Shakespeare may have opined “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” but it is the steady slew of crime-fiction writers who hail from the region that should be credited with doing a bang-up job of keeping the sentiment alive and well. By far the most popular genre in Scandinavia, psychological thrillers and suspense-filled novels frequently grace the Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish bestseller lists. And yet, much like the twisted plots they contain, there are more to these whodunits than meets the eye. English-speaking readers may have recently been turned on to these hidden depths with the runaway success of Danish author Christian Jungersen’s sophomore novel The Exception (Undantekningin). After reaching bestselling heights across Europe, the thriller was published for an American audience by Doubleday this year and currently is going back to press for a second printing. According to editor Lorna Owen, what makes The Exception such a stand-out is that while “on the surface, The Exception is a fast-paced read with all the elements of a good crime novel… Beneath the chilling suspense lies an intelligent and provocative tale that explores how ordinary people are able to commit atrocious acts…” In addition, Overlook Press President Peter Mayer adds his vote of confidence for the region as the publisher of both “Sweden’s greatest author” Per Olav Enquist who’s been published in over 25 countries as well as Danish literary critic and historian Keld Zeruneith (whose latest book The Wooden Horse he called “a major contribution to the development of Western thought”). Heeding these endorsements as the tip of the fjord, we here at PT have decided to do some sleuthing of our own and seek out a handful of other notable Nords, Swedes and Danes who are ripe (perhaps overripe, if you ask the Bard) for some stateside recognition (and English translation).
Hopping over to Sweden we encounter a Nordic wonder by the name of Mons Kallentoft. Mr. Kallentoft has proven his versatile capabilities by successfully alternating his literary focus from the animate to the inanimate (and no, we’re not talking corpses). After dabbling in the realm of nonfiction with the release of Food Noir in 2005, a groundbreaking collection of food and travel pieces, the worldly Kallentoft has since returned to home sweet Stockholm and the equally familiar realm of crime fiction. His latest offering, Midwinter’s Sacrifice, is the first in a series that will follow Detective Superintendent Malin Fors, a single working mother struggling to prevent the tragedies that blight her personal past from affecting her professional future. In this inaugural episode, Malin Fors and her colleagues on the police squad undertake the formidable task of determining how a naked obese man came to be hanging from a tree in the dead of winter. Part crime novel, part Deliverance, Kallentoft weaves a chilling, yet compelling tale set in the isolated backwoods of the city of Linköping. Lotta Ollson of Sweden’s Dagens Nyheter pinpoints how Kallentoft’s effective narrative strategy allows a story with roots in one genre to elevate itself to an entirely different level, “The originality does not need to be based on the choice of subject matter. . . . Instead, Kallentoft shifts the perspective ever so slightly, to a different language, a different mood. Only just enough so that one feels lost. It’s a new territory, that Linköping where Malin Fors lives.” And with Midwinter’s Sacrifice recently breaking the top 10 on the Swedish bestseller list, it seems readers have been more than willing to brave this uncharted terrain with Kallentoft as their guide. Talk about getting off to a running start, Kallentoft received an incredibly warm reception for his first novel, Pesetas (Natur & Kultur, 2000), a thriller that received the prestigious Writer’s Associations award for best debut. Since then Kallentoft has not only produced an equally gripping follow-up Marbella Club, but also racked up accolades for chronicling his aforementioned epicurean adventures. Contact Bengt Nordin (bengt.nordin @nordimagency.com). Rights have been sold to Sweden (Natur & Kultur), Germany (Rowohlt), Holland (Ambo Anthos) and Denmark (Gyldendal).
But taking a step outside the scene of the crime for a moment, it is worthwhile to mention some slightly less mysterious, but equally intriguing Scandinavian authors. Enter the wildly successful Swedish memoir/fiction writer Kanja Ingemarsson, whose breakthrough came in 2005 with the lighthearted read, Yesterday’s News (Små citroner gula), a title that sold the most copies in Sweden during 2005 – beating out both Dan Brown and J.K Rowling. With this impressive track record (and presumably lifelong bragging rights), it is no wonder that Ms. Ingemarrsson has garnered some considerable international attention. And while her previous novel is in the midst of being optioned for a film in Sweden, this fall Ms. Ingemarsson will unveil her newest novel, Wheels of Fortune. The story of a quiet suburban town where three women at different stages of their lives come together when a mysterious new woman moves into town, it seems Ingemarsson has mastered a Swedish take on Desperate Housewives, with slightly more heart and slightly less teeth. After the impressive public success of her last novel, the anticipation for Ingemarsson’s fourth novel is palpable. For more information, contact Bengt Nordin. Right have been sold in Sweden (Forum, Månpocket), Germany (DTV), Finland (Otava), The Netherlands (De Kern), Denmark (People’s Press), and Russia (Fluid).
On the more serious end of the spectrum, Norwegian author Herbjorg Wassmo has met with comparable critical success and international interest. The heavily lauded Wassmo has received The Nordic Literary Prize, the Norwegian Critics’ Prize, Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize, as well as being named a First Class Knight of the Order of St. Olav. In her most recent novel And a Glass of Milk, Please. Wassmo takes on the subject of drug trafficking from the perspective of naive 15 year old Dorte, a poor Lithuanian girl who accepts an offer to work in a restaurant in Stockholm with dreams of an exotic adventure only to belatedly discover that she has landed herself in dire circumstances. Juxtaposing the horrors of human brutality with the beauty of her light linguistic touch, Wassmo’s And a Glass of Milk, Please is a novel that is bound to resonate on a universal level and possibly reunite the author with an American audience nearly a decade after her previous novels The House With The Blind Glass Windows and Dina’s Book were published in translation by Seal Press. For more information contact Eva Lie-Nielsen (eva.lie-nielsen[at]gyldendal.no). Rights have been sold in Russia, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Lithuania.
Need any more convincing about the extensive virtues of Scandinavian literature? Look to the UK where a record nine Danish titles were translated into English over the past year. To celebrate this feat, a number of publishing houses are working together to facilitate the Danish Invasion Tour where some of the leading Danish authors will tour the UK. The tour was organized by literary producer Christine Paris, and is supported by the Danish Arts Council, the Embassy of Denmark and Arts Council England. The tour began on May 22, and runs until Oct 13. Touring authors include Morten Ramsland (Doghead), Janne Teller (Odin’s Island), Leif Davidsen (The Serbian Dane) and Christian Jungersen (The Exception). The authors (and a few translators) will be presenting their books, holding public readings at all of the larger U.K. literary festival, and hosting workshops in selected bookshops and libraries throughout England. US publishers take note – To turn a phrase, it seems something is Danish in the state of Shakespeare.
