The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning

how to free yourself and your family from a lifetime of clutter
Margareta Magnusson

‘Proustian … A primer on how to winnow your belongings before you die, so you don’t burden your family … Ms. Magnusson is the anti-Kondo, who takes us on a charming and discursive tour of her own stuff.’

The New York Times

‘A slim yet sage volume … While Japanese item-control diva Marie Kondo gave us strict instructions to only keep things that spark joy, Magnusson’s book is straightforward and unsentimental (with a bit of humour). The main message from this mother of five is: Take responsibility for your items and don’t leave them as a burden for family and friends.’

The Washington Post

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‘Magnusson shares solid guiding principles for organising your home, no matter your age or life circumstance.’

Business Insider

‘Magnusson has something worthwhile and amusing to say to adults of all ages … This is not an orderly book for people who like dot points and detailed instructions, but a meandering personal essay that weaves memoir with household tips and a calm philosophy.’

Susan Wyndham, Weekend Australian

‘If you love Marie Kondo, Swedish Death Cleaning may be for you … feels especially relevant these days …The idea of death cleaning is to simply organise your everyday life to make it run more smoothly. People of any age can benefit from that!’

The Kitchn

‘Packed with positive and practical suggestions, this slim volume could change your life.’

Juliet Stevenson

‘Scandinavian author Margareta Magnusson has realised that having loads of possessions can really weigh a person, couple, or family down, and her book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, which isn’t as spooky as it sounds, has become a phenomenon.’

New Zealand Herald

‘[In] The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, Swedish author Margareta Magnusson encourages a mature and matter-of-fact approach to life ... it encourages conversations about what is really of value and what others will truly treasure when you are gone.’

Australian House & Garden

‘A mindful way to sort through your belongings throughout your life, so that your loved ones aren’t burdened by a plethora of personal items after you die … Magnusson advises that the earlier we start the process of ‘death cleaning’, the better, so we’re not overwhelmed with a lifetime of objects by the time we’re elderly people.’

Better Homes and Gardens

‘Even millennials will enjoy this non-militant approach to decluttering.’

PEOPLE

‘Pragmatic … the idea in this system is that we should leave behind as little as possible, or at least, not the many thousands of items of junk that Americans often accumulate.’

W Magazine

‘Has benefits you can enjoy while you’re still very much alive … could be a good way for families to discuss sensitive issues that might otherwise be hard to bring up.’

Amanda MacMillan, TIME

‘Reading her book is much like having a sensible, cheerful aunt sit you down to tell you hard truths that your mother is too nice to say.’

Laurie Hertzel, Minneapolis Star Tribune

‘Smart … death cleaning isn't about getting rid of all your stuff, but rather streamlining your life so you're only holding onto what makes you happy … it's about so much more than dusting and sorting.’

Elle Décor

‘Keep only what you love and what makes you happy in the moment. It’s like Marie Kondo, but with an added sense of the transience and futility of this mortal existence.’

The New York Post

The basis for the wonderfully funny and moving TV series developed by Amy Poehler and Scout Productions.

A charming approach to putting your life in order so your loved ones won’t have to. There’s a word for it in Swedish: döstädning, literally, ‘death cleaning’.

Swedish-born Margareta Magnusson is, in her words, ‘aged between 80 and 100’. When her husband died, she had to downsize her home. The experience forced her to recognise the power of ‘death cleaning’ and the concerns that must be addressed in order to do it with thought and care. Done well, the approach not only makes things easier for your loved ones later on, it allows you to revisit the lifetime of memories accumulated with your things.

From clothes and books to stuff you just can’t get rid of, stuff that only matters to you, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning offers indispensable advice on questions you will inevitably face when sorting through a lifetime of objects: How do you deal with your secrets? Tackle photographs and letters? Avoid heirs fighting over your belongings after you are gone? This charming, practical book based on personal experience and anecdotes will guide you in making the process uplifting rather than overwhelming: it focuses on the importance of living — even through death cleaning.

The New York Times

The Washington Post

View all reviews

‘Magnusson shares solid guiding principles for organising your home, no matter your age or life circumstance.’

Business Insider

Susan Wyndham, Weekend Australian

The Kitchn

‘Packed with positive and practical suggestions, this slim volume could change your life.’

Juliet Stevenson

New Zealand Herald

Australian House & Garden

Better Homes and Gardens

‘Even millennials will enjoy this non-militant approach to decluttering.’

PEOPLE

‘Pragmatic … the idea in this system is that we should leave behind as little as possible, or at least, not the many thousands of items of junk that Americans often accumulate.’

W Magazine

‘Has benefits you can enjoy while you’re still very much alive … could be a good way for families to discuss sensitive issues that might otherwise be hard to bring up.’

Amanda MacMillan, TIME

‘Reading her book is much like having a sensible, cheerful aunt sit you down to tell you hard truths that your mother is too nice to say.’

Laurie Hertzel, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Elle Décor

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Details

Format:Paperback

Size: 185mm × 135mm

Extent:160pp

ISBN (13):9781761381195

RRP:$24.99

Pub date:30 Apr 2024

Rights Held: ANZ

High-res cover:Download Image

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Margareta Magnusson

Margareta Magnusson says she is ‘somewhere between 80 and 100 years old’. She was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, on New Year’s Eve, and graduated from Beckman’s College of Design in Stockholm. After working as a fashion and advertisement designer, she embarked on a career as a painter. Her first solo exhibition was held in Gothenburg in 1979. Later, she exhibited in Stockolm, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and widely around Sweden. She has moved house 17 times within Sweden and abroad, which is why she says, ‘I should know what I am talking about when it comes to deciding what to keep and what to throw away’.

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