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“Victory was built on the midfield dominance of the trio Tamas, Ekelund and Kindvall, whose strength and skill on the ball wore down an increasingly exhausted Danish resistance.”
Sydsvenskan, June 8 2007, after Sweden winning 8-1 against Denmark in the Writers´League European Cup in Malmö
- Publishes a series of articles on Hungary in the Swedish daily Aftonbladet, later to be published by Norwegian weekly Klassekampen, Danish daily Information and Finnish-Swedish daily Hufvudstadsbladet.
The documentary ”Imprisoned – The Untold Story of Dawit Isaak”, produced by Gellert Tamas and Maria Magnusson, is published on DVD.
- The book The Laserman is translated into Italian and gets, ten years after the original publication in Swedish, rave reviews. Tamas is compared with writers such as Truman Capote and Norman Mailer.
Publishes an article in the Swedish daily Aftonbladet about Björn Söder, one of the leading members of the xenophocic, anti-immigrant party; the Swedish Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) highlighting Söder´s claim that Swedish singer Loreen´s victory in the Eurovision Song Contest is not a victory for Sweden – due to her immigrant background. The article becomes the most read ever on the newspapers cultural section and is, during the first hours of publication, downloaded more than 450 times – per minute.
- Is appointed Professor in practical journalism for his ”significant journalistic contributions in Sweden” by the the Department of Journalism, Media and Communication, JMG, at the University of Gothenburg.
Publishes a collection of his most wellknown reportages in the book A Brief Moment in Life (En hel sekund i livet)
Publishes, together with Maria Magnusson, the documentary Imprisoned – The Untold Story of Dawit Isaak, about the Swedish-Eritrean journalist and writer, imrpisoned without a trial or charges being pressed in Eritrea since 2001. The documentary is later shown and discussed in the European Parliament.
The play Apathy for Beginners, by the internationally acclaimed Swedish writer Jonas Hassen Khemiri, based on Tamas book ”The Apathetic”, is premiered by the Gothenburg City Theatre. The play is well reviewed and is later taken on a national tour by Riksteatern.
In Cairo during the revolution. Photo: Robert Blombäck
In Cairo during the revolution. Photo: Robert Blombäck
- Tours Sweden with his highly acclaimed book ”The apathetic” and gives lectures and readings for thousand of people, from Malmö in the south to Piteå in the north.
Finishes fourth in the Writers´League´s European Cup organized in Unna, Germany. The writers from the home side win after beating their colleagues from Sweden and Turkey in the semifinals and finals respectively.
- Publishes the book ”The apathetic – on Power, Myths and Manipulation”. The critics unanimously hail the book. Sweden´s leading daily Dagens Nyheter calls it ”the most important reportage since the second World War”, other critics use superlatives such as ”masterpiece” and ”masterwork” and ”The Apathetic” becomes number one on Dagens Nyheters critic´s list, the most prestigious in Sweden.
Tamas is voted, by the weekly Focus magazine, as one of the 100 most important persons in Sweden during the first decade of the 21st Century for his books ”The apathetic” and ”The Laserman”, the latter described as ”the decade´s most important story on Sweden”.
- Becomes European champion after winning the Writers´League European Cup in Malmö. The Swedish authors beat Italy 4-2 in the finals after crushing Denmark and Germany in their first two games.
Moves to Berlin and starts working on his next book, The Apathetic.
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
- Is chosen as one of the participants in Sommarpratarna, an exceptionally popular Radio series on Swedish public service radio, with up to one million listeners. Tamas focuses on his parents arriving to Sweden as refugees after the crushed Hungarian revolution of 1956.
Publishes a story on the refugee children with severe stress syndroms, dubbed the ”apathetic children” by media, in the current affairs program Mission Investigate (Uppdrag Granskning) Tamas reveals that the claims by the Swedish government, that the children can be faking their symtoms or even be poisoned by their parents, in order to gain permission to stay, are false. An official government report, accusing the parents and the children of manipulating their symptoms, turns out to have no evidence, rather being based on false statements provided, among others, by a doctor active in the Swedish far right, later to become a member of a Swedish nazi party. The program draws a huge amount of attention and is later awarded the prestigous Ikaros Prize for best Swedish current affairs program of the year.
Photo: Elisabeth Åsbrink
- Is elected vice president of the Swedish PEN.
The book The Laserman is adapted into a mini series for TV, directed by Mikael Marcimain, starring David Dencik as John Ausonius. The three part series is hailed by critics and wins the prestigious Crystal Award (Kristallen) for best TV-drama of the year.
The Laserman is also set up as a stage play by Göteborgs Stadsteater, written by Bengt Olsson and directed by Susan Taslimi.
Publishes, together with Malcolm Dixelius, ”The Laserman – the Documentary” and wins the prestigious award The Crystal, for best Swedish documentary of the year. The documentary is also awarded a Special Commendation at Prix Europa for best non-fiction TV.
The first book by Stieg Larsson in the Millenium trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, is published. Larsson lets his main character, Lisbeth Salander, read the book The Laserman as a tribute to Tamas. The two collegaues simultaneously worked on books about the laserman, each unaware of the others work. When Tamas book was published ahead of Larsson, he instead turned his attention to what came to be the Millenium trilogy. However, Larsson once told Tamas that the one book he had really wanted to write was the one about the Swedish racist serial killer John Ausnoius.
David Dencik as the Laserman
Eric Ericsson at Göteborg City Theatre
Another Day
The Laserman – the Documentary
Stieg Larsson, Män som hatar kvinnor, sidan 256
- Leaves the current affairs program Cold Facts (Kalla Fakta) at TV4 and starts working for Swedish Public Service Television, for the new Current affairs program Faktum. Tamas among others publishes a story, that draws a lot of attention, on Calle Jonsson, a Swedish teenager indicted by the greek authorities on attempted murder.
