SÖDERBERG’S SAGA

ONCE UPON A TIME, far from the Scandi Northlands where ancient forests whisper tales of yore, there was a Saga as ageless as life itself. Ill health had forced her to take sanctuary in the small house on the outskirts of London where she lived with her canine companion, the trusted personal assistant she called her son, because he was, and his feisty felines.

A guardian of tales who could see magic in the mundane and weave enchantments with her thoughts, Saga had turned her bedroom into a canvas where dreams and reality intertwined. Professionally, she had used her skills to educate minds and elevate spirits, but now that all she had left was time, her heart yearned for adventure. There was only one problem – she could not leave her house. 

Saga spent months scrying the boundless digital cosmos for a way to escape her Rapunzel tower. At first, she saw nothing but typical cyberspace reflections, but over time a vision materialised. It came to her in the shape of a vast, treacherous sea under a warm, welcoming space where words bridged souls. In response, her rebellious mind conjured the pirate ship she named after one of her most prominent character traits. Resilience. 

Decades of writing had given her a veritable treasure trove of content. Now, her chronicles from the vast parallel universe of the unwell became masts and rigging. Her tales from a life in the shadows of society became shelving below deck and ballast in the bilge. Special interest material found a home in the reading room – work resources found theirs in the virtual writers’ room. She built a galley, a poop deck, and a game station. Then, before she donned her Captain’s hat and called anchors aweigh, she created a special space for herself and called it Quarterdeck. Her command centre.

During her first year at sea, Saga diligently curated her content for the different domains her ship was built on. While this did not lead to any meetings in the traditional sense of the word, the Resilience allowed her to engage with budding writers and content creators across the seven seas. But inside her, something was stirring. Her creative mind had been brimming with visions of realms and characters since childhood, but Saga had always refused to let them out.

Discerning readers know this is the point in the story where the Kraken shows up and pulls the Captain overboard. Alas, there were no tentacle monsters in this sea, but overboard she had to go to show us whether she would sink or swim. This was the leap Saga had feared the most, for it meant unveiling the secrets of her soul and the deepest desires of her heart. If you are reading this, she eventually embraced the plunge, and a new chapter unfurled. One that you are now a part of.

But who, you may wonder, is Saga Linnea Söderberg? Beyond this pen name, which draws inspiration from her familial roots and love for storytelling, she is an enigma of vibrant roles: Amateur liar, Captain of the mighty Resilience, Matron of Fensala, Ulfrheim Chronicler, a Dragon Lady guarding treasures of wisdom, a beacon for indie dream-weavers, a creative force of nature, mother, muse…

As our world turns and new stories unfold, Saga dreams of tracing her tales across the horizons as a digital nomad. Until then, more magic is woven, and new dreams take flight. Hopefully, some of them will be yours.