Lisa Ridzén’s debut When the Cranes Fly South has been featured in UK retailer Waterstones’ Best Fiction of 2025. The novel was listed in the category ‘The Contemporary World’; the best novels to reflect the love, politics and communities that typify the current moment.

Lisa Ridzén’s runaway bestselling debut When the Cranes Fly South has been listed among the Best Books of 2025 by both Amazon US and the publication Shelf Awareness.

Amazon US featured the the novel in two categories in their round-up of the best titles of the past year, as selected by the Amazon Editors: Literature & Fiction and Discoveries. Amazon Editor Erin Kodicek had the following to say about the novel:

“Lisa Ridzén’s When the Cranes Fly South is a deceptively quiet tale that contains multitudes–at once a beautiful ode to the older and those who attend to them (not as a job, but as a sacred duty, a vocation, an act of love), and an important reminder that it’s never too late, or too soon, to take an inventory of our lives and make course corrections. It’s no wonder Cranes was a book of the year in Sweden and an international best seller. It resonates with every reader who wrestles with some tender regret. And that’s most of us.”

Shelf Awareness, the trusted publication and newsletter of the indie bookselling community in the US, also listed the novel among the 10 best fiction titles of the year. The selected titles ‘reflect the newsletter’s pride in championing commendable writing, books with striking prose, distinctive premises, and captivating author voices’. Cheryl McKeon from the Book House of Styvesant Plaza writes that:

“Swedish author Lisa Ridzén’s debut is a realistic, poignant retrospective on the last months of a life. (…) When the Cranes Fly South ruminates on a long life lived with care, a deep appreciation for natural surroundings, and a commitment to leaving a legacy of love.”

Adlibris, the largest online retailer for books in the Nordic countries, has compiled their lists for the most sold titles of 2025 in Sweden.

Björn Natthiko Lindeblad’s From Björn Natthiko Lindeblad. With an open hand is No. 3 in nonfiction, and the eighth most sold title across all genres. Lisa Ridzén’s When the Cranes Fly South is No. 4 in fiction.

A movie adaptation of Lisa Ridzén’s No.1 internationally bestselling debut When the Cranes Fly South, to be produced by B-reel Films, has been announced by Deadline. The award-winning and much acclaimed screenwriter Oskar Söderlund (Snabba Cash, Cry Wolf, The Breakthrough) is attached as writer.

Ulf Synnerholm, Managing Partner and Head of Drama at B-Reel Films, said the following about the novel to Deadline: “I cried and laughed my way through the book. It is about death somehow, but it’s also about warmth, and there is love, and there is the need for family, and there’s a fascination with what life could have been; all these universal questions that occupy most of us at various stages.”

Read the full article in Deadline by clicking ‘Read more’ below.

Lisa Ridzén’s internationally bestselling debut When the Cranes Fly South is the ‘Monthly Fiction Pick‘ at US retailer Barnes & Nobles this month and has continuously ranked high on their bestseller lists throughout September. It is currently coming in at No.1 on their paperback bestseller list, whilst also featuring at No. 7 on the bestseller list across all formats.

Lisa Ridzén’s runaway bestselling debut When the Cranes Fly South features at No. 10 on Publishers Weekly’s official bestseller list for trade paperbacks in the US this week. This is the novel’s second consecutive week featured on the list, having previously come in at No. 12.

The official Norwegian bestseller list for July has just been released, with Lisa Ridzén’s acclaimed debut When the Cranes Fly South taking the top spot at No. 1. Coming in at No. 2 is The Sleepwalker, the latest installment in Lars Kepler’s bestselling Joona Linna series.

Lisa Ridzén’s acclaimed debut When the Cranes Fly South, to be published on August 19th in the US, is the No. 1 pick on the on the American Booksellers’ Association’s Indie Next List for August – as chosen by US booksellers across the country. The announcement of When the Cranes Fly South as the No. 1 championed title was paired with a quote from bookseller Casey Gerken, Innisfree Bookshop:

“This honest, beautiful journey to the end of a life is the most affective piece of literature I’ve read in a long time. I haven’t gone a day without thinking of this book, these characters, and this author since I closed it.”

Click the “Read more” button below to see the list in full.

Lisa Ridzén’s runaway bestseller When the Cranes Fly South has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize of 2025 in the UK. The accolade is a celebration of exceptional first novels and emerging talent in fiction of all forms, voted for by Waterstones booksellers. When the Cranes Fly South is the first ever translated debut to be nominated. There are six novels on the shortlist and the ultimate winner will be announced on July 24th.

Bea Carvalho, Waterstones Head of Books says:

“We are delighted to present six astonishingly impressive and inspiring new voices as this year’s nominees. Our shortlist tackles weighty themes and has a lot of fun along the way, celebrating art and transgression, first love and hedonistic summer holidays, and the joy of chosen family. We love these books and look forward to championing these six writers for a long time to come.”

To learn more about the shortlist, click the link below.

Kristina Ohlsson’s newly released Nightshifter, the latest installment in the bestselling August Strindberg series, debuts at No. 5 on this week’s hardcover list. Meanwhile, Beyond Rescue, the fourth book in the same series, holds the No. 1 spot on the paperback list for the second week in a row.

Lisa Ridzen’s bestselling debut, When the Cranes Fly South, lands at No. 3 in the paperback category, marking its 18th week in the top three.

Marking the end of the first quarter of 2025, the Swedish bestseller lists sees Lars Kepler’s The Sleepwalker at No. 2 in the fiction category, while Lisa Ridzén’s When The Cranes Fly South claims the No. 6 spot, closely followed by Pascal Engman’s No One at No. 8.

In the children’s category, Martin Widmark claims three spots with The Football Mystery at No. 3, The Space Mystery at No. 4, and The Diamond Mystery at No. 8.

Lisa Ridzén tops the paperback category with When The Cranes Fly South, while Niklas Natt och Dag’s Hope and Destiny holds steady at No. 9. The audio category also sees Pascal Engman and Johannes Selåker’s The Albino at No. 9, while Ridzén’s debut holds the No. 9 spot in the e-book category.

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.”