The Petrona Award 2025 - Longlist

 From the press release which was embargoed until 8.00am today:

Petrona Award 2025 - Longlist

OUTSTANDING CRIME FICTION FROM FINLAND, ICELAND, NORWAY, AND SWEDEN LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 PETRONA AWARD

Twelve crime novels from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have made the longlist for the 2025 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.

They are:

Samuel Bjørk - Dead Island tr. Charlotte Barslund (Norway, Bantam)

Stella Blómkvist - Murder Under the Midnight Sun tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)

Pascal Engman - The Widows tr. Neil Smith (Sweden, Legend Press)

Malin Persson Giolito - Deliver Me tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (Sweden, Simon & Schuster)

Óskar Guðmundsson - The Dancer tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)

Jørn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger - Victim tr. Megan E Turney (Norway, Orenda Books)

Jo Nesbo - Blood Ties tr. Robert Ferguson (Norway, Harvill Secker)

Aslak Nore - The Sea Cemetery tr. Deborah Dawkin (Norway, MacLehose Press)

Sólveig Pálsdóttir - Shrouded tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Corylus Books)

Satu Rämö - The Clues in the Fjord tr. Kristian London (Finland, Zaffre)

Max Seeck - Ghost Island tr. Kristian London (Finland, Mountain Leopard Press)

Gunnar Staalesen - Pursued by Death tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)

The longlist contains a mix of newer and more established authors including previous Petrona Award winners Pascal Engman, Malin Persson Giolito, Jørn Lier Horst, and Gunnar Staalesen.

Both large and small publishers are represented on the longlist, with Corylus Books having an impressive three entries. The breakdown by country is Norway (5), Iceland (3), Finland (2) and Sweden (2).

The shortlist will be announced on 18 September 2025.

The Petrona Award 2025 judging panel comprises Jackie Farrant, the creator of RAVEN CRIME READS and a bookseller for a major book chain in the UK, Ewa Sherman, translator and writer, and blogger at NORDIC LIGHTHOUSE, and Sonja van der Westhuizen, a book critic for print and online publications in the UK and South Africa, as well as a blogger at WEST WORDS REVIEWS. 

The Award administrator is Karen Meek, owner of the EURO CRIME blog and website.

The Petrona team would like to thank our sponsor, David Hicks, for his continuing support of the Petrona Award.

The Petrona Award was established to celebrate the work of Maxine Clarke, one of the first online crime fiction reviewers and bloggers, who died in December 2012. Maxine, whose online persona and blog was called Petrona, was passionate about translated crime fiction but in particular that from the Scandinavian countries. 

The award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia and published in the UK in the previous calendar year.

More information on the history of the Award and previous winners can be found at the Petrona Award website.

The Petrona Award 2024 - Winner

Winner of 2024 Petrona Award announced 

The winner of the 2024 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year is: 

DEAD MEN DANCING by Jógvan Isaksen translated from the Faroese by Marita Thomsen and published by Norvik Press. 

Jógvan Isaksen will receive a trophy, and both the author and translator will receive a cash prize. 

The judges’ statement on DEAD MEN DANCING: 

Similar to the story of the ancient god Prometheus, a man has been shackled to rocks on the Faroe Islands, and left to drown on the beach. The discovery of his body throws the local community into an unsettling chaos, and as the journalist Hannis Martinsson investigates, he comes across evidence of similar deaths. He realises they are linked to the events in Klaksvík in the 1950s, and a local revolt which tore the community apart. As Martinsson digs into the troubled past, he learns about his country’s history, and also gives the reader a chance to discover what makes the Faroes intriguing and spellbinding. Being a largely unknown territory to most, Dead Men Dancing includes a useful introduction to the modern reality of these islands by the CEO of the Faroese Broadcasting Corporation, mirrored by the social commentary that lies at the heart of the book itself, and the portrayal of the relationship with Denmark throughout the years. 

This is only Isaksen’s second novel to be translated into English following Walpurgis Tide. This contemporary Faroese crime fiction writer places his characters in the wild, beautiful, and unforgiving environment and allows them to search for truth. The judges found the location to be absolutely integral to the unfolding of the plot, and how the raw natural beauty of the Faroes served as a reflection of the thoughts and actions of the characters.

