Alfie Atkins ( sv, Alfons Åberg) is a fictional character created by the author

Gunilla Bergström Gunilla Elisabet Dukure Bergström (3 July 1942 – 23 August 2021) was a Swedish author, journalist, and illustrator. She is best known for her series of children's books about the character Alfie Atkins (Swedish: ''Alfons Åberg''), which she ...

from Sweden in 1972. Alfie Atkins appears in books and animated cartoons. Alfie plays the role of a normal child, living with his father. During his younger years he had an imaginary friend named Malcolm (''Mållgan'' in Swedish; Moggie in English TV version), that only Alfie could see. Later, he gets real friends such as ''Milla'' and Victor (''Viktor''). He also has a housecat named Puzzle (''Pussel''). In the books, Alfie experiences many ordinary everyday events that kids can easily recognize. In his longing to grow up and be a big boy, Alfie often competes with his father on who can manage these events in the best way. Alfie's father is a nice and positive man. Women appear less frequently in the stories: Alfie has an aunt named Fifi (''Fiffi'') and a grandmother, but no mother is present. The first book about Alfie, ''Goodnight, Alfie Atkins'' (''Godnatt, Alfons Åberg''), came out in 1972. There are 24 books in the Alfie series, along with seven other Alfie books for smaller children. The books have been translated into 29 different languages. The books are written and illustrated by Gunilla Bergström. Alfie Atkins is named Alfons Åberg in Swedish and Danish, Willi Wiberg in German, Albert Åberg in Norwegian, Albert Albertson in Polish, Einar Áskell in Icelandic, Mikko Mallikas in Finnish, Ifan Bifan in Welsh, Eliyahu in Hebrew and Frančkov Fonzek in Slovenian. Since September 2020, he also exists in France where his name is Alphonse Aubert. The publishing company of the books is

Rabén & Sjögren Rabén & Sjögren is a book publishing company in Sweden. It was established in 1942 by and . Since 1998 it has been part of Norstedts förlag. The publishing focus is on children's and youth literature. Rabén & Sjögren was very successful, pu ...

and Julia MacRae Books. The last book was published in 2012, nine years before Gunilla Bergström died at the age of 79.

Books

* '' Good Night, Alfie Atkins'' ("God natt, Alfons Åberg") -

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

* '' Very Tricky, Alfie Atkins'' ("Aja baja, Alfons Åberg") -

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

* ''

Raska på, Alfons Åberg ''Raska på, Alfons Åberg'' is a 1975 children's book by Gunilla Bergström. As an episode of the animated TV series it originally aired over SVT on 31 December 1979. Plot It's morning and Alfons Åberg will soon go to Kindergarten Kinderg ...

'' -

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

* ''

Alfie and His Secret Friend ''Alfie and His Secret Friend'' ( sv, Alfons och hemlige Mållgan) is a 1976 children's book by Gunilla Bergström. Translated by Robert Swindells, it was published in English in 1979. As an episode of the animated television series it originally ...

'' ("Alfons och hemlige Mållgan") -

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

* ''

Who'll Save Alfie Atkins? ''Who'll Save Alfie Atkins?'' ( sv, Vem räddar Alfons Åberg?) is a 1976 children's book by Gunilla Bergström. Translated by Robert Swindells, it was published in English in 1979. As an episode of the animated TV series it originally aired over ...

'' ("Vem räddar Alfons Åberg?") -

* ''

You're a Sly One, Alfie Atkins! ''You’re a Sly One, Alfie Atkins!'' ( sv, Listigt Alfons Åberg!) is a 1977 children's book by Gunilla Bergström. Translated by Robert Swindells, it was published in English in 1979. As an episode of the animated TV series An animated series i ...

'' ("Listigt, Alfons Åberg") -

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...

* '' Is that a Monster, Alfie Atkins?'' ("Alfons och odjuret") - 1978 * '' Är du feg, Alfons Åberg?'' -

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

* '' Var är bus-Alfons?'' - 1982 * '' Who's Scaring Alfie Atkins?'' ("Vem spökar, Alfons Åberg?") -

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

* ''

Lycklige Alfons Åberg ''Lycklige Alfons Åberg'' ("''Lucky Alfie Atkins''") is a 1984 children's book by Gunilla Bergström. As an episode of the animated TV series it originally aired over SVT on 15 January 1981. It was originally called ''Klaga lagom, Alfons Åberg'' ...

