Pascal Engman’s No One, the latest installment in the Vanessa Frank series, stays put at No. 1 on the paperback list for the second week. Jørn Lier Horst’s eighteenth installment in the William Wisting series, The Last Case, continues to hold the No. 2 position in both the hardcover and e-book categories.
Monika Fagerholm’s critically acclaimed and award-winning novel Nowhere Land/Women in Revolt has been shortlisted for the prestigious Finnish Runeberg Award.
The jury’s motivation states that the book “pours out over the pages and positively bubbles with life … a celebration of storytelling and expressive delight at its very best, impossible to resist.”
The Runeberg Award is one of Finland’s most significant literary honors, presented by the City of Borgå, the newspaper Uusimaa, the Finnish Writers’ Union, the Finnish Critics’ Association, and the Finnish Authors’ Association.
The winner will be announced on Runeberg Day, February 5.
Antti Tuomainen’s Saw Hard has been shortlisted for the Finnish Detective Society’s Clue Award, presented annually to the best crime or thriller novel of the previous year. The prize has been awarded since 1983.
The jury’s motivation reads:
“The book is an engaging and addictive story about Heikki, a sawmill owner facing financial ruin, a corpse that turns out not to be dead, and the power of money. The small-village setting is vividly portrayed. Its depiction of people in the summer night is warm, and the language is masterfully crafted. Tuomainen has discovered an ingenious way to remove villains from the stage almost by accident. The novel offers astonishing plot twists that make the reader laugh and cry at the same time. Yet the humor never feels forced; it simmers naturally throughout the narrative. The imagery is rich, and the storytelling flows effortlessly.”
The novel is one of six finalists, and the winner will be announced on February 3rd 2026.
As the year is coming to a close, critics at The New York Times have published their list of the “Best TV Shows of 2025”, and among their picks are two Swedish series: Mafia and Diary of a Ditched Girl.
Mafia, a crime drama released earlier this year on Viaplay in the UK and US, caught attention for its intense atmosphere, compelling storytelling and strong performance by lead actor Peshang Rad. Mafia is directed by Mani Maserrat and Tomas Jonsgården, and Axel Stjärne serves as the lead writer.
Diary of a Ditched Girl, a Netflix comedy-drama about modern dating, was praised for its raucous but bittersweet portrayal of relationships and heartbreak. The series is directed by Emma Bucht and Susanne Thorson, with Tove Eriksen Hillblom and Moa Herngren as screenwriters.
Martin Widmark’s Christmas in Valleby: The Search for Santa Claus is No. 1 on this week’s bestseller list for children’s titles in Sweden. Anders de la Motte continues his streak on the paperback list, where The Rust Forest again places at No. 1.
Pascal Engman’s No One, the latest installment in the Vanessa Frank series, debuts at No. 1 on the paperback list. Meanwhile, Jørn Lier Horst’s eighteenth installment in the William Wisting series, The Last Case, climbs to No. 2 in both the hardcover and e-book categories.
Wolf Hour, Jo Nesbø’s latest stand-alone novel, has reached the No. 1 position on Denmark’s audio bestseller list in the crime category.
Monika Fagerholm is the winner of the 2025 Finlandia Award for ‘Best Fiction’. Her critically acclaimed novel Nowhere Land / Women in Revolt is praised by the jury with the following motivation:
“This year’s Finlandia Award goes to a profound and expansive novel that delves into writing, social currents, feminism, and family. The author writes like no one else; the sparkling, distinctive prose flows in a seductive spiral from beginning to end. The novel within the novel and its references are masterfully woven into the larger story, which I devour eagerly as I find myself captivated by every one of its characters.”
The Finlandia Award is Finland’s most prestigious literary award, presented by the Finnish Book Foundation. Since 1984 it has honored outstanding works by Finnish authors.
Anders de la Motte’s The Rust Forest – the third installment in the Leo Asker series – climbs the official paperback bestseller list, claiming the No. 1 spot this week.
Yrsa Sigurdardóttir’s latest stand-alone thriller, A Fall From Grace, debuts at No. 1 on Iceland’s official hardcover bestseller list.
Netherlands, Bruna
Three-book deal closed by Julia Angelin
Türkiye, Dogan Egmont
Closed by Emma Granberg
Norway, Cappelen Damm
Closed by Tor Jonasson
Ukraine, Publishing House RM
Two-book deal closed by Linda Andersson
Germany, HarperCollins
Two-book deal closed by Josephine Oxelheim
Serbia, Treći Trg
Closed by Emma Granberg
Ridzén’s debut novel is delightful, surprisingly funny and incredibly moving.
– London Evening Standard
Björn Bengtsson and Arvin Kananian shine in four shades of grey.
– Borås Tidning
Arvin Kananian portrays Sasha Moradi with a desperation that cuts straight to the bone.
– Filmtopp
One of the novel’s strengths lies in its precisely drawn characters, who, despite their tragedy, are endearing. Their contradictions, fractures, crises, breakdowns, shame, and subsequent resurgence testify to the author’s profoundly humanistic view of faltering and broken individuals. /…/ Kristín Eiríksdóttir is one of Iceland’s most important literary voices. It’s high time she was discovered here as well.
– WDR3
It’s impossible to put down this first volume [in the Kari Voss-series]. /…/ But beware: no one is ready for the last sentence of the novel, a thunderbolt in Kari’s personal drama, which promises an explosive sequel!
– Femina
Nowhere Land/Women in Revolt is the first part of a trilogy. It is about being so young that life is a horizon of possibilities and resistance, about what it takes to become an artist, and what stories one tells when nothing has yet happened.