Year-round
Lola Akinmade Book Club Experience
A tale of Stockholm through the eyes of its famous fictional characters
At checkout, your final price will appear in Swedish Kronor (SEK), reflecting the same listed EUR price.
From the cobblestones of Gamla Stan to the view from Monteliusvägen, your Local Xpert takes you into the Stockholm of Lola Akinmade Åkerström's novels.
Walk through places her characters knew, pause over the stories behind them, and explore Afro-Swedish history through food, place, and conversation.
Xperience Highlights
See the settings that shaped Lola's Stockholm
Walk through Kungshallen and Berns, then let your Local Xpert lead you to locations like Hotel Rival and the Royal Palace where questions of belonging and identity come into focus in Lola’s novels.
Discover the communities that shape Stockholm
Look beyond the familiar version of Swedish history to learn about the people who have shaped Afro-Swedish life, from historical figures to recent generations of immigrants. Along the way, your Local Xpert draws on research from Afro-Swedish Records (ASR).
Savour traditional Swedish cuisine and fika
Take a seat at Vau de Ville and settle into a traditional Swedish appetiser and main course. Then pause for a fika break at Espresso House, just as Kemi does daily, with a warm drink and bun.
Help preserve Afro-Swedish history
This experience supports the Afro-Swedish Records Organization (ASR) and its work documenting and promoting Afro-Swedish history. So while you spend the day exploring Stockholm, your booking helps keep these histories available for the next generation.
Explore Stockholm through the world of Lola Akinmade Åkerström
10:00: Meet at Mariatorget Park
We’ll meet at Mariatorget, one of Södermalm’s leafy gathering places. Look for your Local Xpert in a brick-orange Xperience Stockholm hat and name tag.
Hotel Rival
One of Lola’s Stockholm favourites, Hotel Rival offers views across Södermalm. Step inside the Art Deco interiors featured in In Every Mirror She’s Black and talk about the people, relationships, and questions of visibility that shape the novel.
Gamla Stan
Wander the cobblestones of Gamla Stan, the first place Lola says she would take an out-of-town visitor. Your Local Xpert will help you look beyond the colourful façades to the unspoken narratives layered brick by brick into Stockholm’s oldest streets.
Stampen Jazz & Blues Club
Pause at Stampen, known by locals as a ‘place of worship’ in the Old Town. Take a seat at the bar and talk about the role music plays in Kemi’s story, while the sounds of live jazz, blues, and R&B become part of your afternoon.
Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet)
Step into Stockholm’s royal heart and consider the centuries of power, ceremony, and social hierarchy surrounding the palace. See how this Baroque-style palace features in Lola’s stories.
Grand Hotel and Berns
At this waterfront hotel, take in another view of the city and the gap between appearance and reality that Lola’s protagonists face. From there, we’ll make our way to Berns, the historic and opulent entertainment house where Stockholm’s social worlds collide.
Kungsträdgården, T-Centralen, and Hötorget Square
“Locals may dash along Stockholm’s snaking tunnelbana but visitors should take their time, stopping to take in the world’s longest art exhibition,” says Akinmade Åkerström. We’ll slow down at these striking metro stations to look at the artists and communities represented underground.
Kungshallen, Norrmalm
Let the flavours and voices of one of Stockholm’s oldest food courts welcome you as we discover the many cuisines that sit alongside traditional Swedish food. Your Local Xpert will connect what’s on the table to the multicultural Stockholm her characters move through.
Haymarket
We’ll finish at this 1920s Art Deco hotel placed in the heart of Hötorget surrounded by farmers markets, concert halls, and cinemas. It gives us one last place to bring together the different perspectives we’ve encountered throughout the day. We’ll end here, so you have time to enjoy a fika at Espresso House and then explore the square at your own pace.
Is this Xperience right for you?
Created in partnership with Lola Akinmade Åkerström, this Xperience is for readers looking to see Stockholm through the worlds of In Every Mirror She’s Black, Everything Is Not Enough, and Bitter Honey. It’s also a natural fit for literary fiction lovers, book clubs, cultural organisations, and educational groups interested in questions of identity, class, and cultural difference in the Nordics.
