About Markus Torgeby
Markus Torgeby, a former promising long-distance runner, chose solitude in the Swedish wilderness for four years, an experience documented in by SVT. Torgeby’s book ”The Runner” detailing his upbringing and forest years, became an international bestseller. This period transformed his outlook on life, highlighting the negative impact of modern stress and societal pressures. Today, Markus lives near Åre in northern part of Sweden with his wife Frida and their three daughters, not far from his solitary retreat. Together, they’ve authored ”Under the Open Skies” and “En plats på jorden” (A Place on Earth).
Markus is renowned for his motivational speeches, blending storytelling with inspiration, making him a sought-after speaker worldwide. He encourages embracing personal journeys and finding strength in adversity.
Book Markus for a talk about finding what truly matters beyond materialism and achievement. His storytelling and motivational speaking continue to inspire, urging individuals to embrace their personal paths and discover resilience in challenges. His lectures delve into life’s essential truths beyond consumerism and performance.
’The most beautiful book I ever read.’ – Rune Larsson, ultra-distance runner Markus Torgeby was just 20 years old when he headed off into the remote Swedish forest to live as a recluse and dedicate himself to his one true passion: running. He lived in a tent in the wilderness, braving the harsh Swedish winters – for four years. This is his story. An international bestseller, this extraordinary book is a powerful exploration of running, resilience, loss, and self-discovery. A talented long-distance runner in his teens, Markus Torgeby excelled in training, but often failed inexplicably in competition. Pressurised by his coach and consumed by the suffering of his MS-afflicted mother, he chose to do something that most of us only dream of: escape the modern world. In his stripped-back lifestyle in the woods, surviving with the bare minimum of supplies and enduring extreme cold, he found salvation and ultimately his true direction in life.
In the vein of Erling Kagge’s Silenceand Lars Mytting’s Norwegian Wood, Under the Open Skies: A Practical Guide to Living Close to Nature combines escapism and adventure with a love of nature and the desire for a simpler life. Twenty years ago,Markus Torgeby traded his hectic urban lifestyle for a small hutin the forests of northern Sweden. He ended up living there for four years, in perfect solitude and in harmony with nature. Today,heandhis wife Frida and their three childrenlive in a house he built with his own hands, near the site where he once survived on nothing but oatmeal, river water and the forest’s own pantry. Framed with stunning photographs taken by Frida, Under the Open Skies is the story of Markus’s journey from broken youth, to living alone in the forest, to a self-healed family man. Torgeby is proof of the restorative powers of the outdoors and his descriptions of living close to nature combine everyday philosophy and inspirational insights with helpful advice as he shares how to make fire, the best techniques for chopping logs and how best to forage for food. Part practical guide to how to live in the wild, part a meditation on the human need for a connection with the natural world, Under the Open Skies is the beguiling and timely portrait of how the desire for a simpler existence helped one man find contentment and connection with the world around him, and how we can all learn from his experience.
Markus Torgebys två tidigare böcker har översatts till 15 språk och inspirerat människor världen över till ett liv i samklang med naturen och våra grundläggande behov. I nya En plats på jorden om att bygga en stuga och skapa ett liv skriver Markus om det vi har allra närmast oss: husen som vi lever i.
Läsaren får följa arbetet när Markus bygger en stuga för familjen i väglöst land. De 12 kvadratmeterna saknar el och rinnande vatten men har en värmande kamin och vidunderlig utsikt över fjällen. Med goda råd, smarta genvägar och 1,5 timme tillhörande pedagogiska Youtube-instruktioner visar Markus hur vem som helst kan bygga sig ett eget »gömställe« där tiden går lite långsammare.
Boken är också en livsfilosofisk resa genom de rum som betytt mycket för Markus, hustrun Frida och de tre döttrarna. Källaren på Öckerö där Morfar lagade fiskegarnen och Mormor förberedde bagebrödet. Kåtan där Markus bodde ensam i skogen under fyra år. Huset utanför Järpen som Markus och Frida byggt bit för bit.
En plats på jorden ställer frågan: Vilka platser och människor är viktiga för just dig? Markus och Frida Torgeby försöker leva i enlighet med de svar som de själva funnit och format under sina 20 år tillsammans.
Boken är rikt illustrerad med Frida Torgebys fotografier från familjelivet, arbetet med stugan och de omgivande Jämtlandsfjällen.
In the new book En plats på jorden (A place on earth) readers receive valuable advice, clever shortcuts, and 1.5 hours of educational YouTube tutorials. Markus demonstrates how anyone can create their own ”hideaway” where time seems to slow down. Watch the full video here with English subtitles.