επιμονή της να μετατρέψει σε πλεονέκτημα όλα τα μειονεκτήματα της καταγωγής της και να πραγματοποιήσει τις επιθυμίες και τους στόχους της.Σ’ αυτό το πρώτο της βιβλίο αφηγείται την προσωπική της ιστορία – από τα παιδικά της χρόνια στο φτωχότερο προάστιο της Σουηδίας ώς τη στιγμή που έφτασε στο απόγειο της καριέρας της. Ύστερα, πώς γκρεμίστηκαν όλα από ρατσιστικές απειλές που δέχτηκε από ένοπλους νεοναζί και πώς μπόρεσε να σταθεί ξανά στα πόδια της και να κάνει μια νέα αρχή.Το βιβλίο της είν’ ένα ταξίδι και μιλάει για τον αγώνα και την τέχνη της επιβίωσης. Ένα ταξίδι ανάμεσα σε όνειρα που πραγματοποιούνται κι εφιάλτες που βγαίνουν αληθινοί.Ένα ταξίδι από την αγκαλιά της μαμάς σε ξένες γειτονιές – στις γειτονιές του κόσμου.
TAXI
Δεν είναι λίγες οι στιγμές που μέσα σ’ ένα ταξί έρχεσαι κοντά μ’ έναν άγνωστο. Το ταξίδι μπορεί να συνεχίζεται βουβά, με τη σιωπή να ραγίζει κάπου κάπου. Κι ύστερα η τυπική συνομιλία ίσως μετατραπεί σε εξομολόγηση του πελάτη, ή είναι ο οδηγός αυτός που αρχίζει να μιλάει. Μέσα στην προστασία της φευγαλέας συνάντησης και την ασφάλεια της ανωνυμίας, ο καθένας έχει την ευκαιρία να αποκαλυφθεί. Οι οδηγοί ταξί είναι παρατηρητές, φιγούρες δεύτερου πλάνου. Πόσες σκέψεις μας δεν έχουν ταξιδέψει πίσω από το τιμόνι του αυτοκινήτου τους! Μέσα στα κινούμενα παρατηρητήριά τους, με τα μάτια στον καθρέφτη και το αυτί στην άσφαλτο, βλέπουν και ακούνε τα πάντα, ίδιοι βιγλάτορες της ύπαρξης…
Με τρυφερότητα και αφοπλιστική ειλικρίνεια, η Αλεξάνδρα Πασχαλίδου καταγράφει ιστορίες που της εμπιστεύτηκαν οδηγοί ταξί απ’ όλο τον κόσμο, πρόσωπα που αφέθηκαν να ξετυλίξουν τη ζωή τους, άλλοτε με το αποτύπωμα της θλίψης κι άλλοτε με εκείνο της χαράς, μα πάντοτε με υπερηφάνεια γι’ αυτό που κάνουν, κι ένα χαμόγελο να χαρίσουν σ’ όποιον τους περιμένει στην επόμενη στροφή.