Dogged and uncompromising, Martinsson is a superb creation, similar in his ‘detective’ thinking and approach to Gunnar Staalesen's lonely wolf PI Varg Veum, which the judging panel found very appealing. Martinsson's gloomy demeanour and natural cynicism was beautifully balanced throughout with the more empathetic side of his nature, and in the age-old tradition of crime fiction his personal and professional relationships are fraught with tension. 

The translation by Marita Thomsen is both accomplished and a little unusual, drawing as she does on the vernacular and intonation of the Scottish dialect. Again, the judges found this to be refreshingly different, and enjoyed the unique cadence and rhythm this gave to the book overall, an essential quality of any book in translation. 

The judges agreed that in Dead Men Dancing the balance between location, plot and characterisation worked well, incorporating some of the familiar tropes of crime fiction, but also providing a refreshingly different reading experience. This was achieved by the depiction of the Faroes themselves and their history, working in symmetry with the narrative, and also by the characterisation of Martinsson, reminiscent of the traditional spare style in Nordic crime fiction. The assured and distinctive translation was also a significant factor in the judges' overall decision. 

Statements from the winning author, translator and publisher:

Jógvan Isaksen (author): 

I feel it is a great honour to win this award, especially when I see that the competition includes several of my favourite Scandinavian authors. I am also proud to represent my country, the Faroe Islands, a self-governing part of the Danish Kingdom with its own language and traditions. Furthermore there are special bonds between the UK and The Faroes since the friendly occupation during World War II. I personally became a member of Collins Crime Club when I was only thirteen, and fought my way through crime novels I could hardly read. But at last I got there and have for many years been an admirer of Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Eric Ambler, Colin Dexter, Ian Rankin and many, many more. 

Marita Thomsen (translator): 

It was thrilling to translate the Faroese novel Dead Men Dancing and a great honour to receive the Petrona Award. I am privileged to find myself in the company of the master crafters of stories and languages shortlisted this year, congratulations to all! My thanks first and foremost to Jógvan Isaksen for keeping us in suspense, as he navigates the rugged outlines of the psychology and wild shores of the Faroe Islands. This book offers a fascinating window into regional tensions in the archipelago and historical tensions in the Kingdom of Denmark. Thank you to the passionate Norvik team for expert guidance and editorial advice. And to Richard and Jane for your patience and boundless enthusiasm for everything, even the difference between rowing boats and oared boats. 

Janet Garton (Norvik Press Commissioning Editor):

We are delighted that Dead Men Dancing has won this year’s Petrona Award. Jógvan Isaksen is a master of suspense, and his maverick amateur sleuth Hannis Martinsson takes the reader on hair-raising trips by land and sea before – of course – solving the mystery before the frustrated police. The Martinsson series was the basis of the successful TV series TROM, and this is the second of the series to be published by Norvik Press, after Walpurgis Tide in 2016. Hopefully there will be more to come! 

The Petrona team would like to thank David Hicks for his continuing sponsorship of the Petrona Award.

The judges

Jackie Farrant - creator of RAVEN CRIME READS and a bookseller/Area Commercial Support for a major book chain in the UK.

Ewa Sherman - translator and writer, and blogger at NORDIC LIGHTHOUSE.

Award administrator

Karen Meek – owner of the EURO CRIME blog and website.

For more information on the Petrona Award please visit www.petronaaward.co.uk/

The Petrona Award 2023 - Longlist

 From the press release which was embargoed until 8.00am today:

OUTSTANDING CRIME FICTION FROM DENMARK, FINLAND, ICELAND, NORWAY, SWEDEN AND SWITZERLAND LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 PETRONA AWARD

Twelve crime novels from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland have made the longlist for the 2023 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.

They are:

Jussi Adler-Olsen - The Shadow Murders tr. William Frost (Denmark, Quercus)
Lina Areklew - Death in Summer tr. Tara F Chace (Sweden, Canelo Crime)
Kjell Ola Dahl - Little Drummer tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)
Pascal Engman - Femicide tr. Michael Gallagher (Sweden, Legend Press)
Anne Mette Hancock - The Corpse Flower tr. Tara F Chace (Denmark, Swift Press)
Susanne Jansson - Winter Water tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (Sweden, Hodder & Stoughton)
Håkan Nesser - The Axe Woman tr. Sarah Death (Sweden, Mantle)
Petra Rautiainen - Land of Snow and Ashes tr. David Hackston (Finland, Pushkin Press)
Joachim B Schmidt - Kalmann tr. Jamie Lee Searle (Switzerland, Bitter Lemon Press)
Lilja Sigurðardóttir - Red as Blood tr. Quentin Bates (Iceland, Orenda Books)
Gustaf Skördeman - Codename Faust tr. Ian Giles (Sweden, Zaffre)
Gunnar Staalesen - Bitter Flowers tr. Don Bartlett (Norway, Orenda Books)

The significantly increased number of entries for this year’s Petrona Award illustrates the continuing popularity of Scandinavian crime fiction in translation. The longlist contains a mix of new and established authors including previous Petrona Award winner, Gunnar Staalesen.

