‘The Blue Star’ published in Sweden
The new generation of the Lauritzen family takes centre stage. At the fore stands the oldest daughter, Johanne. Already at the start of the war she worked as a courier for the Norwegian resistance. Now, she finds herself in the midst of Stockholm’s criminal world of espionage, deceit and betrayal, recruited by the British espionage organisation SOE. By her British employers Johanne is given a code name: the Blue Star.
The Blue Star is the fifth installment in The Great Century series.
‘Every Thing Will Be Fine’ to have its North American premiere in Toronto
IFC Films has acquired the 3D car crash drama Every Thing Will Be Fine, written by Bjørn Olaf Johannessen and directed by Wim Wenders. The film will have its North American premiere in Toronto and stars James Franco, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Rachel McAdams and Marie-Josée Croze.
TrustNordisk to represent the anticipated feature drama ‘Pyromaniac’
Scandinavia’s biggest sales company TrustNordisk has come on board to represent Erik Skjoldbjærgs’ anticipated chilly drama Pyromaniac in international markets.
Penned by critically-acclaimed screenwriter Bjørn Olaf Johannessen, who also wrote Wim Wenders’ Every Thing Will Be Fine, Pyromaniac is based on a true story depicted in Gaute Heivoll’s best-selling novel Before I Burn.
New Author – Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin
Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin (b. 1978) of Huskvarna, Sweden, began his career as a behavioral scientist and linguist before turning his talents to writing. His major breakthrough came in the form of the children’s book The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep, a literary phenomenon hailed by parents all over the world as a lifesaver. Written to help young children fall asleep, the book uses a unique blend of soothing tones and pedagogic techniques. The self-published The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep made history when it became a No. 1 international bestseller.
New Author – Fredrik Reinfeldt
Fredrik Reinfeldt (b. 1965) has been active in Swedish and international politics for 25 years, and is regarded as the most popular party leader of the past three decades in Sweden. As the prime minister of Sweden during the years 2006-2014, and the chairman of the New Moderate Party (centre-right) 2003-2015, Fredrik Reinfeldt transformed Swedish politics. He helped unite the country’s centre-right parties and create the Alliance – a unique collaboration between Sweden’s most prominent centre-right parties. In September 2006, Reinfeldt was elected prime minister. Together with the Alliance parties Reinfeldt went on to win two successive elections, serving for eight consecutive years – the longest any non-socialist government has sat in modern times in Sweden.
‘The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep’ tops the UK’s bestseller charts
Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin’s The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep rules supreme on The Bookseller’s Children’s bestseller list, and holds the position of No. 2 on its UK Top 50 bestseller chart.
‘The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep’ featured on CBS News
New Author – Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin
We now have the pleasure of working with Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin and his worldwide phenomenon, The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep. Self-published, the book is currently No. 1 in the US, the UK, France, Spain, and several other countries. It is the first time ever that an independent author has topped Amazon’s best seller charts.
‘Midnight Sun’ No. 1 in Norway
Jo Nesbø’s highly anticipated novel Midnight Sun has gone straight to No. 1 on the Norwegian besteller list. The sequel to the groundbreaking Blood on Snow, Midnight Sun tells the story of Ulf, a secretive stranger seeking refuge among the native Sami and Læstadiansin of a small village in the far north.
Johannessen listed among 10 Nordic Talents to Track by Variety
Selected at Norway’s Haugesund Fest, Variety takes its pick of the Scandinavian elite, listing 10 Nordic talents you ought to know – among them screenwriter Bjørn Olaf Johannessen. Best known for the original screenplay of Wim Wender’s Every Thing Will Be Fine (2015), which played at Norway’s Haugesund Fest’s main program, he has also penned Erik Skjoeldberg’s coming drama Pyromaniac. The critically acclaimed comedy drama series Trial of Life (2014) co-written with Per Schreiner and Erlend Loe for NRK, was nominated for the 2014 Prix Europa and awarded the 2015 Golden Screen.