{"id":1646,"date":"2025-09-22T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/?p=1646"},"modified":"2026-08-23T19:34:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T19:34:27","slug":"in-every-mirror-shes-black-the-book-club-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/blog\/in-every-mirror-shes-black-the-book-club-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"In Every Mirror She&#8217;s Black \u2013 The Book Club Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some books take us on a journey, while some cities seem to have been written about many times before. And, every now and then, something extraordinary happens: like the opportunity to delve into the pages, feel a novel breathe around you, discover a city as if it were a living text that unfolds before you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Autumn, The Book Club Experience invites you to explore Stockholm like never before \u2014 through the eyes of Lola Akinmade \u00c5kerstr\u00f6m&#8217;s unforgettable characters. Inspired by her novels <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/56787881-in-every-mirror-she-s-black\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In Every Mirror She&#8217;s Black<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/75668300-everything-is-not-enough\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Everything Is Not Enough<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/en\/book\/show\/221114923-bitter-honey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bitter Honey<\/a>, the tour blends literature, hidden history, and the city&#8217;s vibrant streets into a journey that&#8217;s as much about reflection as it is about discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Walking inside the pages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Book Club Experience is a full-day tour (approx. 10:00 \u2013 17:00) that transforms Stockholm into an open book. Together, we&#8217;ll move through iconic and unexpected places \u2013 but always with a literary lens:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mariatorget and Hotel Rival<\/strong> \u2192 a neighborhood with a hotel featured in Lola&#8217;s books, wherein questions of belonging, visibility, and intimacy quietly surface<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monteliusv\u00e4gen<\/strong> \u2192 a breathtaking viewpoint that mirrors moments of distance and reflection reminding us how perspective shapes the way we interpret both cities and ourselves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/gamla_stan_1.webp\" alt=\"Gamla Stan, Stockholm's medieval old town\" class=\"wp-image-1615\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/gamla_stan_1.webp 1080w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/gamla_stan_1-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/gamla_stan_1-1024x1024.webp 1024w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/gamla_stan_1-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/gamla_stan_1-768x768.webp 768w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/gamla_stan_1-12x12.webp 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gamla Stan<\/strong> \u2192 the medieval core of Stockholm, where official history stands tall, but where unspoken and forgotten narratives linger between cobblestones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/berns_1.webp\" alt=\"Berns, Stockholm\" class=\"wp-image-1614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/berns_1.webp 1080w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/berns_1-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/berns_1-1024x1024.webp 1024w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/berns_1-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/berns_1-768x768.webp 768w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/berns_1-12x12.webp 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Grand H\u00f4tel and Berns<\/strong> \u2192 symbol of elegance and luxury that, in literature and in life, reveal how appearance and reality often diverge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/metro_1.webp\" alt=\"Stockholm metro station art\" class=\"wp-image-1617\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/metro_1.webp 1080w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/metro_1-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/metro_1-1024x1024.webp 1024w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/metro_1-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/metro_1-768x768.webp 768w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/metro_1-12x12.webp 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Kungstr\u00e4dg\u00e5rden, T-Centralen and H\u00f6torget<\/strong> \u2192 metro stations turned into public galleries, alive with art and diversity, echoing the layers of community beneath the city&#8217;s surface.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ho_torgshallen_1.webp\" alt=\"H\u00f6torgshallen food market, Stockholm\" class=\"wp-image-1616\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ho_torgshallen_1.webp 1080w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ho_torgshallen_1-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ho_torgshallen_1-1024x1024.webp 1024w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ho_torgshallen_1-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ho_torgshallen_1-768x768.webp 768w, https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ho_torgshallen_1-12x12.webp 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>H\u00f6torgshallen<\/strong> \u2192 a bustling food market where different flavors and voices weave together \u2013 much like the mosaic of identities that Lola&#8217;s characters embody.