Famous Swedish Novelists

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 1 
Stieg Larsson
(Swedish Writer and Activist Best Known for His Millennium Trilogy of Crime Novels)
Stieg Larsson
4
Birthdate: August 15, 1954
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Skelleftehamn, Sweden
Died: November 9, 2004

Stieg Larsson was a Swedish writer and journalist. He is best remembered for his Millennium trilogy of novels, which were adapted as three films in Sweden. After his sudden death, due to a heart attack, Stieg Larsson was posthumously honored with several awards, such as the Glass Key award, Galaxy British Book Award, and Anthony Award.

 2 
August Strindberg
(Father of Modern Swedish Literature)
August Strindberg
3
Birthdate: January 22, 1849
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Died: May 14, 1912

August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, painter, essayist, novelist, and poet. He wrote over 30 works of fiction and more than 60 plays in an illustrious career that spanned 40 years. Widely regarded as the father of modern Swedish literature, Strindberg is best remembered for his work The Red Room, which is considered the first modern Swedish novel.

 3 
Henning Mankell
(Swedish Crime Writer, Children's Author and Dramatist)
Henning Mankell
3
Birthdate: February 3, 1948
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Died: October 5, 2015

Henning Mankell was a Swedish dramatist, children's author, and crime writer. He is best reemembered for penning a series of mystery novels which featured the popular character, Inspector Kurt Wallander. Henning Mankell is also remembered for highlighting injustices in Sweden and social inequality issues through his plays and books. He was a recipient of many awards like the Gumshoe Award.

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 4 
Fredrik Backman
(Writer)
Fredrik Backman
3
Birthdate: June 2, 1981
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brännkyrka, Stockholm, Sweden

The author of the New York Times bestseller A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman has also been a columnist for the Swedish newspaper Helsingborgs Dagblad and the men's magazine Moore Magazine. His book Things My Son Needs to Know about the World was based on his parenting experiences.

 5 
Selma Lagerlöf
(First Woman to Win the Nobel Prize in Literature)
Selma Lagerlöf
3
Birthdate: November 20, 1858
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Mårbacka, Värmland, Sweden
Died: March 16, 1940

Selma Lagerlöf was a Swedish teacher and author. In 1909, Lagerlöf became the first woman to receive the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1914, she became the first woman to be elected as a member by the Swedish Academy. In 1991, Selma Lagerlöf was depicted on a Swedish banknote, becoming the first woman to enjoy this honor, albiet posthumously.

 6 
Camilla Läckberg
(Swedish Crime Writer)
Camilla Läckberg
3
Birthdate: August 30, 1974
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Fjällbacka, Sweden

One of Sweden’s most successful crime authors, Camilla Lackberg is known for her iconic books such as The Stonecutter, The Golden Cage, and The Stranger. Her books were also adapted into TV series. Called The Rock Star of Nordic Noir, she is also a former economist and a co-owner of a jewelry business.

 7 
David Lagercrantz
(Swedish Journalist and Author)
David Lagercrantz
3
Birthdate: September 4, 1962
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Solna, Sweden

David Lagercrantz is a Swedish author and journalist best known for writing internationally acclaimed books like I Am Zlatan Ibrahimović, The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye, and The Girl in the Spider’s Web. His biography of Zlatan Ibrahimović has been translated into over 30 languages and is widely regarded as the best footballer's autobiography of his generation.

 8 
Eva Gabrielsson
(Swedish Author, Feminist, and Political Activist)
Eva Gabrielsson
3
Birthdate: November 17, 1953
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lövånger, Sweden

Swedish author, feminist, and political activist Eva Gabrielsson is also an architect who chiefly deals in house and office construction with sustainable architecture. She was a partner of Swedish author Stieg Larsson till his death. Apparently, they never married to keep their whereabouts a secret from extremists.

 9 
John Ajvide Lindqvist
(Swedish Writer of Horror Novels and Short Stories)
John Ajvide Lindqvist
3
Birthdate: December 2, 1968
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Blackeberg, Sweden

John Ajvide Lindqvist is a renowned Swedish author of horror fiction, known for his bestselling books such a Let the Right One In and Harbour. Interestingly, he was initially a conjurer and had then had a 12-year stint as a stand-up comedian. He has also written scripts for Swedish TV.

 10 
Jonas Karlsson
(Actor, Author)
Jonas Karlsson
3
Birthdate: March 11, 1971
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Salem, Sweden

Hailed as one the most popular Swedish actors, known for his success both on stage and screen, Jonas Karlsson first took up the pen to write a play. Enthused by the praise he received from the critics and audiences alike, he began writing fictions, starting with a collection of stories before publishing several novels like The Perfect Friend, Invoice etc.  