Both large and small publishers are represented on the longlist, with Orenda Books leading with three entries, and the breakdown by country is Sweden (5), Denmark (2), Norway (2), Finland (1), Iceland (1) and Switzerland (1), with translators Don Bartlett and Tara F Chace having translated two entries each.

The shortlist will be announced on 7 September 2023.

The Petrona Award 2023 judging panel comprises Jackie Farrant, the creator of RAVEN CRIME READS and a bookseller/Area Commercial Support for a major book chain in the UK; Miriam Owen, founder of the NORDIC NOIR blog, passionate about the arts, she moderates author panels and provides support at crime fiction festivals, and Ewa Sherman, translator and writer, and blogger at NORDIC LIGHTHOUSE. The Award administrator is Karen Meek, owner of the EURO CRIME blog and website.

The Petrona Award was established to celebrate the work of Maxine Clarke, one of the first online crime fiction reviewers and bloggers, who died in December 2012. Maxine, whose online persona and blog was called Petrona, was passionate about translated crime fiction but in particular that from the Scandinavian countries.

The award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia and published in the UK in the previous calendar year.

More information on the history of the Award and previous winners can be found at the Petrona Award website (https://www.petronaaward.co.uk/).

The Petrona team would like to thank our sponsor, David Hicks, for his generous support of the 2023 Petrona Award.

The Petrona Award 2022 - Winner

 

Winner of 2022 Petrona Award announced

The winner of the 2022 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year is: 

FATAL ISLES by Maria Adolfsson, translated from the Swedish by Agnes Broomé and published by Zaffre.

Maria Adolfsson will receive a trophy, and both the author and translator will receive a cash prize.

The judges’ statement on FATAL ISLES:

This captivating winning novel is the first in a series featuring the beautifully flawed protagonist Detective Inspector Karen Eiken Hornby, whose take on life and work make for a strong down-to-earth and modern heroine in the relicts of a man’s world.

Set in the fictional yet completely credible location of Doggerland, this three-islands archipelago in the North Sea, reflects Scandinavian, North European and British heritages. Doggerland is shaped and influenced by its geographical position; the  atmospheric setting, akin to the wind- and history-swept Faroe and Shetland Islands, and Nordic climes, enhances the suspenseful and intriguing plot of a police procedural that combines detailed observations and thoughts on the human condition. A brutal murder sets in motion an investigation into layers of hidden secrets and of societal attitudes, and the interaction between the superbly portrayed characters creates a thrilling tension and believable environment. 

Comments from the winning author, translator and publisher:

Maria Adolfsson (author):

I feel so honoured and want to send my warmest thanks to the Petrona Award jury. This appreciation for my work means a lot to me!

For me it is especially exciting that the British readers enjoy exploring Doggerland together with me. I’ve always been interested in what unites people in Scandinavia and the British Isles, how we are culturally linked, and what sets us apart. To me, Doggerland is - or at least might have been - the link between us. Or to quote Herman Melville: “It’s not down on any map; true places never are.”

Agnes Broomé (translator):

I am deeply honoured to receive the Petrona Award 2022. With such an impressive shortlist it is truly humbling to be chosen. I am grateful to the jury for their unswerving commitment to bringing Scandinavian crime literature to an English-speaking readership. My warmest thanks to everyone at Zaffre for their support along this journey and, above all, to Maria Adolfsson for introducing me to Detective Inspector Karen Eiken Hornby. 

Zaffre (publisher):

Many thanks to the jury for choosing FATAL ISLES as the worthy winner of this year’s Petrona Award. It’s wonderful to see Maria’s brilliantly imaginative crime debut, expertly realised in English by Agnes Broomé, recognised for its excellence. DI Karen Eiken Hornby is a universally relatable character and Adolfsson’s vividly drawn island nation, Doggerland, is a perfectly picturesque place for the darkest deeds to occur. It is such a pleasure to publish this internationally bestselling series. 

