Books from Sweden
Writing from Sweden covers crime fiction, poetry, fantasy and works of reportage. Several books here come from the Nordic crime tradition, while others explore folklore, space and the natural world. The list also includes memoirs and histories that look at Swedish society.
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Contemporary Fiction
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The Emperor of Portugallia by Selma Lagerlöf
A novel about a father in rural Sweden and his bond with his daughter.
- Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. A comic novel about a group of strangers who are drawn together during a failed bank robbery and an apartment viewing.
Mystery & Thriller
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Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
A crime novel that begins with the murder of an elderly couple on a farm in southern Sweden.
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
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Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
A horror novel set in a Stockholm suburb about a young boy and a vampire who moves in next door.
- Jagannath by Karin Tidbeck. A collection of short stories that mixes fantasy and science fiction with Swedish settings and folklore.
Poetry
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Aniara by Harry Martinson
A poetry collection about a spaceship carrying people away from a damaged Earth.
- The Great Enigma: New Collected Poems by Tomas Tranströmer. A collection of poems that often draws on nature and everyday life.
Memoir & Nonfiction
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Factfulness by Hans Rosling
A nonfiction book about global development and common misconceptions, by a Swedish physician.
- A History of Sweden by Ingvar Andersson. A nonfiction survey of Swedish history from early times to the modern period.
How we choose
These lists start from books Atlas Unread readers can stamp for Sweden. Each title and author is confirmed against Wikidata, Wikipedia or library records before it is listed.