 11 
Hans Rosenfeldt
(Screenwriter)
Hans Rosenfeldt
3
Birthdate: July 13, 1964
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Borås, Sweden

Before venturing into a writing career, Hans Rosenfeldt had been a sea lion keeper, a teacher, a driver, and an actor. Now known for creating series such as The Bridge and Marcella, he has also co-written several crime novels, such as The Secret, with his friend and co-author Michael Hjorth.

 12 
Jonas Jonasson
(Journalist, Writer)
Jonas Jonasson
3
Birthdate: July 6, 1971
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Växjö, Sweden

Swedish author Jonas Jonasson is best known for his bestselling comic novel The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. He had a successful career as a journalist and even owned a media company, but later sold all his belongings and settled near Lake Lugano, focusing on his writing career.

 13 
Håkan Nesser
(Swedish Author and Teacher)
Håkan Nesser
2
Birthdate: February 21, 1950
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kumla, Sweden

Håkan Nesser is a Swedish screenwriter, author, and former school teacher. He is best known for his crime novels about a fictional retired commissioner named Van Veeteren. These novels have been translated into many European languages and have achieved international fame. 

 14 
Linda Bostrom Knausgard
(Award-Winning Swedish Swedish Author and Poet)
Linda Bostrom Knausgard
2
Birthdate: October 15, 1972
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Sweden

Swedish poet and author Linda Bostrom Knausgard is known for her novels Helioskatastrofen and the August Prize-winning Välkommen til Amerika, or Welcome to America. She is also the former wife of Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgård and the daughter of actor Ingrid Boström.

 15 
Asa Larsson
(Writer)
Asa Larsson
2
Birthdate: June 28, 1966
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Uppsala, Sweden
 16 
Peter Weiss
(German-Born Swedish Author, Painter, and Filmmaker)
Peter Weiss
2
Birthdate: November 8, 1916
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Nowawes, Brandenburg, Germany
Died: May 10, 1982

German-born novelist and playwright Peter Weiss was forced to move to England, Switzerland, and Czechoslovakia, to avoid Nazi persecution, and eventually moved to Sweden and took up Swedish citizenship. Initially a painter and photographer, he later turned to filmmaking. His best-known works include the play The Investigation and the novel The Aesthetics of Resistance.

 17 
Pär Lagerkvist
(Swedish Author Who Won the 1951 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Pär Lagerkvist
2
Birthdate: May 23, 1891
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Växjö, Sweden
Died: July 11, 1974

Nobel Prize-winning Swedish author Pär Lagerkvist is remembered for his bestselling novels The Dwarf and Barabbas. He mostly used religious figures to examine the question of good and evil. One of his prose novellas, The Hangman, was later adapted for the stage. He also chaired the Swedish Academy.

 18 
Jan Guillou
(French-Swedish Author and Journalist)
Jan Guillou
2
Birthdate: January 17, 1944
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Södertälje, Sweden

A French citizen by birth, but born and raised in Sweden, it took Jan Guillou thirty years to gain Swedish citizenship. Expelled from school for bad behavior, he overcame his shortcomings to become an award-winning journalist and author, hugging limelight for exposing Swedish secret intelligence agency. Currently owner of a large publishing house, he remains active as a column writer.

 19 
Harry Martinson
(Swedish Writer and Poet Who Won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1974)
Harry Martinson
2
Birthdate: May 6, 1904
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Jämshög, Sweden
Died: February 11, 1978

Nobel Prize-winning Swedish author Harry Martinson grew up in foster homes and ran away at 16 to become a sailor. He was the first working-class author to be named to the Swedish Academy. His best-known works include the poetry collection Trade Wind and the novel The Road.

 20 
Amanda Ooms
(Actress, Writer)
Amanda Ooms
2
Birthdate: September 5, 1964
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kalmar, Sweden

Swedish-born Dutch actor Amanda Ooms is best known for her appearance in the Swedish TV show Stjärnorna på slottet. She was also seen in The Expendables 2 and has been part of countless Swedish shows and movies. An author, too, she has penned books such as Tåla mod.

 21 
Jan Arnald
(Writer, Journalist)
Jan Arnald
2
Birthdate: January 11, 1963
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Sollentuna Municipality
 22 
Maj Sjowall
(Writer)
Maj Sjowall
2
Birthdate: September 25, 1935
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Died: April 29, 2020
 23 
Lukas Moodysson
(Film director,Novelist)
Lukas Moodysson
2
Birthdate: January 17, 1969
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lund, Sweden
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 24 
Stig Larsson
(Swedish Writer, Director and Actor)
Stig Larsson
2
Birthdate: July 20, 1955
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Skellefteå, Sweden
 25 
Ellen Key
(Swedish Difference Feminist Writer)
Ellen Key
2
Birthdate: December 11, 1849
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Sundsholm, Sweden
Died: April 25, 1926

Mostly educated at home by her mother and her governess, Ellen Key grew up to be a well-known difference feminist author, concurrently playing important role in the Modern Breakthrough movement. Also a suffragist, she wrote on varied subjects including family life, ethics and education, advocating child centric teaching as well as parenting, inspiring many authors and educators including Maria Montessori.

