Sweden Abroad

INTRODUCTION
There are different ways of experiencing a country.
Visitors to Sweden commonly focus on the diversity
and beauty, are awed by the picture perfect settings
and soothed by the calm. However, for those who
dare, the journey from the south of Sweden to the
north can be made through the eyes and minds of
modern crime fiction writers. Swedish crime fiction
is known to explore and analyze the society and the
human psyche, while thrilling readers all over the
world.
In 2010, there were three Swedish crime fiction
authors on the top ten list of most sold novels in
Europe. If you consider that Sweden has a population
of nine million inhabitants, compared with over 800
million for Europe as a whole, you realize that this
is something of a phenomenon – a Swedish crime
fiction phenomenon. Sweden is perhaps not seen as
a crime-ridden country. On the contrary. But through
authors like Stieg Larsson, Henning Mankell and many
others, it has become known for fictional crimes –
and well-written ones at that.
Join us here on a journey through the darker, but
fictional sides of Sweden – as seen and described by
the numerous Swedish crime authors now delighting
fans of murder and mystery all over the world.
The authors portrayed here represent some of
Sweden’s many crime fiction writers. But there are
other prolific and talented story tellers too, who are
also translated and well-appreciated outside Sweden.
We would urge you to use this booklet as an entry
point to Sweden, its literature and the thrills of the
country.
This material is produced by the Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi. It has been inspired by the Swedish Institute’s exhibit Scènes de Crime en Suède and by the
tourism information of Visit Sweden. The Embassy would like to extend its gratitude to photographers that have let their works be used in the production,
as well as to Matton AB that have leant several pictures to the publication free of charge.
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