The Petrona team would like to thank the following: firstly, David Hicks, for his generous sponsorship of the Petrona Award; secondly the co-creators and original judges of the Award: Barry Forshaw, Dr. Kat Hall and Sarah Ward and thirdly, Adrian Muller for his support via the CrimeFest platform.

The Petrona Award 2021 - Shortlist

From the press release which was embargoed until 8.00am today:

Award News: Petrona Award Entries 2020

I am pleased to announce that all the 37 titles that were eligible for the 2020 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year have been entered by the publishers.

The winner of the Award will be announced at CrimeFest in June.

The rules for eligibility are:

• The submission must be in translation and published in English in the UK during the preceding calendar year ie 1 January – 31 December 2019.
• The author of the submission must either be born in Scandinavia* or the submission must be set in Scandinavia*.
• The submission must have been published in its original language after 1999.

(E-books that meet the above criteria may be considered at the judges’ discretion (does not include self-published titles))
*in this instance taken to be Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

More details about the award and the history behind it can be found on the Petrona Award website. The winner of the 2019 Award was The Katharina Code by Jørn Lier Horst, translated from the Norwegian by Anne Bruce and published by Michael Joseph.

The award is sponsored by David Hicks.

Entries (ie published in 2019)

[13 titles are by Female authors, 24 by Male. There are 24 translators (13 Female (23 titles) and 11 Male (14 titles)) and 6 countries are represented.]

I have tagged these titles on Goodreads.

Jussi Adler-Olsen - The Washington Decree tr. Steve Schein (M, Denmark) Quercus
Stefan Ahnhem - Motive X tr. Agnes Broomé (M, Sweden) Head of Zeus
Heine Bakkeid - I Will Miss You Tomorrow tr. Anne Bruce (M, Norway) Raven Books
Mattias Berg - The Carrier tr. George Goulding (M, Sweden) MacLehose Press
Samuel Bjork - The Boy in the Headlights tr. Charlotte Barslund (M, Norway) Doubleday

Arne Dahl - Hunted tr. Neil Smith (M, Sweden) Harvill Secker
Kjell Ola Dahl - The Courier tr. Don Bartlett (M, Norway) Orenda Books

M T Edvardsson - A Nearly Normal Family tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (M, Sweden) Pan Macmillan
Thomas Enger - Inborn tr. Kari Dickson (M, Norway) Orenda Books

Agnete Friis - The Summer of Ellen tr. Sinead Quirke Kongerskov (F, Denmark)Soho Press

Camilla Grebe - After She's Gone tr. Elizabeth Clark Wessel (F, Sweden) Zaffre
Johana Gustawsson - Blood Song tr. David Warriner (F, France) Orenda Books

Anne Holt - A Grave for Two tr. Anne Bruce (F, Norway) Corvus
Jørn Lier Horst - The Cabin tr. Anne Bruce (M, Norway) Anne Bruce

Stina Jackson - The Silver Road tr. Susan Beard (F, Sweden) Corvus
Ragnar Jonasson - The Island tr. Victoria Cribb (M, Iceland) Penguin

David Lagercrantz - The Girl Who Lived Twice tr. George Goulding (M, Sweden) MacLehose Press
Leena Lehtolainen - Where Have All the Young Girls Gone tr. Owen F Witesman (F, Finland) AmazonCrossing
Mariette Lindstein - The Cult on Fog Island tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (F, Sweden) HQ

Stefan Malmström - Kult tr. Suzanne Martin Cheadle (M, Sweden) Silvertail Books
Niklas Natt och Dag - The Wolf and the Watchman tr. Ebba Segerberg (M, Sweden) John Murray
Jo Nesbo - Knife tr. Neil Smith (M, Norway) Harvill Secker
Mads Peder Nordbo - The Girl Without Skin tr. Charlotte Barslund (M, Denmark) Text Publishing
Mads Peder Nordbo - Cold Fear tr. Charlotte Barslund (M, Denmark) Text Publishing
Andreas Norman - The Silent War tr. Ian Giles (M, Sweden) riverrun

