
‘Fire from the Sky’ shortlisted for GLLI Translated Young Adult Literature Book Prize
Moa Backe Åstot’s Fire from the Sky has been shortlisted for the 2025 Global Literature in Libraries Initiative Translated Young Adult Book Prize. Backe Åstot’s novel is one of seven nominees.
The award honors exceptional works for readers aged 12–18 that were originally published in another language and translated into English, recognizing authors, translators, and publishers. The winner will be announced on April 16.

Lisa Ridzén receives the Swedish Booksellers’ Award
Lisa Ridzén’s When the Cranes Fly South has been awarded the Swedish Booksellers’ Award 2024 for Book of the Year.
The prize has been awarded annually since 1951 by a non-profit association comprised of book retailer employees. They vote forth a winner “who with their book has bestowed them with the greatest sense of entertainment and personal satisfaction.”

Matias Faldbakken to sculpt July 22 memorial
Matias Faldbakken has received the honor of creating the July 22 Memorial in central Oslo, commemorating the terrorist attack in 2011. This was made public on Tuesday, after a three-year-long competition held by KORO, Norway’s national body for public art.
Matias’ work is titled Upholding, and it will stand in the new Government Quarter in Oslo. The piece is a large mosaic made of stone, with imagery taken from the island of Utøya, placed inside a steel rig – a giant version of the rig which was built to move a Pablo Picasso piece from the demolished government quarter after the attack, the two scenes from the attack thus coming together. The bottom beam will also feature the names of the 77 people killed in the attack.
The jury states:
“Upholding tells a compelling story about how our common values are formed, in the present, past, and future alike, and also about the structures we establish to manage, sustain, and negotiate these values. /…/ The work is immediate and powerful, and it may be regarded as a reminder of the never‑ending effort required, and the responsibility we all have, to preserve democracy and maintain and uphold democratic resilience.”

The quarterly Norwegian bestseller lists for crime fiction
Wrapping up the first quarter of 2025, the Norwegian bestseller lists feature Jo Nesbø’s Wolf Hour on the No. 1 spot for hardcover crime fiction. Wolf Hour also claims the No. 1 spot on the list for crime fiction published in 2025, while Pascal Engman’s No One comes in at No. 2, and Pascal Engman & Johannes Selåker’s The Night Wanderer is featured at No. 3, closely followed by Anders de la Motte’s The Rust Forest at No. 4.
On the list of paperback crime fiction, Pascal Engman claims the top six positions with his Vanessa Frank series. Bestseller comes in at No. 1, Tierra del Fuego at No. 2, X at No. 3, The Widows at No. 4, and Cocaine at No. 5.

New title: ’Let the Waves Do the Rest’
One day, the author Marcus is contacted by Ernst, an old friend from writing school, who wants to publish a suspense novel under a pseudonym. Can Marcus pass the manuscript to his agent, ensuring Ernst’s identity remains secret? A simple favor. A minor misunderstanding. Complicated consequences. And a man who discovers he is capable of things he never could have imagined.
Let the Waves Do the Rest is a psychological thriller in the vein of Patricia Highsmith.

The March bestseller lists in Sweden
Lisa Ridzen’s When the Cranes Fly South claims the top spot on Sweden’s March paperback bestseller list. On the hardcover chart, Lars Kepler’s The Sleepwalker secures the No. 2 position, while Martin Widmark dominates the children’s list with The Football Mystery at No. 1 and The Diamond Mystery at No. 3.

’The Legacy’ shortlisted for the Valencia Negra Awards
The first installment in Yrsa Sigurdardóttir’s bestselling Freyja & Huldar series, The Legacy, has been shortlisted for the Valencia Negra Awards in the Best Novel category.
The VLC Negra festival is a Spanish international cultural event that gathers a variety of creators, including writers, actors, musicians, and photographers. Each year, the top novels from the festival’s previous edition are chosen, and the public votes to decide the winner, which will be announced during the festival, on May 9.

‘The Helicopter Heist’ wins Best Scripted Program at the Ria Awards
The Helicopter Heist, directed by Daniel Espinosa and produced by B-Reel, was awarded Best Scripted Program at the Ria Awards.
The praised series has received fantastic reviews both in Sweden and internationally. The Helicopter Heist is written by Ronnie Sandahl, based on Jonas Bonnier’s novel of the same name.
The Ria Awards is initiated by the Swedish Film & TV Producers’ Association to promote the best creators in Swedish television.
Viaplay’s ‘The Fortress’ to premiere on Amazon Prime
The year is 2037, and the world has plunged into complete disorder with natural disasters occur daily, and political unrest fuels global upheaval. In Scandinavia, one country is striving to do right by its people as Norway has chosen to sever all ties with the rest of the globe in an effort to keep its citizens safe. At first, the country seems like a utopian paradise, completely sustained by its natural resources, but when a mysterious virus breaks out, the facade begins to crumble.
Enlisting top talent from around the globe, The Fortress stars Tobias Santelmann, Russell Tovey, Selome Emnetu, and Eili Harboe. The dystopian drama is created by John Käre Raake and Linn-Jeanethe Kyed, and directed by Cecilie Mosli and Mikkel Sandemose.
Winner of Best Screenplay at Series Mania, and selected as one of The New York Times’ ‘30 Shows to Watch This Summer’, The Fortress will have its Amazon Prime premiere on April 18.

’Dry Land’ No. 1 in Norway
This week, Jørn Lier Horst’s Dry Land, the latest installment in the bestselling William Wisting series, takes the No. 1 spot on the paperback list.