The Finnish entertainment service Elisa Viihde has commissioned an original series based on Antti Tuomainen’s bestselling novel The Man Who Died. The series, which will start shooting in June 2021, is produced by Markku Flink and will be directed by Samuli Valkama. The screenplay is written by Brendan Foley (Cold Courage). The six-episode series will follow the plot of the book closely, centering on the main character, the mushroom entrepreneur Jaakko Kaunismaa (played by Jussi Vatanen) who learns that he is slowly dying from poisoning and decides to find out who wants him dead.

“The Man Who Died is definitely one of the funniest novels I’ve read in years. Although the story is truly as Finnish as can be, it will surely delight an international audience who enjoys the dark humor of the Coen brothers and Wes Anderson,” says Markku Flink.

Jonas Bonnier’s The Congregation, a novel inspired by the real-life story of the Knutby sect, will be made into a six-episode TV series for TV4 and C More. Shooting is slated to start this summer. Head writer for the series is Fredrik Agetoft, who is joined by episode writer Anna Platt and the novel’s author and now screenwriter, Jonas Bonnier.

The drama TV series will depict the fateful events of Knutby, 2004, when a free church in small-town Sweden became the epicenter of a murder plot that shook the country. Playing the role of the figure at the plot’s center, Kristi Brud – “Eva” in the series – is Aliette Opheim (Caliphate, Beartown). The pastor arrested for brainwashing his lover into killing will be played by Einar Bredefeldt (Beartown), and the nanny by Alba August (Quick). The director of the series is Goran Kapetanoviç (Caliphate).

Førstegangstjenesten, the popular NRK comedy series written by Rolf-Magne Golten Andersen together with co-writers Herman Flesvig and Marit Støre Valeur, was this weekend chosen as the winner of the Golden Screen award for ‘Best Comedy’ in Norway. The Golden Screen awards (Gullruten) is the Norwegian equivalent to the Emmys.

Tiril, Oliver and Ocho head to Moklehoma City in the US with grandpa Franz to investigate the claimed spotting of a real-life unicorn. Cowboys patrol the streets of the town, just like in the old Wild West. The President of the Natural History Society has promised a reward of a million dollar to whoever manages to capture the unicorn. But do unicorns even exist? This is undoubtedly a case for Detective Agency No. 2, who ride out on the prairie to get to the bottom of the mystery. But they’re not the only ones searching for this special animal… Along the way we get to take part in the solving of the mystery, just like in the other thrilling activity books from the Detective Agency No. 2 universe.  

The Search for Unicorn is the seventh activity book in Jørn Lier Horst and Hans Jørgen Sandnes’ Detective Agency No. 2 series.

Katrine Engberg continues to dominate the Norwegian paperback bestseller list. This week too she grabs three of the top five spots, coming in at No. 1 with The Butterfly House, No. 2 with Blood Moon, and No. 5 with The Tenant.

Annette Bjergfeldt has been nominated for the Danish 2021 Martha Award for her debut novel When Life Gives You Hippos. The Martha Award is the largest book retailer award in Denmark and has been bestowed annually since 1989 by Bog & Idé. The nominated works are selected by book retailers and readers and the ultimate winner will be announced in October. Previous winners include Jussi Adler-Olsen, J.K. Rowling and Stephen King.