Kristina Ohlsson - The Flood tr. Marlaine Delargy (F, Sweden) Simon & Schuster
Martin Osterdahl - Ten Swedes Must Die tr. Peter Sean Woltemade (M, Sweden) AmazonCrossing

Roslund & Hellstrom - Three Hours tr. Elizabeth Clark Wessel (M, Sweden) riverrun

Lilja Sigurdardottir - Cage tr. Quentin Bates (F, Iceland) Orenda Books
Yrsa Sigurdardottir - The Absolution tr. Victoria Cribb (F, Iceland) Hodder & Stoughton
Gunnar Staalesen - Wolves at the Door tr. Don Bartlett (M, Norway) Orenda Books
Viveca Sten - In the Shadow of Power tr. Marlaine Delargy (F, Sweden) AmazonCrossing
Soren Sveistrup - The Chestnut Man tr. Caroline Waight (M, Denmark) Michael Joseph

Antti Tuomainen - Little Siberia tr. David Hackston (M, Finland) Orenda Books
Helene Tursten - Hunting Game tr. Paul Norlen (F, Sweden) Soho Press
Helene Tursten - Winter Grave tr. Marlaine Delargy (F, Sweden) Soho Press

Joakim Zander - The Friend tr. Elizabeth Clark Wessel (M, Sweden) Head of Zeus

The Petrona Award 2017 - the Trophy is Home

Only a few weeks ago, at CrimeFest, Gunnar Staalesen was announced as the winner of the 2017 Petrona Award for WHERE ROSES NEVER DIE, translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett and published by Orenda Books.

The Trophy itself was subsequently shipped to Mr Staalesen's home in Norway and I'm pleased to announce that it has just arrived. Here are a couple of photos of the author with his prize, plus its resting place in a central position in his living room. As well as the Trophy, Mr Staalesen also won a complimentary pass from the organisers of CrimeFest for next year's event, which he will be taking up.

Award News: And the Winner of the Petrona Award 2014 is...

Last night at CrimeFest, Petrona Award judges Barry Forshaw and Sarah Ward announced the winner of the 2014 Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.

And the winner is Leif GW Persson for Linda, as in the Linda Murder translated by Neil Smith (who also translated last year's winner, Last Will by Liza Marklund).

As well as this beautiful trophy, Leif Persson will also receive a cheque for £200 and should he wish to take it up, a pass and panel at next year's CrimeFest.

Leif Persson was not able to collect the award in person but sent in the following acceptance speech (read out by Barry Forshaw):

My character Superintendent Evert Bäckström is actually not a nice person. He embodies pretty much every human prejudice - and then some - and he does so proudly and wholeheartedly. He feels that he is not only God’s gift to humanity but also the object of every woman’s secret fantasies. I myself, am a fully normal person - but there is a joy that he brings me when I tell the story of his life and times.

Now he and I have received an award. A very fine English award, which makes me especially happy as a large part of my family lives in England. There is one person with whom I most profoundly want to share this honour and that is my excellent translator Neil Smith who has succeeded in making this Swede, with his spiritual and physical roots in the Stone Age, at least intelligible for an educated Anglo-Saxon public. Thank you!

Award News: Petrona Award Eligibles 2015

Here is a list* of books (44) that can be submitted for the 2015 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year ie:

• The submission must be in translation and published in English in the UK during the preceding calendar year ie 1 January – 31 December 2014.
• The author of the submission must either be born in Scandinavia* or the submission must be set in Scandinavia*.

(E-books that meet the above criteria may be considered at the judges’ discretion (does not include self-published titles))
*in this instance taken to be Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

More details about the award and the history behind it can be found on the Petrona Award website. The winner of the 2014 Award will be announced at CrimeFest.

Links are to reviews by the Euro Crime team; gender, country and publisher details are also included.

Publishers please note: an entry form can be downloaded here or requested from admin@petronaaward.co.uk.

*This list will be updated as and when additional titles are identified.

