Books from Sweden – 10 must-reads

2. Under the Storm, by Christoffer Carlsson

(Järtecken)
Translated by Rachel Willson Broyles (2024)

In the aftermath of a murder that rocks a rural community, the net quickly closes on one man. But was the right person convicted of the crime? In his bestselling novel, criminologist Christoffer Carlsson probes the ripple effects of crime, grief, violence and generational trauma, as told from two perspectives over the course of 20 years.

Combining a tightly woven cold-case mystery with perceptive, insightful character studies, Under the Storm was one of the New York Times’ best crime novels of 2024. This thoughtful, unsettling novel is ideal reading for those looking for psychologically intense, slow-burn noir with a strong sense of place.

3. Antiquity, by Hanna Johansson

(Antiken)
Translated by Kira Josefsson (2024)

In the sultry summer heat of a Greek island rich with ancient beauty, a lonely, unnamed, 30-something narrator seeks the companionship of Helena, an older artist whom she admires. But when she meets Helena’s teenage daughter Olga, her passions take a more dangerous path.

Described as a queer Lolita story, Hanna Johansson’s provocative, mesmeric debut delves into questions of desire, power and loneliness, and the narratives we build around our lives. Critically acclaimed in Sweden and abroad, Antiquity is a lushly sensual text that thrums with expectancy and a sense of impending ruin.

4. The Singularity, by Balsam Karam

(Singulariteten)
Translated by Saskia Vogel (2024)

On a corniche in an unnamed coastal city home to many refugees, a pregnant tourist bears witness to a mother’s haunting, final act of despair. Circling back and forth from the tragic event that will irreparably bind these two women, Balsam Karam’s haunting, formally inventive second novel interweaves their distinct but overlapping histories of loss, displacement, motherhood and generational trauma.

One of the most interesting stylists of her generation, Karam writes with an inimitable, compassionate and at times breathtaking prose that formally echoes the disorientation of exile. The result, The Singularity, is a devastating but urgent text that was shortlisted for Sweden’s prestigious August Prize (link in Swedish).

5. Stolen, by Ann-Helén Laestadius

(Stöld)
Translated by Rachel Willson Broyles (2023)

Ann-Helén Laestadius draws on real-life events to spin a gripping coming-of-age tale about a young Sámi woman in a reindeer-herding community in northern Sweden. When brutally pointed hate crimes are met with apathy from the local police force, young Elsa must take the struggle for justice into her own hands.

Infused with vivid depictions of Sámi culture, Stolen is a nuanced, keenly observed portrait of an indigenous community grappling with injustice, prejudice, the pressures of contemporary society and the threats of a changing climate. But it is also the story of a young woman learning to live life on her own terms. Now a Netflix film.

6. To Cook a Bear, by Mikael Niemi

(Koka björn)
Translated by Deborah Bragan-Turner (2020)

It is the summer of 1852 in a small village in Sweden’s far north. Jussi, a young Sami boy fleeing an abusive home, is taken in by kind and charismatic Revivalist preacher Lars Levi Læstadius. Jussi becomes Læstadius’ eager disciple. When a spate of murders strike the inward-looking community, Jussi assists the preacher in unmasking the true predator.

Mikael Niemi's To Cook a Bear is a rich and evocative novel narrated with an endearing rawness and charm. It captures a small rural community on the cusp of modernity, mixing a compelling murder mystery with musings on philosophy, natural science and religion. The subject of a forthcoming Disney+ series, this is a book to savour.

7. Colony, by Annika Norlin

(Stacken)
Translated by Alice E. Olsson (2025)

Suffering from burnout, drained Emelie leaves the big city in search of calm seclusion in the Swedish forest. There she happens across a mixed group of misfits who have carved out an alternative life for themselves off-grid. While Emelie is at first drawn to this seemingly idyllic community, her appearance comes to challenge the colony’s delicate status quo.

In this enthralling debut, Annika Norlin – who is also a well-known singer in Sweden – deftly explores power, community and the messy ties that bind us. Colony is a must for readers who appreciate juicy character portraits, slow-burn tension and incisive, often humorous.

8. When the Cranes Fly South, by Lisa Ridzén

(Tranorna flyger söderut)
Translated by Alice Menzies (2025

Few writers convey the vulnerability of old age as poignantly as Lisa Ridzén does in this stellar debut, a tender study of ageing, family, love and loss.

When the Cranes Fly South is about Bo, an elderly man who lives a simple life with his beloved dog, Sixten. But as his health and body start to fail him, he must fight for his autonomy. Written in diary format, in a spare prose that reflects a life lived with quiet dignity, Bo looks back over his life, contemplating his relationship with his adult son and the kind of father he wishes he could be. The result is a thoughtful, bittersweet novel that runs deep. Our advice: have a tissue handy.

9. The Dunning-Kruger Effect, by Andrés Stoopendaal

(Dunning-Kruger Effekten)
Translated by Alex Fleming (2024)

Over the course of a gruelling Gothenburg heatwave, a preoccupied millennial decides to get his life in order and write a freshbook. In The Dunning-Kruger Effect we follow this man’s emotional, existential and literary journey – via numerous digressions, minor misadventures and off-kilter musings on everything from identity politics to Michel Houellebecq to Grumpy Cat. Along the way we gain a fascinating portrait not only of a man belatedly coming of age (or not?), but also of the times and discourses that made him.

While the narrator’s grandiloquent style and intellectual posturing won’t be to everyone’s taste, this critics’ favourite offers a delicious, often blistering satire on the follies of our age.

10. Purity, by Andrzej Tichý

(Renheten)
Translated by Nichola Smalley (2024)

In this challenging yet captivating work, Andrej Tichý details lives lived on the fringes of society. Touching on themes of migration, poverty, power and violence, the dynamic, hard-hitting short stories that make up this collection all revolve around characters struggling to fit within the violent structures of modern civilisation.

An eminent stylist, Tichý’s prose masterfully combines brutal, keenly observed social realism with lyrical flair, in a punchy, stream-of-consciousness style that often subverts our expectations. The result, a charged collection of stories with a raw, propulsive magnetism, was a finalist for the 2021 Nordic Council Literature Prize.