Bob Hansson Kindness Wins! - An Invasion of Hope Age limit: All ages welcome! The Salon Doors: 6:40 PM | Show starts: 7:00 PM Running time: 110 minutes, including an interval Bars in the Marble Foyer and Gold Foyer open: 6:00 PM Bob Hansson recently released his new book Snällast vinner (Kindness Wins), which has attracted widespread attention and become a major bestseller. He is now taking the book on the road in a live show inspired by its ideas. These are dark times, but this show is a sunbed for the soul. Bob Hansson has a unique ability to throw both himself and his audience back and forth between deep belly laughs and profound seriousness. He may well be the only person in the world to combine research, poetry, meditation and free-form dance in a single performance. But ultimately, it’s not about what Bob Hansson does - it’s about how you feel when you leave. And you’re going to feel fantastic! Bob Hansson, whose new book Snällast vinner (Kindness Wins) is out now, puts it this way: “Just like you, I believe that change is possible! I believe we have more potential than we realize. And I believe we have a greater impact on the world around us than we could ever imagine. “I’ve written 13 books, performed thousands of times, taught writing and personal development for thirty years, and even opened for my idol Thåström. Everything I do starts from one simple idea: we can change both ourselves and the world. But I only believe that because, once upon a time, other people saved me by believing exactly that. “I was once the worst student in my class at just about everything. I was the last to learn to read, write and speak. I was a difficult kid who teachers often sent out of the classroom and frequently told to sit down. They called me a problem child. People talked about me ending up in prison. But then something happened. “Instead, I went on to become one of the country’s most widely read poets for many years, and today I’m one of the most in-demand lecturers. And that’s because people showed up who were passionate about helping me. Two different teachers who didn’t hit me or throw me out, but believed that change was possible and became deeply committed to helping me. They weren’t even geniuses. They simply happened to believe that they could make a difference. “Without them, you wouldn’t be reading this. No one creates themselves entirely on their own. Research shows that we usually have a greater impact on the world around us than we realize. And you don’t even have to be a middle manager to make a difference. “Today, I talk about kindness - how it is a force that makes things happen. Kindness towards yourself and kindness towards others. Kindness doesn’t mean always saying yes. Kindness is harder than simply being nice. When kindness is absent, we often pay a high price - both as individuals and as organizations. And this can be prevented. “Whatever I do, I start from the fact that this life is happening right now. That means it is entirely possible for both ourselves and the world to become even more beautiful. The first thing we need is to believe that it’s possible. The second is to get started. There is only one way smart ideas can change a life: they have to be turned into action. “I hope to see you there!” Bob Hansson was born in 1970 on a ferry bound for Helsingborg, but grew up on dry land. He made his debut with the poetry collection Heja världen! in 1998. Since then, he has written, among other works, the novel Gunnar (2007), the interview book Kärlek, hur fan gör man? (2008), and Vips så blev det liv (2010). Det sista vi har är våra kroppar (2012) was Bob Hansson’s third novel and tenth book. In spring 2015, he released the poetry collection Och grannsämjan är en långsam bödel. In spring 2018, he released Tankar för dagen - manual för ett snällare liv, bringing together the best of Bob Hansson’s morning reflections from the previous ten years on Swedish Radio’s P1, along with plenty of new material. In autumn 2020, Allvarligt talat was released, featuring a selection of Bob Hansson’s radio programmes. The book offers answers to questions submitted by listeners, as well as questions Bob has sometimes asked himself. The result is a book that, like a good friend, helps us turn over and examine the questions we all carry within us from different angles. In spring 2023, he released Kan vi inte vara snälla nu för sen dör vi faktiskt, a poetry collection that is anything but a journey on a soft, fluffy cloud. Instead, it often takes us deeper - into darkness, fear and the unknown. As always, his poems are precise, sharply observant and filled with the people who inhabit this planet. A planet that is also threatened by something that is anything but kind.