Published in 2014

January

Jorgen Brekke - Where Evil Lies (apa Where Monsters Dwell) tr. Steven T Murray (M, Norway) Pan
Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg - The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules tr. Rod Bradbury (F, Sweden) PanMacmillan
Hans Koppel - You're Mine Now tr. Kari Dickson (M, Sweden)  Little Brown (Sphere)
Asa Larsson - The Second Deadly Sin tr. Laurie Thompson (F, Sweden) MacLehose Press
Helene Tursten - The Fire Dance tr. Laura A Wideburg (F, Sweden) Soho Press

February

Jussi Adler-Olsen - Guilt (US: The Purity of Vengeance) tr. Martin Aitken (M, Denmark) Penguin
Thomas Enger - Scarred tr. Charlotte Barslund (M, Norway) Faber
Yrsa Sigurdardottir - The Silence of the Sea tr. Victoria Cribb (F, Iceland) Hodder & Stoughton

March

Cilla & Rolf Borjlind - Spring Tide tr. Rod Bradbury (M&F, Sweden) Hesperus Press
Martin Jensen - Oathbreaker tr. Tara Chace (M, Denmark) Amazoncrossing

April

Carin Gerhardsen - Cinderella Girl tr. Paul Norlen  (F, Sweden) Penguin
Mons Kallentoft - The Fifth Season tr. Neil Smith (M, Sweden) Hodder
Camilla Lackberg - Buried Angels tr Tiina Nunnally (F, Sweden) HarperCollins
Jo Nesbo - The Son tr. Charlotte Barslund (M, Norway) Harvill Secker
Olivier Truc - Forty Days Without Shadow tr. Louise Lalaurie (M, France) Trapdoor

May

Kjell Eriksson - Black Lies, Red Blood tr. Paul Norlen (M, Sweden) Allison & Busby
Jorn Lier Horst - The Hunting Dogs tr. Anne Bruce (M, Norway) Sandstone

June

Arne Dahl - To the Top of the Mountain tr. Alice Menzies (M, Sweden) Harvill Secker
Karin Fossum - The Murder of Harriet Krohn tr. James Anderson (F, Norway) Harvill Secker
Hans Olav Lahlum - The Human Flies tr. Kari Dickson (M, Norway) Mantle

July

Kati Hiekkapelto - The Hummingbird tr. David Hackston (F, Finland) Arcadia
Sander Jakobsen - The Preacher tr. Sander Jakobsen (M&F, Denmark) Little Brown (Sphere)
Hakan Nesser - The G File tr.  Laurie Thompson (M, Sweden) Mantle
Andreas Norman - Into a Raging Blaze tr. Ian Giles (M, Sweden) Quercus
Dan T Sehlberg - Mona tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (M, Sweden) Scribe Publications
Joakim Zander - The Swimmer tr. Elizabeth Clark Wessel (M, Sweden) Head of Zeus

August

Jussi Adler-Olsen -  Alphabet House tr. Steve Schein (M, Denmark) Hesperus Press
Lars Kepler - The Sandman tr. Neil Smith (M&F, Sweden) Blue Door
Fredrik T Olsson - Chain of Events tr. Dominic Hinde (M, Sweden) Little Brown
Tore Renberg - See You Tomorrow tr. Sean Kinsella (M, Norway) Arcadia Books

September

Jussi Adler-Olsen -  Buried (US: The Marco Effect) tr. Martin Aitken (M, Denmark) Penguin moved to February 2015
Arnaldur Indridason - Reykjavik Nights tr. Victoria Cribb (M, Iceland) Harvill Secker
Henning Mankell - An Event in Autumn tr. Laurie Thompson (M, Sweden) Harvill Secker
Kristina Ohlsson - Hostage tr. Marlaine Delargy (F, Sweden) Simon & Schuster
Arild Stavrum -  Exposed at the Back (M, Norway) Freight Books
Erik Axl Sund - The Crow Girl tr. Neil Smith (M&M, Sweden) Harvill Secker moved to May 2015

October

Sara Blaedel - Only One Life tr. Erik J Macki & Tara F Chace (F, Denmark) Little Brown (Sphere)
Pekka Hiltunen -  Black Noise tr. Owen Witesman (M, Finland) Hesperus Press
Steffen Jacobsen - Trophy tr. Charlotte Barslund (M, Denmark) Quercus
Tom Johansen - Blood on Snow tr. Neil Smith (M, Norway) Harvill Secker moved to April 2015
Liza Marklund - Borderline tr. Neil Smith (F, Sweden) Corgi
Leif GW Persson - Falling Freely As If in a Dream (apa Free Falling, as If in a Dream) tr. Paul Norlen (M, Sweden) Doubleday
Stefan Spjut - Stallo tr. Susan Beard (M, Sweden) Faber & Faber moved to June 2015

