Sara Blædel’s fourth novel Aldrig mere fri (Farewll to Freedom) went straight to the no 1 spot on the Icelandic bestseller chart. This spring we have been following the successful Spanish launch of Sara’s authorship and look forward to new triumphs next season.

Author of the August Prize winning novel DE FATTIGA I LODZ is awarded with Sveriges Radios Kerstin M Lundberg Prize. The jury’s motivation was as follows:

Steve Sem-Sandberg is awarded Swedish Radio’s Kerstin M Lundberg Prize for having described Europe from inside and out during his many years as a culture journalist. In reviews, reports and columns he manages to crosscut culture, society, present and past, literature and life, so that they elucidate and enrich one another. With Steve Sem-Sandberg as our personal, deeply initiated, but never snarky guide we travel further and further into the European culture – without ever reaching the end of the road.

The bone chilling crime novel Midwinter Sacrifice (Hiver), by Mons Kallentoft, has  snagged the no 1 spot on French bookseller, FNAC’s, crime chart. With his stylish and suspenseful writing he surpasses, Stieg Larsson’s popular Millennium trilogy as well as Dan Browns latest novel.
Watch out world, there is a new King of Scandinavian crime!

We are proud and happy to announce the latest addition to our agency - critically acclaimed author Ola Larsmo. Please read more about Ola's books in the author section.

We spread the risks. Half the Nordin Agency team waits for our late Sunday flight from Stockholm. The rest get into a car now and drive towards London. Please e-mail joakim@nordinagency.se with a copy to sofia@nordinagency.se for any changes in appointments. See you all at table 19P and 19Q and hope you all make it (and damn you, volcano).

We are very devastated to learn that Kerstin Thorvall died on Friday the 9th of April at the age of 84. The author of a large number of books, both for adults and children, Kerstin's writing career was characterised by courage and honesty.

One year ago we signed the brilliant crime-writing duo Camilla Grebe and Åsa Träff. They debuted last fall with the chilling psychological thriller Någon sorts frid (Some Kind of Peace), which has, almost on the date of our anniversary, shot to the very top of the Swedish paperback chart (Pocketgrossisten). Champagne all around!

Crime writer extraordinaire Sara Blædel, has yet again been acknowledged as the Danish reader’s favourite when she was voted 2009’s Author of the Year by the Danish bookseller Bog og Idé (http://www.bog-ide.dk). Sara got more than twice as many votes as the runner up.

With her latest novel Fyrvaktaren (The Lighthouse Keeper) at number 1 on the Norwegian hardback bestseller chart and its bestselling predecessor Sjöjungfrun (The Mermaid) pinching the number 1 spot in paperback, Camilla Läckberg rules the Norwegian bestseller charts.

Yesterday, Christian Mørk's critically acclaimed novel Darling Jim was announced as the winner of the Prix du Meilleur Roman Adaptable at the Forum international Cinéma & Littérature in Monaco. This is one of the biggest, most prestigious awards they give. Congratulations Christian!

We are happy to reveal that we are now representing author Anne Swärd. Anne's third novel Till sista andetaget (Breathless) was published in January and has enjoyed much positive feedback from readers and reviewers alike. We are convinced that this fantastic novel has lots of international potential and look forward to working with such a promising authorship.

The national fiction bestseller chart for February has no less than three of Nordin Agency's clients in the Top 10. Steve Sem-Sandberg's The Destitutes of Lodz is in #2, while Camilla Läckberg's The Lighthousekeeper and Björn Hellberg's The White Death can be found in #5 and #10 respectively.
http://www.svb.se/topplistor/topplistor-februari-2010

Controversial book, De apatiska (The Apathetic), by Gellert Tamas has been nominated for the prestigious investigative journalism award Guldspaden (The Golden Spade). Tamas's previous book Lasermannen (The Laser Man) won the award back in 2002. The winners will be announced later this spring.
http://www.fgj.se/page.asp?OmrID=5&SubID=42&SubSubID=96〈=1

The American audio edition of Christian Mørk's Darling Jim has been nominated for an Audie Award in the thriller/suspense category. Christian is up against authors such as Elmore Leonard and Peter Robinson. The winner will be announced at the end of May.http://www.theaudies.com/

Christian Mørk's bestselling novel Darling Jim has been selected as one of three novels at the Monaco-based festival Forum International Cinéma & Littérature. The titles are selected based on their movie adaptation potential. The winner will be announced on 13 March 2010.

