Ödet och hoppet (#1)
Hope and Destiny
2023, Literary
Niklas Natt och Dag (b. 1979) debuted as an author with the historical literary novel The Wolf and the Watchman, the first installment in the highly acclaimed and bestselling Bellman noir trilogy. Natt och Dag himself has an undeniable connection to Swedish history, being a member of the oldest surviving noble family in Sweden. In Hope and Destiny, the first novel in a new epic series, he investigates his own family history, and through fiction, he unravels the most infamous murder of the Swedish medieval era.
When he isn’t writing or reading, Natt och Dag enjoys playing the guitar, mandolin, violin, or the Japanese bamboo flute, shakuhachi. Niklas Natt och Dag lives in Stockholm with his wife and their two sons.
The Mystery Writers of Japan Award (Best Translated Mystery Fiction) Japan – 1794 The City Between the Bridges | 2023 |
Prix Nouvelles Voix du Polar (Best Translated Crime Fiction - Finalist ) France – 1793 The Wolf and the Watchman | 2020 |
The Icepick Translation Award (Best Translated Crime Fiction) Iceland – 1793 The Wolf and the Watchman | 2020 |
City of Stockholm's Honorary Award Sweden | 2020 |
Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Fiction) Sweden – 1794 The City Between the Bridges | 2019 |
Longlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger UK – 1793 The Wolf and the Watchman | 2019 |
Shortlisted for the Golden Bullet Award Norway – 1793 The Wolf and the Watchman | 2019 |
Shortlisted for LiveLib Readers’ Choice Awards (Best Crime Novel) Russia – 1793 The Wolf and the Watchman | 2018 |
Storytel Awards (Best Fiction) Sweden – 1793 The Wolf and the Watchman | 2018 |
Crimetime Specsavers Award (Crime Debut of the Year) Sweden – 1793 The Wolf and the Watchman | 2018 |
Book of the Year Award Sweden – 1793 The Wolf and the Watchman | 2018 |
The Swedish Academy of Crime Writers’ Award (Best Debut) Sweden – 1793 The Wolf and the Watchman | 2017 |
2021, Literary
2019, Literary
2017, Literary
The nominees for the 2023 Adlibris Awards have been announced. Adlibris is the leading book retailer in the Nordics and the award was founded in 2019 to celebrate the site’s biggest titles. The nominated works have been selected by a jury of Adlibris employees, but the winners will be voted forth by the public. The winning titles will be announced on January 25, 2024.
In the category “Fiction of the Year,” Niklas Natt och Dag competes with Hope and Destiny.
In “Children’s Book of the Year, Ages 0-6,” Sarah Sheppard and David Sundin have both received a nomination. Sheppard for her Animals of the City, and Sundin for his You Must Be QUIET Now!.
Lastly, in the category “Children’s Book of the Year, Ages 6-12,” Martin Widmark vies for the winning title with The Dinosaur Mystery.
In May, Niklas Natt och Dag was awarded this year’s Mystery Writers of Japan Award in the translated fiction category for his praised historical thrillers 1794 and 1795. The ceremony was held last night, and the award was accepted on behalf of Niklas by his publisher, Shogakukan. Niklas sent a video greeting in Japanese that was shown during the ceremony.
The Mystery Writers of Japan Award was founded in 1947 and is considered one of the most prestigious awards within the genre.
Kristina Ohlsson’s The Case of the Weeping Ghost, the fifth book in The Ghost Detectives series, jumps to No. 2 on the official bestseller list for children’s books in Sweden. Niklas Natt och Dag meanwhile appears at No. 4 on the hardcover list with Hope and Destiny, where Johan Theorin’s Scratch Marks lands the No. 5 spot.
Niklas Natt och Dag’s just published Hope and Destiny shoots to No. 1 in hardcover this week. Hjorth & Rosenfeldt’s The Guilt You Carry stays at No. 2 on the same list.
Martin Widmark’s latest JerryMaya title, The Dinosaur Mystery, likewise retains its position at No. 1 on the children’s list.
The acclaimed author Niklas Natt och Dag is back with a new epic and gripping series.
Year 1434: The Kalmar Union is cracking at its seams. From Denmark, Erik of Pomerania rules with an uncertain hand. A rebellion erupts in the north, led by the miner Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson. To his side, the young Måns Bengtsson is sent to win Engelbrekt’s trust to promote his family, which bears the coat of arms in gold and blue. At Göksholm’s castle by the shores of Lake Hjälmaren, he leaves behind his mother, father, and sister. One is lost in longing, another forges plans for the throne and crown, and one is given the opportunity to rise from her brother’s shadow.