November

Elsebeth Egholm - Dead Souls tr. Don Bartlett & Charlotte Barslund (F, Denmark) Headline
Sissel-Jo Gazan - The Arc of the Swallow tr. Charlotte Barslund (F, Denmark) Quercus
Anne Holt - The Lion's Mouth tr. Anne Bruce (F, Norway) Atlantic

December

Carin Gerhardsen - The Last Lullaby tr. tbc (F, Sweden) Penguin moved to June 2015
Leena Lehtolainen - Snow Woman tr. Owen Witesman (F, Finland) Amazoncrossing
Leena Lehtolainen - The Bodyguard tr. Jenni Salmi (F, Finland) Amazoncrossing

Award News: Petrona Award Eligibles 2014

Here is a list of books (45) that can be submitted for the 2014 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year ie:

• The submission must be in translation and published in English in the UK during the preceding calendar year ie 1 January – 31 December 2013.
• The author of the submission must either be born in Scandinavia* or the submission must be set in Scandinavia*.

(E-books that meet the above criteria may be considered at the judges’ discretion (does not include self-published titles))
*in this instance taken to be Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden .

More details about the award can be found on the Petrona Award website and the history behind it at Petrona Remembered.

Links are to Euro Crime reviews and gender, country and publisher details are also included.

Published in 2013


February

Leif GW Persson - Linda, As in the Linda Murder, tr. Neil Smith (M, Sweden) Doubleday
Antti Tuomainen - The Healer, tr. Lola Rogers (M, Finland) Harvill Secker

March

Marie Hermanson - The Devil's Sanctuary, tr. Neil Smith (F, Sweden) Little, Brown (Trapdoor)
Anne Holt - Blessed Are Those Who Thirst, tr. Anne Bruce (F, Norway) Atlantic
Camilla Lackberg - The Lost Boy, tr. Tiina Nunnally (F, Sweden) HarperCollins
Alexander Soderberg - The Andalucian Friend, tr. Neil Smith (M, Sweden) Harvill Secker
Johan Theorin - The Asylum, tr. Marlaine Delargy (M, Sweden) Doubleday

April

Gaute Heivoll - Before I Burn, tr. Don Bartlett (M, Norway) Atlantic
Jarkko Sipila - Helsinki Homicide: Cold Trail, tr. Kristian London (M, Finland) AmazonCrossing
Mons Kallentoft - Savage Spring, tr. Neil Smith (M, Sweden) Hodder
Liza Marklund - Lifetime, tr. Neil Smith (F, Sweden) Corgi
Hakan Nesser - The Weeping Girl, tr. Laurie Thompson (M, Sweden) Mantle
Roslund & Hellstrom - Two Soldiers, tr. Kari Dickson (M, Sweden) Quercus

May

Viktor Arnar Ingolfsson - Daybreak, tr. Bjorg Arnadottir & Andrew Cauthery (M, Iceland) AmazonCrossing
Leena Lehtolainen - Her Enemy, tr. Owen Witesman (F, Finland) AmazonCrossing
Yrsa Sigurdardottir - Someone to Watch Over Me, tr. Philip Roughton (F, Iceland) Hodder & Stoughton
Dan Turrell - Murder in the Dark, tr. Mark Mussari (M, Denmark) Norvik Press

June

Lotte and Soren Hammer - The Hanging, tr. Ebba Segerberg (M & F, Denmark) Bloomsbury
Pekka Hiltunen - Cold Courage, tr. Owen Witesman (M, Finland) Hesperus Press Ltd
Gunnar Staalesen - Cold Hearts, tr. Don Bartlett (M, Norway) Arcadia

July

Jussi Adler-Olsen - Redemption (apa A Conspiracy of Faith), tr. Martin Aitken (M, Denmark) Penguin
Sara Blaedel - Blue Blood (apa Call Me Princess), tr. Erik J Macki & Tara F Chace (F, Denmark) Little, Bown (Sphere)
Arne Dahl - Bad Blood, tr. Rachel Willson-Broyles (M, Sweden) Harvill Secker
Elsebeth Egholm - Three Dog Night (F, Denmark) Headline
Karin Fossum - I Can See in the Dark, tr. James Anderson (F, Norway) Harvill Secker
Grebe & Traff - More Bitter Than Death, tr. tbc (F, Sweden) Simon & Schuster
Mari Jungstedt - The Double Silence (F, Sweden) Doubleday
Lars Kepler - The Fire Witness (M & F, Sweden) Blue Door