British publishing trade magazine The Bookseller has compiled a chart listing the bestselling authors in Europe during 2009; a chart where Camilla Läckberg can be found in #6. The chart also includes international bestsellers such as Stieg Larsson, Stephenie Meyer, Dan Brown and John Grisham. Congratulations, Camilla!
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/110412-larsson-meyer-and-brown-were-europes-top-authors-in-2009.html

Henrik B Nilsson's celebrated debut novel The False Friend has been nominated for Borås Tidning's Debutant Prize. The winner will be announced in connection to the awards ceremony on the 25th of February. Previous winners have included Lotta Lotass, Jonas Hassen Khemiri and Andrzej Tichý.

The most recent bestseller chart reflects a blend of both literary and commercial gems; among them our very own Steve Sem Sandberg (The Destitutes of Lodz in #2) and Camilla Läckberg (The Lighthousekeeper in #4) http://www.svb.se/topplistor/topplistor-januari-2010

Nordin Agency would like to wish all our clients, partners and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Our offices will be closed for the holidays from tomorrow until Monday 4 January. We look forward to another successful year in 2010!

The Washing Post has selected Christian Mørk's Darling Jim as one of the best books in 2009 for their Holiday Guide.
Read more here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/features/2008/holiday-guide/gifts/best-books-of-2009/

A reader's vote in one of Denmark's major weekend newspapers, Søndagsavisen, has selected Sara Blædel as the most popular national writer in 2009. With nearly half of the votes, she won over her author colleagues Elsebeth Egholm and Jakob Ejersbo.
- It makes me really, really happy, because it's the readers themselves who have chosen me. The readers' opinion is what matters the most, Sara Blædel said upon receiving the award.

Congratulations, Sara!

As the Nordic Council today revealed the nominees for the 2010 literature prize, it was our great pleasure to find Steve Sem-Sandberg among the candidates. His book De fattiga i Lodz (The Destitutes of Lodz) - already a winner of the August Prize - will face tough competition from ten other writers from the Nordic region (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands). The winner will be announced in connection to the committee's meeting in Helsinki in March and the ceremony will take place in Reykjavik at the beginning of November. Previous winners have included authors such as Per Petterson, Sara Stridsberg and Kari Hotakainen.

Congratulations and good luck, Steve!

We would like to congratulate Steve Sem-Sandberg whose much-praised novel De fattiga i Lodz (The Destitutes of Lodz) last night won the August Prize, awarded by the Swedish Booksellers Association. The jury's motivation was as follows:

With this collective novel, Steve Sem-Sandberg attends to a specific chapter in the annals of World War II: the Jewish ghetto in the Polish city of Lodz west of Warsaw, its origin, organisation and heartbreaking conditions under Nazi supervision. It is a story that is told after all the tears have dried, depicted in an almost dry and unsentimental style, a balancing act between fact and fiction that with a basis in the (authentic) Ghetto Chronicles 1941-44, portrays a series of individual destinies with strong integrity, also when they waver or fail.

Congratulations, Steve!

We are happy and thrilled to announce that we are now representing Lina Wolff. Många människor dör som du (Many People Die Like You) - Lina's short story collection - was published by Albert Bonniers Förlag during the summer of 2009 and has been the subject of a number of favourable reviews. This is an authorship that we are very excited to follow into the future!

Camilla Läckberg's latest novel Fyrvaktaren (The Lighthousekeeper) has taken the number 1 spot on both the fiction bestseller chart, as well as the Top 40 general bestseller chart. Please see the following link: http://www.svb.se/topplistor/topplistor-november-2009

It was today revealed that Steve Sem-Sandberg's De fattiga i Lodz (The Destitutes of Lodz) has been nominated for the August Prize - Sweden's most prestigious literary award. The winner will be announced in connection to the annual awards ceremony on the 23rd of November. Congratulations, Steve!

Camilla Läckberg's Tyskungen (The German Child) is currently topping the Icelandic bestseller chart. Meanwhile, three of her novels can also be found on the paperback bestseller chart in positions #1, #11 and #13.

