Oliver Lovrenski has just been announced as the winner of the Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize (Bokhandlerprisen) for ‘Best Book of the Year’. His debut novel, Back in the Day, has topped the bestseller list since publication, received raving reviews, and is hailed as an exceptional, outstanding literary debut.

The Bookseller Prize was awarded by the Minister of Culture, Lubna Jaffery, on November 14 at Litteraturhuset in Oslo. Director of the Booksellers Association, Anne Schiøtz, said the following: “The novel Back in the Day is simply a thunderous debut of the rarest kind, and has taken both booksellers and readers by storm.”

Oliver Lovrenski is the youngest author to ever win the prize.

A skeleton, which appears to have been buried in the ground for many years, is found and exhumed at a recycling center in Reykjavík. Police officers Týr and Karó are not assigned to the case but are asked to assist in a neighbor dispute that has entered hellish territory. Before long, they find themselves involved in a murder case after the conflict takes a deadly turn.

Meanwhile, Gunndís, a young female cook, takes a temporary job onboard a large fishing ship, following in her late father’s footsteps. When she finds a book that belonged to him that should be at the bottom of the sea, she begins to fear that someone on board has it in for her.

Although Týr and Karó do not realize it to begin with, the events are all linked through a horrible accident, many years ago, when a trawler caught on fire and sank to the depths of the ocean with the crew trapped inside.

The Surge is the third installment in Yrsa Sigurdardóttir’s thrilling Black Ice series.

Jo Nesbø’s Killing Moon, the thirteenth installment in the Harry Hole series, is shortlisted for the prestigious 2023 Swedish Academy of Crime Writers’ Award for ‘Best Translated Crime Novel’. Killing Moon is translated by Per Olaisen.

The winner will be announced on December 3rd.

Magnus Marten’s Christmas comedy horror There’s Something in the Barn premieres today November 10 in Norwegian theatres.

The film had its world premiere at the Texas festival Fantastic Fest in September and has received great reviews.

There’s Something in the Barn is directed by Martens and written by Aleksander Kirkwood Brown.

“Packed with an infectious twee silly humour, There’s Something in the Barn has all the potential to be a future festive favourite. It lands almost exactly in the centre of a Krampus and Gremlins Venn diagram, making it the cheeriest and creepiest horror around.”
★★★★
The Hollywood News, US

“There’s Something in the Barn is one that you’ll definitely want to keep your eyes on. It’s a fun, and light-hearted horror film that you will definitely want to add to your annual holiday viewing.”
★★★★
Daily Dead, US

“This is a well-crafted horror-comedy in its own right, and like Gremlins, it’s a total blast. /…/ Director Magnus Martens does a great job of weaving some amazing, almost cartoonish gags into the horror, so he keeps the action fun and light-hearted the entire time. /…/ It’s a monstrously amusing mixture, and it comes together perfectly to make one of the most fun genre films I’ve seen all year. When the credits began to roll, the movie left me with a big smile on my face, and if you get a chance to watch it, I think you’ll love it just as much as I did.”
Horror Obsessive, US

“Anytime you think maybe it’s time to look at your watch, someone throws a Christmas ornament bomb, gets eaten by a snowmobile, or gets chased on a sled. So many fun, weird things happen that even when they don’t fit, it’s still entertaining.”
Gizmodo, US

“There’s Something in the Barn is a genuinely funny horror Christmas comedy that strikes a balance between ridiculousness and gore, making it an entertaining watch. /…/ It’s easy to tell the cast had a great time with the material, and their comedic timing is excellent. /…/ There’s Something in the Barn is a horror comedy that seems destined to be a cult classic.”
Screen Rant, US

“The portrayal of the small Norwegian town is authentic, and hilarious. /…/ Magnus Martens is no stranger to horror, having worked on two Walking Dead spin-offs, and he brings those skills here, crafting visually interesting, gory, and very entertaining horror set pieces. /…/ Seeing the family fight their way through Christmas elves, killing and maiming the bearded fellows, makes for a bloody fun time.”
Slash Film, US

Johanna Holmström has been awarded the Aktia Foundation in Borgå’s art scholarship “for her artistic contribution to literature.” The scholarship is handed out annually to an appreciated professional artist, and this is the first time it’s been granted to an author.

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.

Oliver Lovrenski’s incredible debut, Back in the Day, has been shortlisted for the most prestigious literary award in Norway – the Brage Award (Brageprisen).

The jury calls Lovrenski a “linguistic genius” who “shows enormous literary talent”.

The full motivation is as follows: “The novel is inspired by Lovrenski’s own life. It is strong, humorous, tender, and heartfelt. Lovrenski, who is still a teenager himself, displays immense literary talent with his impressive creativity, linguistic genius, and the ability to captivate the reader from the very first sentence. Back in the Day is a fantastic contemporary literature from an authentic voice that truly knows what he’s talking about. It’s a novel that’s hard to put down and hard to forget. A novel you simply fall in love with.”

Should Lovrenski win, he will be the first ever debutant to receive the Brage Award in the fiction category. The winner will be announced 23 November.