What is “I lock my door upon myself”?

“I lock my door upon myself”" is a newsletter about late 19th century art and literature written by Swedish novelist and translator Hillevi Norburg.

Over the years, I have accumulated texts in my main domain of interest: decadence, symbolism and general fin-de-siècle. I am not limiting myself to the late 19th century but including older and modern subjects that are in the spirit of decadence. These texts have been published in various magazines and books, on my Swedish blog Stasimon, or just put in the drawer. With this newsletter, I'm collecting them in one place and translating them into English so that they – hopefully – can be enjoyed by a wider audience.

New text is published every second Tuesday.

Why is it called “I lock my door upon myself”?

“I lock my door upon myself” is the name of a painting by the Belgian symbolist Fernand Khnopff (1858-1921). I imagine it depicts the secret room of the heart where art and the mysteries of life are contemplated in silence.

Why subscribe?

Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and the archive. Never miss an update. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox. By becoming a paying subscriber, you’re supporting the writer’s ongoing quest to dive deeper in the mesmerizing world of Decadence and report on her findings.

Who is Hillevi Norburg?

Hillevi Norburg (née Hellberg) is a publisher, writer, novelist and translator (French and English into Swedish). She is particularly interested in literature and art of late 19th century, which falls within mouvements as decadence and symbolism. She is the co-owner of Alastor Press, which publishes turn-of-the-century classics in new Swedish translations. Norburg has translated such renowned authors as Oscar Wilde, Charles Baudelaire, Marcel Proust and Guy de Maupassant.

Her first own novel Messalina was published in June 2022.