Recently, I had the opportunity to join the Okie Bookcast for a conversation about my forthcoming book, Simply Dag: The Private Man in a Public—and Dangerous—Office.
Naturally, we discussed Dag Hammarskjöld. We talked about his life, his legacy, and the challenge of writing about someone who remains both deeply admired and, in many ways, deeply misunderstood more than sixty years after his death.
Yet, as often happens in conversations about books, we also found ourselves discussing other works that have left a lasting impression on me as a reader and writer.
The question made me reflect on an interesting reality: every author is shaped not only by life experience, but also by the books that accompany them along the way.
For me, that list is eclectic.
It includes Goethe’s Faust, a work that continues to fascinate me with its exploration of ambition, knowledge, temptation, and the restless human drive for meaning. It includes Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, which has encouraged countless creatives to reconnect with curiosity and play.
It includes the speculative imagination of Arthur C. Clarke, the haunting psychological landscapes of J.G. Ballard, the rich gothic storytelling of Anne Rice, and the philosophical depth of Nikos Kazantzakis.
At first glance, these writers may seem to have little in common. Yet each, in their own way, wrestles with questions that have always interested me:
- Who are we beneath the roles we play?
- How do we find meaning in an uncertain world?
- What happens when private convictions collide with public expectations?
- How do we remain true to ourselves while navigating the demands of society?
These are also questions that emerge repeatedly when studying Dag Hammarskjöld.
Rather than focusing solely on world events, diplomatic crises, and political battles, I wanted to explore the private individual who experienced them. I wanted readers to encounter Dag not as an icon, but as a person.
That desire has undoubtedly been shaped by the books I have loved throughout my life. The works that stay with us often do more than entertain. They quietly influence the questions we ask, the stories we tell, and the way we see the world.
If you’d like to hear the full conversation, you can listen to my appearance on the Okie Bookcast here: