This web page was created to supplement my presentation to the Luther College Emeriti Colloquium regarding "Nordic Noir," or Skandinavisk Krim (Scandinavian Crime Fiction). It is intended to serve as a resource for anyone interested in reading the wide range of novels that make up that genre. In particular, it will list IN ORDER the works of the authors I discussed in my presentation; in many cases, elements from one novel are carried over into successive works, so reading a series in order is usually very important. In a few cases, it will also include links to authors' official websites, or publishers' author pages, where they are available.

There are a wide range of resources already available on the subject, so rather than attempting to "reinvent the wheel," I will instead provide a link to one of those that I have found very helpful: "Scandinavian Crime Fiction in English Translation" (https://scandicrimeproject.wordpress.com). It provides more information about those listed here, as well as a large number of other Nordic Noir authors, from all of the Nordic countries. Another useful website is "Euro Crime" (http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/), which also includes European authors from outside Scandinavia.

Most writers trace the origin of Nordic Noir to the Swedish couple, Mai Sjöwall and Per Walöö. Between 1965 and 1975, they wrote the 10-volume "Martin Beck" series. That essentially established the framework for the genre. They were followed by fellow Swedes, Henning Mankell and Stieg Larsson. Mankell's "Kurt Wallander" series was made into both a movie series and a television series in Sweden, and a television series produced by the BBC. The BBC version, starring Kenneth Branagh, was seen in America as part of the PBS Masterpiece Mysteries. Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy" quickly became an international bestseller, and the genre gained international popularity.

Despite individual differences, Nordic Noir writers share a number of common characteristics. In particular, they follow the format of "police procedurals," and use it as a means to critique contemporary society. In particular, the Scandinavian Welfare State is often the target of much of their criticism--not for attempting to do too much, but rather for failing to live up to their expectations for a better society. They use a realistic, precise style, and their characters are often worn down by their own problems. For example, Jo Nesbø's character, Harry Hole, is a sometimes recovering alcoholic, which complicates his relationships with those around him. Their novels also have a definite sense of place, sometimes centering around well-known locales such as Stockholm, Oslo, or Copenhagen, and at other times emphasizing the rural component of their respective countries.

What follows is a brief summary of some of the Nordic Noir authors. There are many others, but these are the ones I am most familiar with. I hope you find this to be a useful resource. (In some cases, the novels in translation appeared under different titles in the UK and the US. I have listed both titles when I have found them.)

Marv Slind
Professor Emeritus of History
Luther College
Decorah, IA 52101
E-mail: slind@norse.org

These are just the "tip of the iceberg" in terms of the number of Nordic Noir authors--from throughout Scandinavia. I included them here (and in my presentation to the Colloquium) because I have read many of their novels. For more information about these and other Nordic Noir authors (including a number from Finland, whose authors I have not yet read), go to the website "Scandinavian Crime Fiction in English Translation" (https://scandicrimeproject.wordpress.com), as well as "Euro Crime" http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/ (which also contains information about a much broader range of European authors).

If you have any questions or comments about this page, please e-mail me: slind@norse.org

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