Dostadning
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning
Margareta Magnusson
“Life will become more pleasant and comfortable if we get rid of some of the abundance.”
Available as Paperback, eBook
You embraced hygge and mastered konmari; now meet Dostadning, or death cleaning: the Scandinavian art of shedding unnecessary things to make our lives as joyful as possible, at any age
*The basis for the wonderfully funny and moving TV series developed by Amy Poehler*
Dostadning, or the art of death cleaning, is a Swedish phenomenon by which the elderly and their families set their affairs in order. Whether it’s sorting the family heirlooms from the junk, downsizing to a smaller place, or using a failsafe system to stop you losing essentials, death cleaning gives us the chance to make the later years of our lives as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Whatever your age, Swedish death cleaning can be used to help you de-clutter your life, and take stock of what’s important.
Radical and joyous, eighty-something Margareta Magnusson’s guide is an invigorating, touching and surprising process that can help you or someone you love immeasurably, and offers the chance to celebrate and reflect on all the tiny joys that make up a long life along the way.
Dostadning was previously published in hardback as The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.
“Packed with positive and practical suggestions, this slim volume could change your life”
Juliet Stevenson
See more reviews
“Describing her own age as “between 80 and 100,” she advocates a methodical, thoughtful process, perusing the contents of each room in your home at your own pace before deciding whether to gift, recycle, ditch, etc. That’s the “gentle” in the art: Magnusson’s is a soothing, grandmotherly voice”
vogue
“A fond and wise little book … I jettison advice books after I’ve flipped through them. This one I will keep”
new York Times
“For those planning to declutter, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning tackles the subject with charm and wit … Margareta Magnusson mingles practical tips with memoir and wisdom”
good Housekeeping
“[A] frank and honest approach to mortality, and our complicated relationship with hoarding”
scotsman
Margareta Magnusson
Margareta Magnusson was born in Gothenburg in Sweden. She has worked for many years as an artist and has had her work exhibited as far as Singapore and Hong Kong. She has death cleaned many times, for herself and others.