We are delighted to announce that Steve Sem-Sandberg's praised novel The Destitutes of Lodz (De fattiga i Lodz) has now been sold to United Kingdom and to the USA! Farrar, Strauss & Giroux in the United States and Faber & Faber in United Kingdom have bought the novel in pre-emptive deals before the Frankfurt Book Fair that starts on Wednesday. 

Two of the hottest titles on the current international rights scene are our very own Steve Sem-Sandberg's De fattiga i Lodz (The Destitutes of Lodz) and Åsa Schwarz's Nefilim (Nephilim). Two very different books, but both with an extraordinary appeal.

The Destitutes of Lodz is a poignant portrait of the ghetto in Lodz during the Second World War, but at the same time it is also a harrowing journey into the darkest corner of the soul. Deals have so far been finalised with Aschehoug in Norway, Gyldendal in Denmark, Ambo Anthos in The Netherlands, Marsilio Editore in Italy and Paseka in the Czech Republic.

Nefilim is a fast-paced eco thriller with a young funky heroine, in many ways akin to Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander, as the lead character. The book has so far been sold to Schibsted in Norway, Planeta in Spain, Droemer Knaur in Germany and Fanucci in Italy.

See you in Frankfurt!

Hævnens gudinde (The Goddess of Revenge) - Sara Blædel's new novel about Louise Rick - has taken the number 1 spot on the Danish bestseller chart, ahead of authors such as Dan Brown and Stieg Larsson.
Congratulations, Sara!

We are happy to announce our newest addition to the agency - Johanne Hildebrandt. Johanne has several titles on her CV - among them a highly successful trilogy about the Nordic gods. Her next novel Förbannade fred (Damned Peace) will be published in November.

Far ahead of its September publication, Åsa Schwarz's new novel Nefilim has caused a major media outcry in Sweden. Together with PR firm, Taste PR, Åsa created a Facebook profile for her fictional heroine Nova Barakel. She is described as "a member of the Green Party, atheist, single and 19 years-old", by some compared to Stieg Larsson's Lisbeth Salander. The passionate activist was befriended by several of Sweden's top journalists, politicians and other media personalities, none of them aware of her real identity.
This previous weekend, media industry magazine Resumé could reveal Nova Barakel's true identity and the PR campaign behind it:
http://www.resume.se/nyheter/2009/08/13/hon-blaste-kandisarna-pa-f/

 
To read more about Åsa Schwarz and Nova Barakel, please see the presentation here on our website, or alternatively visit http://www.asaschwarz.com

Would you like full access to Mons's successes, setbacks and public appearances, and follow in the footsteps of his latest hedonistic adventures? Have you missed out on any of his feature articles for Seasons or Gourmet? Or would you simply like to enjoy them once more?
Would like to get to know Mons a little bit better? Or perhaps even Malin Fors?
Would you like to have a better insight into his books and authorship?

Please visit http://www.monskallentoft.se where you can also subscribe to his newsletter.

Mons Kallentoft grabs the top spot on Swedish paperback bestseller chart for August with Sommardöden (Summertime Death) and remains at the top of the hardback chart with Höstoffer (Autumn Sonata) at #5. Sommardöden is his second book in the story of Malin Fors and Höstoffer is the third. Midvinterblod (Midwinter Sacrifice) – his first novel in the series – still remains one of Sweden's top 20 best selling paperbacks as #14 on the chart.

Christian Mørk's international bestseller Darling Jim has been nominated for two major French literary awards; Nouvel Observateur Prix du Roman Noir and Le Prix Polar SNCF. This follows Christian's recent visit to France, which can only be described as successful; the publishers have already had to print a second edition of the chilling tale.

As we announced the other week, Camilla Läckberg was in first place, directly above Mons Kallentoft, in Pocketstället's paperback bestseller chart. The roles have now been reversed in SvB's most recent bestseller chart, where Mons's Sommardöden (Summertime Death) has climbed to the prime position, with Camilla's Sjöjungfrun (The Mermaid) going straight into second place.

The latest bestseller chart from retail chain Pocketstället reveals that Camilla Läckberg's Sjöjungfrun (The Mermaid) has taken the first spot, with Mons Kallentoft's Sommardöden (Summertime Death) closely behind in second place.