'' -

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

(also known as "Klaga lagom, Alfons Åberg!") * ''

You Have a Girlfriend, Alfie Atkins ''You Have a Girlfriend, Alfie Atkins'' ( sv, Alfons och Milla) is a 1985 children's book by Gunilla Bergström. As an episode of the animated TV series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to ...

'' ("Alfons och Milla") -

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

* ''

Kalas, Alfons Åberg! ''Kalas, Alfons Åberg!'' is a 1986 children's book by Gunilla Bergström. As an episode of the animated TV series it originally aired over SVT on 1 April 1994. Book cover The book cover depicts Alfons holding ice creams and balloons. Plot The ...

'' -

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter ...

* '' Hokus pokus, Alfons Åberg!'' -

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

* ''

Bara knyt, Alfons! ''Bara knyt, Alfons!'' is a 1988 children's book by Gunilla Bergström. As an episode of the Alfons Åberg (TV series), animated TV series it originally aired over Sveriges Television, SVT on 1 April 1994. Book cover The book cover shows Alfons as ...

'' -

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

* '' Vad sa pappa Åberg?'' -

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...

* ''

Där går Tjuv-Alfons! ''Där går Tjuv-Alfons!'' is a 1991 children's book by Gunilla Bergström. As a radio-drama it was aired over SR P3 on 24 September 1992. As an episode of the animated TV series it originally aired over SVT on 1 April 1994. Plot Milla says that ...

'' -

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

* ''

Mera monster, Alfons! ''Mera monster, Alfons!'' is a 1992 children's book by Gunilla Bergström Gunilla Elisabet Dukure Bergström (3 July 1942 – 23 August 2021) was a Swedish author, journalist, and illustrator. She is best known for her series of children's ...

'' - 1992 * ''

Hurra för pappa Åberg! Hurra may refer to: * "Hurra" (song), a song by the punk band Die Ärzte *Alhurra (or al-Hurra), an American Arabic-language TV channel * Al-hurra, an Arabic title for women with a position of power or high status *Libya Alhurra TV, an internet ...

'' -

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

* '' Näpp! sa Alfons Åberg'' -

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...

* '' Flyg! sa Alfons Åberg'' -

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

* '' Osynligt med Alfons'' -

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

* '' Hur långt når Alfons?'' - 2002 * '' Alfons och soldatpappan'' - 2006 * '' Alfons med styrkesäcken'' - 2010 * '' Skratta lagom! sa pappa Åberg'' -

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

Film

Starting in the late 1970s, a cartoon series was produced, containing adaptations of the books. The main director was

Per Åhlin Per Johan Axel Åhlin (born 7 August 1931) is a Swedish artist and director of animated films. He is known for his collaborations with the comedy duo Hasse & Tage and for his own projects such as the feature film '' The Journey to Melonia''. Ca ...

and the musical score was composed by Georg Riedel. The show was a co-production between Åhlin's company PennFilm, the Swedish Film Institute and the Nordic television channels SVT,

NRK NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest ...

, DR and

YLE Yleisradio Oy ( Finnish, literally "General Radio Ltd." or "General Broadcast Ltd."; abbr. Yle ; sv, Rundradion Ab, italics=no), translated to English as the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is Finland's national public broadcasting company, found ...

. Between 1979 and 1982, thirteen episodes of approximately 10 minutes each were produced. In 1994, three additional shorts were produced.

Animated feature and subsequent cartoon series (2010s)

In 2013, Norwegian director

Torill Kove Torill Kove (born 25 May 1958) is a Norwegian-born Canadian film director and animator. She won the 2007 Academy Award for Animated Short Film for the film '' The Danish Poet'', co-produced by Norway's Mikrofilm AS and the National Film Board of ...

brought Alfie Atkins to cinemas with the feature presentation ''

Hocus Pocus Alfie Atkins ''Hocus Pocus Alfie Atkins'' ( sv, Hokus Pokus Alfons Åberg) is a 2013 Danish-Norwegian-Swedish animated feature film directed by Torill Kove. It is based on the book of the same title from the Alfie Atkins book series by Gunilla Bergström. P ...

''. It is based on the book of the same title with additions made for the sake of runtime The film was followed by a new Alfie Atkins TV series of 13 episodes.

References

External links

Official Website

Hocus Pocus, Alfie Atkins on IMDB
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Alfie Sweden in fiction Book series introduced in 1972 Literary characters introduced in 1972 Male characters in literature Child characters in literature Fictional Swedish people Male characters in animation 1979 Swedish television series debuts Swedish children's television series Swedish animated television series