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each stop on this experience blends place, text, and conversation. It&#8217;s less about sightseeing and more about listening, sensing and allowing the city to speak to you in its own way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When stories step into the streets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What makes this experience special is its soul: it&#8217;s not just another guided tour, it&#8217;s a book club experience stretched across a city. Here, guests aren&#8217;t just observers; they&#8217;re part of the narrative. We&#8217;ll explore short stories together about the Afro-Swedish experience, share impressions about the characters and plot twists in the novels, and discover how the city&#8217;s voice resonates with guests&#8217; own lived histories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reading, in this context, stops being a solitary act. It becomes a communal journey \u2013 shaped by dialogue, listening, and by the city itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Words that guide the way<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Book Club Experience is inspired by the novels of Lola Akinmade \u00c5kerstr\u00f6m, whose work has brought Stockholm into the global literary spotlight. Through her stories, we see the city not only as a beautiful landscape, but also as a place of complexity \u2013 a meeting ground for identity, belonging, and contradiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A meaningful lens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Created in collaboration with <a href=\"https:\/\/afrosvenskarna.se\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Afrosvenskarnas Riksorganisation (ASR)<em>,<\/em><\/a> this project also shines a light on diverse voices within Swedish society. Stockholm is richer, more multicultural, and more layered than a postcard image might suggest \u2013 and this experience seeks to honor that truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because when you read inside the place where a story unfolds, words carry new weight. A sentence becomes a memory. A passage turns into a landscape. A reflection echoes more deeply because the city itself is present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is more than a cultural activity. It is an invitation to seek transformation. A day to pause, to listen, to walk slowly. A day to meet Stockholm in an intimate, thoughtful, and inspiring way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A small circle, a shared journey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To keep the experience intimate, capacity will be very limited. We want each group to feel like a small community of readers and fans, connected not only by their love of Lola&#8217;s books, but by the act of walking and reflecting together. This is not an event for the masses. It is a closely personal, shared moment \u2014 a temporary community that will breathe life into literature and the city for one unforgettable day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turn the page with us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tour dates and booking details go out to our subscribers first. <a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/xperiencesthlm\/newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> to get the full details and early access to the next Book Club Experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Are you ready to read Stockholm with your own two feet? The Book Club Experience \u2013 wherein Stockholm becomes an open book \u2013 is the place to start!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"xp-post-credit wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Written by Laia Olivella de Barros<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Book Club Experience turns Stockholm into an open book \u2014 a full-day literary walk through the city behind Lola Akinmade \u00c5kerstr\u00f6m&#8217;s novels, from Mariatorget and Monteliusv\u00e4gen to the metro&#8217;s underground galleries and the food stalls of H\u00f6torgshallen, with conversation about the characters at every stop.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1433,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55,57],"tags":[59,61,63],"class_list":["post-1646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-life-in-sweden","tag-literature","tag-stockholm-sightseeing-experiences","tag-stockholm-walking-tours"],"acf":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/XperienceSthlm_LolaAkinmadeBookclubTourThumbnail-scaled.webp",2560,2201,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/XperienceSthlm_LolaAkinmadeBookclubTourThumbnail-scaled.webp",2560,2201,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/XperienceSthlm_LolaAkinmadeBookclubTourThumbnail-scaled.webp",2560,2201,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/XperienceSthlm_LolaAkinmadeBookclubTourThumbnail-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/XperienceSthlm_LolaAkinmadeBookclubTourThumbnail-300x258.webp",300,258,true],"large":["https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/XperienceSthlm_LolaAkinmadeBookclubTourThumbnail-1024x880.webp",800,688,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/XperienceSthlm_LolaAkinmadeBookclubTourThumbnail-1536x1321.webp",1536,1321,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/XperienceSthlm_LolaAkinmadeBookclubTourThumbnail-2048x1761.webp",2048,1761,true],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/XperienceSthlm_LolaAkinmadeBookclubTourThumbnail-14x12.webp",14,12,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/author\/admin\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/blog\/category\/culture\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Culture<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/blog\/category\/life-in-sweden\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Life in Sweden<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"The Book Club Experience turns Stockholm into an open book \u2014 a full-day literary walk through the city behind Lola Akinmade \u00c5kerstr\u00f6m's novels, from Mariatorget and Monteliusv\u00e4gen to the metro's underground galleries and the food stalls of H\u00f6torgshallen, with conversation about the characters at every stop.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1646"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1646\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1737,"href":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1646\/revisions\/1737"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xperiencesthlm.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}