“We all learned so much about Stockholm while walking in the footsteps of the characters from In Every Mirror She's Black.”
Ana was such an incredible guide. She was knowledgeable, funny and just great company. We came away enthralled with Stockholm and the book even more than before. We can’t thank you enough for a really superb day!!
Our team is here to guide you
Tell us your language and what stories you’re most curious about when you book.
Ana turns Stockholm's culture into conversational earworms, just like your favourite ABBA song.
Expertise: Culture & History, Human behaviour, Photography
Ask me about: Forro, samba partner dancing, and books
“Ana left us pondering important topics whilst answering all our questions.”
Ana was so knowledgeable and passionate! A book tour is such a brilliant way of seeing the city. Highly recommend.
“This is how you bring books and characters to life whilst also connecting in a meaningful way with your readers.”
Being able to physically see and experience the locations behind Lola’s characters was astounding. What you created for us was so special, and something I have never seen done before.
What to Expect
- Local Xpert-led literary and cultural walking tour through Stockholm
- Appetiser and main course lunch at Vau de Ville Restaurant
- Metro ticket fares included for Underground Art Tour segment
- Traditional fika break with a drink and bun at Espresso House
- Donation to Afro-Swedish Records (ASR)
- Snacks and souvenirs from local shops
- Gratuity for your Local Xpert. Always optional. Always appreciated.
Good to Know
What to bring
Bring weather-appropriate layers and a curious mind. Our experience runs rain or shine, so you may also find these useful: sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, refillable water bottle, and umbrella, because you never know what Nordic climate might serve.
Activities to plan for
This is an easy-going walking experience, with mostly flat paths and opportunities to sit along the way. That said, it’s a full day out, with around 7 hours in the city, so comfortable shoes are a good idea.
Availability
Our Lola Akinmade Book Club Experience runs Saturdays year-round. Groups are capped at 10 guests. For larger groups, please contact us for a quote.
Accessibility
This route is stroller accessible and can be adapted for many mobility needs, including wheelchair users. Let us know when making your reservation so we can plan the smoothest route.
Make this Xperience Yours
Our Lola Akinmade Book Club Experience can be adapted for private groups, book clubs, institutions, and guests especially interested in literature and culture. Reach out to our team to plan the day with no one else’s itinerary pulling against yours.
“Highly recommend this to those who love to explore and avid readers.”
Great tour and all round experience. Very informative, detailed and welcoming. Thank you to Lola, Fran and Anna.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lola doesn’t usually lead this tour, but on special occasions, she joins us in person. If you’re interested in arranging a special press or private experience with Lola, contact us.
Yes. If you’d like the day to yourselves, we can arrange a private version of the experience around your group, pace, interests, and preferred language. Get in touch and we’ll take it from there.
We understand travel plans can shift. You can cancel up to 15 days before your experience starts to receive a 75% refund. Cancellations made up to 48 hours before the scheduled start time will receive a 50% refund. Because private experiences require advance planning, cancellations made within 48 hours of the scheduled start time are non-refundable.
The Lola Experience is mainly offered in English or Brazilian Portuguese. However, we can also offer it in French, Spanish, and Swedish. Let us know your language preference when booking so we can match you thoughtfully.
Get Ready for the Lola Akinmade Book Club Experience
Start here if you’d like a little context before you arrive. Read, watch, and come ready to experience a side of Stockholm you might otherwise miss.
Explore Stockholm's stories through the people who shape it
Our partnership with Afro-Swedish Records brings Stockholm’s Afro-Swedish history into the conversation, connecting the places you visit with the people who shaped them.
Other Ways to Xperience Stockholm
Stockholm Architecture & Design
Trace Swedish design from streets to interiors
Follow Stockholm’s design story from Östermalm’s elegant shopfronts to minimalist facades and green spaces. Your Local Xpert connects Swedish architecture and Scandinavian design through Swedish Grace, food culture, and influences from Carl Larsson to IKEA.
Private Tours
Xperience Stockholm on your terms
Whether you want to explore Uppsala’s Viking history, Stockholm’s private saunas, or the Afro-Swedish life behind Lola Akinmade Åkerström’s novels, we’ll design the day around your interests, pace, language, and travel companions.