 26 
Karin Boye
(Considered as One of the Leading Poets of Swedish Modernism)
Karin Boye
2
Birthdate: October 26, 1900
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Gothenburg, Sweden
Died: April 24, 1941

Apart from being a famous poet in Sweden, Karin Boye also gained international fame with her sci-fi novel Kallocain. She was one of the chief figures of Swedish modern poetry and of the Clarté Socialist movement. After separating from her economist husband, Leif Björk, she had 2 lesbian relationships. She died by suicide.

 27 
Sigge Eklund
(Writer)
Sigge Eklund
2
Birthdate: April 21, 1974
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
 28 
Carolina Gynning
(Model)
Carolina Gynning
2
Birthdate: October 6, 1978
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Helsingborg, Sweden
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 29 
Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
(Journalists)
Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
2
Birthdate: August 5, 1926
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kungsbacka Municipality, Sweden
Died: June 22, 1975
 30 
Per-Olov Enquist
(Swedish Author and Journalist Known for His Documentary-Style Novels)
Per-Olov Enquist
2
Birthdate: September 23, 1934
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hjoggböle, Sweden
Died: April 25, 2020

Swedish author and journalist Per-Olov Enquist was raised by a single mother and excelled in high jump in his early years. Known for his documentary approach in his writings, he penned award-winning novels, such as Legionärerna. The Nordic Prize winner died at age 85, after a long battle with cancer.

 31 
Stig Dagerman
(Swedish Writer and Journalist)
Stig Dagerman
2
Birthdate: October 5, 1923
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Alvkarleby, Sweden
Died: November 4, 1954

Stig Dagerman was a Swedish writer and journalist. His works became popular in the aftermath of the Second World War as they deal with universal problems of sexuality and social philosophy, of morality and conscience, of love, compassion, guilt, fear, loneliness, and justice. Many of Stig Dagerman's works have been translated into English.

 32 
Vilhelm Moberg
(Best Known for His 'The Emigrants' Series of Novels about Swedish Emigrants to America)
Vilhelm Moberg
2
Birthdate: August 20, 1898
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Moshultamåla, Sweden
Died: August 8, 1973

Vilhelm Moberg was a Swedish author and historian who is internationally known for his works on Swedish emigration to the USA in the 19th century. Moberg took it upon himself to give voice to the poor and illiterate, writing several books on the subject including The Earth is Ours trilogy and the Emigrant series. Largely self-educated, he also wrote several non-frictions including two volumes on Swedish history.

 33 
Hjalmar Söderberg
(Swedish Author Remembered for His Portrayal of Melancholia and Irony)
Hjalmar Söderberg
2
Birthdate: July 2, 1869
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Died: October 14, 1941

Swedish author, playwright, and journalist Hjalmar Söderberg had begun his career as a civil servant, before switching to full-time writing. Known for his novels such as Doctor Glas and Martin Birck’s Youth, he also penned short story collections such as Historietter. His themes are often melancholic and cynical.

 34 
Verner von Heidenstam
(Swedish Poet and Novelist Who Received the 1916 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Verner von Heidenstam
2
Birthdate: July 6, 1859
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Olshammar
Died: May 20, 1940

Verner von Heidenstam was a Swedish novelist and poet. He is best remembered for winning the 1916 Nobel Prize in Literature. Verner von Heidenstam is considered an important poet and some of his works continue to be cherished in Sweden.

 35 
Eyvind Johnson
(Novelist)
Eyvind Johnson
2
Birthdate: July 29, 1900
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Boden
Died: August 25, 1976
 36 
Lars Noren
(Swedish Novelist, Playwright, and Poet)
Lars Noren
1
Birthdate: May 9, 1944
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Died: January 26, 2021

Lars Noren was a Swedish novelist, playwright, and poet. A prominent playwright, Noren is best remembered for staging realistic plays that often revolve around personal relations and family. In 1971, he was honored with the Aftonbladet's literary prize. In 2003, Lars Noren was awarded the Swedish Academy Nordic Prize.

 37 
Frans G. Bengtsson
(Swedish Poet, Novelist, Essayist, and Biographer)
Frans G. Bengtsson
1
Birthdate: October 4, 1894
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tossjo, Sweden
Died: December 19, 1954

Frans G. Bengtsson was a Swedish poet, novelist, essayist, and biographer. He is best remembered for his magnum opus, a biography on Charles XII. Bengtsson is also remembered for his work Röde Orm, a Viking saga novel, which was translated as The Long Ships. 