- Publishes the first in depth reportage in Sweden about one of the refugee children with severe withdrawal syndroms, later to be dubbed the ”apathetic children” by Swedish media.
The book The Laserman is translated into norwegian, the first translation of more than a dozen to come.
Tamas takes part in the heated debate in Swedish media about the wars in former Yugoslavia, sparked by an article in the magazine Ordfront claiming that no genocide had taken place during the conflict.
- Publishes the book ”The Laserman”, which becomes a bestseller and gains Tamas several awards. The Laserman, about the racist serial killer John Ausonius, and the Swedish society which fostered him, has been translated into more than ten languages, adapted into a mini series for Televison and developed into a stage play.
- Starts working on a regular freelance basis for the current affairs program Cold Facts (Kalla Fakta) at Swedish TV4. Tamas publishes stories, many of them drawing much attention, on issues such as the deportation of refugee children and the development in Central- and Eastern Europe. Tamas occasionally also works for the TV4 news department covering among other things the killing of Swedish minister for foreign affairs Anna Lindh and the presidential elections in Iran.
Polling station in Tehran
To deport a Child, Cold Facts TV4
- Is employed as Information Officer by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies at the organizations regional office for South Asia, based in New Delhi, India.
- Moves to New York, freelancing for various Swedish media.
Photo: Miklos Partos
Photo: Miklos Partos
Photo: Miklos Partos
Photo: Miklos Partos
Photo: Miklos Partos
- Travels extensively in Transylvania, Romania, togeteher with photographer Joseph Rodriguez, publishing several reportages on the plight of the hungarian minority and the situation of the roma minority.
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
- Publishes, togeteher with photo journalist, Robert Blombäck, the reportage book Sweden, Sweden Fatherland. (Sverige, Sverige fosterland)
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Another day with the ”bros” from Husby. Photo: Anders K Johansson
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
- Publishes, together with internationally renowned photographer Joseph Rodriguez, an exhibiton about the children stashed away in the mental institutions of Romania during the Ceausescu era.
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
Photo: Joseph Rodriguez
- Publishes, together with photographer Robert Blombäck, the first ever inside reportage about the Black Army, the supporter club of Stockholm based soccer team AIK, and reveals the existence of an until then unknown, organized hardcore violent group of supporters by the name; the Firm.
Publishes a reportage, drawing much attention, about a skinhead in the growing movement of Holocaust deniers, who Tamas takes with him to visit Auschwitz to confront his views.
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Vukovar. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Vukovar. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Vukovar. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Vukovar. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Vukovar. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Vukovar. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Vukovar. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Vukovar. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Vukovar. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
- Publishes, together with Anna-Lena Lodenius, the first ever full survey of hate crime in Sweden, focusing on attacks on refugee camps and immigrants. Tamas, among others, cooperates with Stieg Larsson, the future writer of the world best seller Millenium trilogy.
Succeeds, as one of only a few foreign journalist, to enter the city of Riga after the deadly attacks by the Soviet special forces, The Black Berets, on latvians demonstrating for independence.
Visits, as one of the first foreign journalists, Mongolia after the fall of the communist one-party regime, and publishes, among others, reportages on kazak nomads hunting wolves with trained bald eagles.
Covers the wars in former Yugoslavia for, among others, magazine Café and the Olof Palme International Center.
Produces, together with photographer Maud Nycander, the first ever exhibition about hip hop culture in Sweden.
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Maud Nycander
Photo: Maud Nycander
Photo: Maud Nycander
Photo: Gellert Tamas
- Covers the processes of change in Central- and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain, often together with photo reporter Robert Blombäck.
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
Photo: Robert Blombäck
- Travels to Berlin a few days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, covers the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia and the revolution in Romania for various Swedish magazines such as Arbetaren.
Prague. Photo: Robert Blombäck
Bukarest. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Budapest. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Moscow. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Moscow. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Bukarest. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Odessa. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Moscow. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Prague. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Prague. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Cluj, Romania. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Prague. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Cluj, Romania. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Budapest. Photo: Gellert Tamas
At the Hungarian-Romanian border. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Timesoara, Romania. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Budapest. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Timesoara, Romania. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Cluj, Romania. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Timesoara, Romania. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Cluj, Romania. Photo: Gellert Tamas
Budapest. Photo: Gellert Tamas
- Studies german in then East-Berlin, GDR.
Starts publishing articles and reportages for Swedish student magazines such as Lundagård and Ergo, and soon moves on to publish his first articles in leading Swedish newspapers such as Dagens Nyheter and Göteborgs Tidning, GT.
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Per-Olof Stoltz
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
- Spends half a year in East Asia, travelling China, Tibet and Hongkong.
Works as an extra in the Hollywood production Taipan. The film is based on James Clavell´s bestselling novel by the same name and stars, among others, Bryan Brown and Joan Chen.
On the way to Base Camp, Mount Everest. Photo: Anne Nilsson
As soldier in the English army in the film Taipan
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
Photo: Gellert Tamas
- Enrolls at Lund University, Sweden, majoring in political science and economics, and is, among others, active in the Foreign Relations Club, UPF.
With UPF in Prague. Photo: Gellert Tamas
- Finishes High School and enrolls at Upsala College, New Jersey, USA. Majors in political science and economics.
Photo: Miklos Partos
Photo: Miklos Partos
Photo: Miklos Partos
Upsala College
Photo: Miklos Partos
- Enrolls at Söderport Gymnasium in Kristianstad.
- Gellert Tamas is born on the 17th of February, in the town of Kristianstad in the south of Sweden.
