Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter

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- dostadning, 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.


‘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

‘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

Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
Imprint: Scribe Australia
Publication date: 27/02/2024