In Hope and Destiny, Natt och Dag unravels the most infamous murder of the Swedish medieval era in the only way possible today: through fiction.
Niklas Natt och Dag is the fifteenth-generation grandson of Måns Bengtsson.
Niklas Natt and Dag’s trilogy about Cardell & Winge is one of Sweden’s most successful book series to date. The novels have been praised around the world for their descriptions of late 18th-century Stockholm, multifaceted characters, and vivid language.
The Wolf and the Watchman, the first installment in the trilogy, is now published in a new form, as a graphic novel. The beautiful hardcover edition is complemented by newly written commentary by the author, providing insight into the books’ historical background and rich source materials, making the volume a must-have for dedicated readers as well as newcomers and all fans of graphic novels.
Niklas Natt och Dag’s remarkable novel The Wolf and the Watchman will be made into a comics series. The comics album is being developed by Italian screenwriters and artists, in collaboration with the author. The comics, much like the original novel, will depict Stockholm in the late 18th century and will be enriched with added commentary by Niklas Natt och Dag. The album will be published in Sweden by Forum on October 26.
The Wolf and the Watchman, the first and internationally bestselling installment of the Bellman noir trilogy, has been awarded the Crimetime Specsavers Award for Crime Debut of the Year and The Swedish Academy of Crime Writers’ Award for Best Debut.
The official bestseller lists for 2021 in Sweden have been announced and the hardcover fiction list sees Niklas Natt och Dag’s 1795 at No. 2. This bestselling final part of Natt och Dag’s Bellman noir trilogy also appears at No. 5 on the e-book list, together with Liza Marklund’s acclaimed first installment in her highly anticipated new trilogy, The Polar Circle at No. 4.
Måns Mosesson’s intimate portrayal of Tim Bergling, Tim – The Official Biography of Avicii, grabs the No. 5 spot on the hardcover non-fiction list.
David Sundin’s children’s book debut and instant bestseller, The Book That Did Not Want To Be Read, comes in at No. 3 on the children’s list.
The paperback list sees Storm Watch, the first installment in the immensely popular August Strindberg series by Kristina Ohlsson, come in at No. 2 and Björn Natthiko Lindeblad’s beloved and moving non-fiction work, I May Be Wrong, at No. 5.
I May Be Wrong also claims the No. 2 spot on the audio list.
Dagens Nyheter, Sweden’s largest national newspaper, has announced a list of this year’s best crime novels which features and praises Liza Marklund’s The Polar Circle, Johan Theorin’s Weathered Bones, Sara Osman’s Everything We Didn’t Say, Niklas Natt och Dag’s 1795 and Anders de la Motte & Måns Nilsson’s A House to Die For.
Anders Hansen’s Brain Blues continues to top the official Swedish bestseller list for hardcover non-fiction, coming in at No. 1 for the third consecutive week. Kristina Ohlsson’s Icebreaker sits steadily at No. 1 on the e-book list and No. 2 on the hardcover list also this week, while Niklas Natt och Dag’s 1795 comes in at No. 3 in hardcover.
The nominees for 2021’s Adlibris Awards have been announced. Adlibris is the leading book retailer in the Nordics and the Adlibris Award was founded in 2019 to celebrate the site’s greatest titles. The 10 nominated titles in the 9 respective categories have been selected by a jury of Adlibris employees from all works published in 2021.
Fredrik Backman’s The Winners and Jonas Gardell’s A Happier Year are shortlisted in the ’Fiction’ category.
Amongst the nominated titles in the ‘Crime Fiction’ category are Niklas Natt och Dag’s 1795 and Liza Marklund’s The Polar Circle.
Måns Mosesson’s just published Tim – The official Biography of Avicii is nominated in the Non-fiction category.
Two titles by David Sundin are nominated in the ‘Childrens’ category – The Book That Really Did Not Want To Be Read is shortlisted for ‘Children’s 0-6’ while his upcoming Trollformler och besvärjelser is nominated for ‘Children’s 6-12’.
Fans have until December 8 to cast their votes in each respective category. The winners will be announced on January 25, 2022.
Click the “Read more” button below to cast your vote.
Photo credits: Kiefer Lee; Annika Marklund; Stellan Herner; Linnéa Jonasson Bernholm; Stefan Tell; Thron Ullberg