Mons Kallentoft's Höstoffer (Autumn Sonata) - published mid-May - has taken the third spot on the national bestseller chart for June and is the top Swedish title on the list. The paperback version of his previous novel, Sommardöden (Summertime Death) holds the fourth position on the paperback bestseller chart. This book was also recently the #1 bestseller among all the large internet retailers. Magnus Utvik - one of Sweden's leading literary critics - has hailed Höstoffer as yet another success for Kallentoft.
Mons Kallentoft is currently working on the fourth part in the series about Malin Fors.

Ann Rosman's crime debut Fyrmästarens dotter (The Lighthousekeeper's Daughter) - the first part in her Marstrand series - has only just been released, but the response has been huge and her publisher Damm are already printing a second edition.

Steve Sem-Sandberg has been awarded De Nios Grand Award, with the following motivation: "for an advanced literary craftmanship, characterized by an intellectual mindset, a historical feeling of presence and insightful character portraits."
De Nio (The Nine) is an academy founded in 1913, and consists of nine lifetime members.

We are pleased to welcome Henrik B Nilsson, whose debut novel Den falske vännen (The False Friend) has received glowing reviews in the Swedish press, where he has been compared to literary greats such as Balzac.

Camilla Läckberg is not only a bestselling author in her native Sweden, but also in Denmark, where the recently published Tyskungen (The German Child) went straight into the number 1 spot!

We are proud to announce that we are now representing Camilla Grebe and Åsa Träff - two sisters whose literary debut Någon sorts frid (Some Kind of Peace) is predicted to become one of the autumn's hottest titles. Någon sorts frid - a psychological thriller - will be Wahlström & Widstrand's lead title for August and rights have so far been sold to Norway, Denmark and Germany. The book has already been mentioned as an innovative addition to the crime genre, with similarities to American TV-drama In Treatment as well as classical Scandinavian crime.

Several of our authors received prestigious prizes at last night's Pocketgala (The Swedish Paperback Awards). Mons Kallentoft, Camilla Läckberg and Katarina Wennstam were all awarded with Platinum, while Agneta Sjödin, Carin Gerhardsen and Bengt-Åke Cras were awarded with Silver for their excellent paperback sales. Congratulations and well done everyone!

Camilla Läckberg's The German Child (Tyskungen) has taken the prime spot in the Norwegian Paperback Bestseller Chart: a chart where we can also find The Stone Cutter (Stenhuggaren) in #6.

British newspaper The Guardian recently ran a feature on the impact the Scandinavian crime invasion has had on the UK book market. In the article, Kristian Lundberg is mentioned as one of the most interesting names to look out for. To read the article in full, see attached link http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jan/23/scandinavian-crime-fiction

Andrzej Tichý's book "Fält" (Fields) has been nominated to yet another prestigous Award: Swedish Radio's Novel Prize 2009. The winner will be announced in the end of March.

French company UGC Images has bought the film rights for Camilla Läckberg's The Ice Princess for an undisclosed seven-figure amount.

Nordin Agency's Joakim Hansson says:
"This is, as far as I know, the first time a book by a Swedish author is adapted into a French movie. And the fact that it's UGC - Europe's largest cinema chain - that is behind this project, makes it yet more exciting."

Producer Yves Marmion and young, up-and-coming director Alfred Lot read the bestselling book last summer and were immediately gripped by the characters. Alfred Lot's first movie La Chambre des Morts was a successful adaptation of Franck Thilliez's bestselling novel. This movie also earned him The Lumière Award for best manuscript.

"Among the reasons why I found this book so appealing: the plot is original and set in a small community where the characters - and their most hidden secrets - play the main role. There is a real emphasis on the description of the world in which the crime occurs, as well as a very genuine work on the characters and their psychology. On top of that, such a delicate and moving love story between the two main characters is rarely seen in crime novels and makes most of the originality of the book", says Yves Marmion in a press release.

The movie will be filmed for French cinema and the Fjällbacka setting will be replaced with a mountain village in the French Jura Mountains. The movie will be launched internationally. The Ice Princess has previously been adapted for television by SVT.