 38 
Viktor Rydberg
(Swedish Writer and Novelist)
Viktor Rydberg
1
Birthdate: December 18, 1828
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Jönköping, Sweden
Died: September 21, 1895

Viktor Rydberg was a Swedish writer best remembered for his novel Singoalla, which was published in 1858. He is also remembered for his most ambitious novel Den siste Atenaren, which was published in 1859. Renowned for his versatility, Viktor Rydberg experimented with different genres, including mythology.

 39 
Eva Dahlbeck
(Actress)
Eva Dahlbeck
1
Birthdate: March 8, 1920
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Saltsjö-Duvnäs, Sweden
Died: February 8, 2008
 40 
Moa Martinson
(Swedish Novelist Who Was Among the First to Write About the Agricultural Labourer of the Swedish Countryside)
Moa Martinson
1
Birthdate: November 2, 1890
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vårdnäs, Sweden
Died: August 5, 1964
Moa Martinson was a Swedish writer whose works were honored with the prestigious Nine Society's Grand Prize in 1944. During the feminist movement in the 1970s, Martinson served as a role model for female authors, especially in the Nordic countries. Moa Martinson's life and career inspired the 1986 biographical film Moa where Gunilla Nyroos played the title role.
 41 
Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril
(Swedish Writer and Literary Critic)
Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril
1
Birthdate: March 2, 1966
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Helsingborg, Sweden

Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril is a Swedish writer best known for her debut novel Stjärneborg, which received the prestigious Katapult Prize in 2004. In addition to her work as a writer, Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril has also been a literary critic for Dagens Nyheter and Göteborgs-Posten, two of Sweden's largest newspapers.

 42 
Victoria Benedictsson
(Swedish Author Known for Her Natural and Unpretentious Stories of Swedish Folk Life)
Victoria Benedictsson
1
Birthdate: March 6, 1850
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Trelleborg Municipality, Sweden
Died: July 21, 1888
Victoria Benedictsson was a Swedish author best remembered as one of the greatest exponents of Swedish realism. Today, she is widely regarded as an early feminist as many of her novels discussed women's rights and the inequality of marriage. Victoria Benedictsson committed suicide at the age of 38.
 43 
Sara Lidman
(Writer)
Sara Lidman
1
Birthdate: December 30, 1923
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Västerbotten, Sweden
Died: June 17, 2004
 44 
Ivar Lo-Johansson
(Writer)
Ivar Lo-Johansson
1
Birthdate: February 23, 1901
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ösmo, Sweden
Died: April 11, 1990
 45 
Hjalmar Bergman
(Swedish Playwright and Writer)
Hjalmar Bergman
1
Birthdate: September 19, 1883
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Örebro, Sweden
Died: January 1, 1931

Hjalmar Bergman was a Swedish playwright and writer. He is best remembered for his fictional works; he even created a fictional town named Wadköping, which was modelled after his hometown Örebro. Hjalmar Bergman tried his hand as a manuscript writer in Hollywood before falling prey to narcotics abuse and alcoholism, from which he died at the age of 47.

 46 
Birgitta Trotzig
(Writer)
Birgitta Trotzig
0
Birthdate: September 11, 1929
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Gothenburg, Sweden
Died: May 14, 2011
 47 
Bo Bergman
(Writer)
Bo Bergman
0
Birthdate: October 6, 1869
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Died: November 17, 1967
 48 
Lars Gyllensten
(Swedish Physician and Author)
Lars Gyllensten
0
Birthdate: November 12, 1921
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Died: May 25, 2006

Lars Gyllensten was a Swedish physician and author. He started his career as an associate professor of histology at the Karolinska Institute from 1955 to 1973. In 1973, he left the institute to focus solely on his career as a writer. Few of Lars Gyllensten's literary works have been translated into German, French, and English.

 49 
Göran Tunström
(Swedish Author Known for His Depictions of His Native Region 'Sunne')
Göran Tunström
1
Birthdate: May 14, 1937
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Karlstad, Sweden
Died: February 5, 2000

Swedish author and poet Göran Tunström is remembered for his depictions of his native region, Sunne; for his autobiographical tone; and for his magic realism. Though he was active as an author for a long time, it wasn’t until his work Juloratoriet was made into a movie that he gained popularity.

 50 
Per Olof Sundman
(Swedish Novelist Who Wrote in the Tradition of Social Realism During the 1960s)
Per Olof Sundman
0
Birthdate: September 4, 1922
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vaxholm, Sweden
Died: October 9, 1992

Per Olof Sundman was a Swedish politician and writer. He is best remembered for his 1967 novel The Flight of the Eagle which earned him the Nordic Council's Literature Prize in 1968. In 1975, Per Olof Sundman was inducted into the Swedish Academy as a member.