August

Arnaldur Indridason - Strange Shores, tr. Victoria Cribb (M, Iceland) Harvill Secker
Kristina Ohlsson - The Disappeared, tr. Marlaine Delargy (F, Sweden) Simon & Schuster
Jan Costin Wagner - Light in a Dark House, tr. Anthea Bell (M, Germany) Harvill Secker

September

Anne Holt - Death of the Demon, tr. Anne Bruce (F, Norway) Atlantic
Steffen Jacobsen - When the Dead Awaken, tr. Charlotte Barslund (M, Denmark) Quercus
Liza Marklund - The Long Shadow, tr. Neil Smith (F, Sweden) Corgi
Jo Nesbo - Police, tr. Don Bartlett (M, Norway) Harvill Secker
Hakan Nesser - The Strangler's Honeymoon, tr. Laurie Thompson (M, Sweden) Mantle

October

Jorn Lier Horst - Closed for Winter, tr. Anne Bruce (M, Norway) Sandstone
Martin Jensen - The King's Hounds, tr. Tara Chace (M, Denmark) AmazonCrossing
Leif GW Persson - He Who Kills the Dragon tr. Neil Smith (M, Sweden) Doubleday

November

Jens Lapidus - Never F**k Up (apa Never Screw Up), tr. Astri von Arbin Ahlander (M, Sweden) Macmillan
Leena Lehtolainen - Copper Heart, tr. Owen Witesman (F, Finland) AmazonCrossing
Jo Nesbo - Cockroaches, tr. Don Bartlett (M, Norway) Harvill Secker

December

Anders de la Motte - Game, tr. Neil Smith (M, Sweden) Blue Door
Anders de la Motte - Buzz, tr. Neil Smith (M, Sweden) Blue Door
Anders de la Motte - Bubble, tr. Neil Smith (M, Sweden) Blue Door
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Published in the US only (at the moment):
Anna Jansson - Strange Bird, tr. Paul Norlen, (F, Sweden) Stockholm Text

The Petrona Award for Scandinavian Crime Fiction

The following press release has been circulated revealing the shortlist for the inaugural Petrona Award, for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. Congratulations to all the nominees.

Introducing a New Annual Award for Scandinavian Crime Fiction:

The Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year

The Petrona Award has been established to celebrate the work of Maxine Clarke, one of the first online crime fiction reviewers and bloggers, who died in December 2012. Maxine, whose online persona and blog was called Petrona, was passionate about translated crime fiction but in particular that from the Scandinavian countries.

The shortlist for the 2013 award, which is based on Maxine's reviews and ratings is as follows:

PIERCED by Thomas Enger, tr. Charlotte Barslund (Faber and Faber)

BLACK SKIES by Arnaldur Indridason, tr. Victoria Cribb (Harvill Secker)

LAST WILL by Liza Marklund, tr. Neil Smith (Corgi)

ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER LIFE by Leif GW Persson tr. Paul Norlen (Doubleday)

The winning title will be announced at the annual international crime fiction event CrimeFest, held 30 May to 2 June 2013. The winning author will receive a full pass for the 2014 CrimeFest event plus a guaranteed panel at the 2014 event.

From 2014 onwards a team of judges will, as well as drawing on their own expertise, apply the criteria that Maxine considered essential in a well-written crime novel: quality of plot, strength of characterisation and the consideration of contemporary social issues.

The judges are:

Barry Forshaw – Writer and journalist specialising in crime fiction and author of two books on Scandinavian crime fiction: ‘Death in a Cold Climate’ and ‘Nordic Noir’ and a biography of Stieg Larsson.

Dr Kat Hall – Academic and international crime fiction reviewer/blogger at Mrs Peabody.

Sarah Ward – Online crime fiction reviewer and blogger at Crimepieces.

Leading Scandinavian crime fiction expert Barry Forshaw said “I’m delighted to be judging an award that is unique in recognising the influence of Scandinavian crime fiction in both the UK and abroad”.

The award is open to crime fiction in translation, either written by a Scandinavian author or set in Scandinavia and published in the UK in the previous calendar year.

Details on eligibility and how to enter for the 2014 Petrona Award can be found on the Petrona Award page of Petrona Remembered, a tribute website where fans of crime fiction can contribute by writing about a favourite book.