2008 has turned out to be another successful year for Camilla Läckberg, whose books have not only sold to 25 countries by now, but that are also continuing to remain bestsellers among the Swedish readers. Adlibris' annual bestseller chart places Camilla's The Mermaid in the #1 spot, putting her ahead of worldwide bestsellers such as Khaled Hosseini. Camilla's previous novel, The German Child can also be found in the #11 spot in the very same chart. Congratulations, Camilla, and may 2009 be just as wonderful!

Björn Hellberg's 2008 crime novel, The Night Walker, has taken the #6 spot on Svensk Bokhandel's most recent fiction bestseller chart. Congratulations and well done, Björn!

Our splendid writer Andrzej Tichý is nominated to the most important literary award in the Nordic region: The Nordic Council's Literature Prize. The prize is awarded for a work of imaginative literature with high literary and artistic standards and that is written in one of the Nordic languages. Congrats, Andrzej!

Dan Josefsson and Egil Linge's "relationship bible", The Secret - From First Glances to a Lasting Relationship has taken the #3 spot on SvB's non-fiction bestseller chart and if that wasn't enough, it is also holding the prime spot on Adlibris' non-fiction bestseller chart.

We are pleased to announce that we are now representing Dan Josefsson and Egil Linge - the authors behind the successful new book Hemligheten - från ögonkast till varaktig relation (The Secret - From First Glances to a Lasting Relationship). The book was only recently published by Natur & Kultur, but has already attained the 4th position on Svensk Bokhandel's non-fiction bestseller chart, and was sold to both Norway and Denmark during the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Mahatma! - Zac O'Yeah's extensive memoir of one of the 20th century's most unforgettable characters - is one of six titles nominated for the non-fiction August Prize. The winner will be announced during a ceremony on the eve of the 24th November 2008. Until then - good luck, Zac!

We are happy to announce that Marianne Fredriksson's HANNA'S DAUGHTERS now have been acquired by Sanskrit Book in Thailand. The books by Marianne Fredriksson have now been translated into 45 languages and have sold over 17 million copies. Marianne Fredriksson continues to be a bestseller in many parts of the world, for instance in the USA where HANNA'S DAUGHTERS was published in a new edition earlier this year.

Camilla Läckberg's The Ice Princess has been awarded the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière for Best International Crime Novel, following a highly successful summer in the French bestseller charts.
The prize is considered to be France's most prestigious award for crime and detective fiction and previous winners have included legendary crime writers such as Patricia Highsmith, Elmore Leonard, P.D. James, Peter Robinson, and more recently, Arnaldur Indridason.

Mons Kallentoft's latest book Summertime Death (Sommardöden) was released in time for the summer and quickly reached the top 10. But there are more things that makes it clear that this is Mons Kallentoft's summer indeed. The author has finalised a new three-book-deal with its Swedish publisher, closed a rights deal with France and made a film deal that includes Midwinter Sacrifice, Summertime Death and two unwritten novels.

Five of the titles on the Swedish top 10 for August belongs to Nordin Agency! And as an extra bonus #11 is also one of the agency's authors...

#1 The Mermaid (Sjöjungfrun) by Camilla Läckberg, #3 Sonata for Miriam (Sonat till Miriam) by Linda Olsson, #4 The Dark Angel (Den mörka ängeln) by Mari Jungstedt, #8 The Fugitive (Rymmaren) by Thomas Bodström, and # 9 In Another Part of Bromma (I en annan del av Bromma) by Martina Haag.

And who is the one on #11 then? After having sold over 160,000 copies in paperback of his first book Midwinter Sacrifice (Midvinterblod), Mons Kallentoft remains in the close top with his new book Summertime Death (Sommardöden) this month too.

The Agency strengthens its non-fiction list by signing renowned author and journalist Susanna Popova whose latest book was a study of the upper class. Susanna is currently writing on a new secret project that will be announced shortly.

We are proud and happy to announce two new additions to our client list – Agneta Sjödin and Elaine Bergqvist. Agneta Sjödin has been among the top ten authors on the fiction bestseller list with her book A Woman's Journey (En kvinnas resa). Her second book One of the Twelve (En av de tolv) was published before the summer and we look forward to a long journey together. Elaine Bergqvist is a top ten non-fiction author whose book Ruler Techniques (Härskarteknik) has been discussed in all media the whole spring.