Jean Edith Camilla Läckberg Eriksson (; born August 30, 1974) is a
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
crime writer
True crime is a nonfiction literary, podcast, and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people associated with and affected by criminal events.
The crimes most commonly include murder; about 40 per ...
. As of the early-2010s, her work has been translated into more than 40 languages in 60 countries.
She has been called "the rock star of Nordic noir."
Writing technique
Läckberg considers herself a crime writing specialist since discovering such literature on her father's bookshelf at a young age. It has remained a fascination for her ever since. Läckberg's books have received special praise for detail and "in-depth characterization". Läckberg – sometimes called the Swedish Agatha Christie – became a writer after her husband and parents enrolled her in a creative writing course as a Christmas present. She describes herself as a visual writer: "For me actually, specific images – snapshots – come first, and then the story starts to come together from those bits and pieces. I am very visual when I write, I 'see' the story in pictures and writing a book is like having a movie running in my head 24/7." Her work has been described as standing "out for its atmospheric depiction of the Swedish coast, well-drawn characters and (at its best) complex and psychologically nuanced plots."
In a review of her novel
The Preacher (2012) by
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
, the reviewer noted that the "clever plot and in-depth characterization aren’t the only qualities that elevate “The Preacher” above most other thrillers. There’s also an admirable feel for detail." In reviewing her most recent novel (The Golden Cage, 2020), ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' described it as a "smart, unflinching novel."
Personal life and entrepreneurial ventures
Läckberg was born in
Fjällbacka,
Bohuslän, and started writing at an early age. Her first published work was called "
Tomten
A (, ), tomte (), , or () is a mythological creature from Nordic folklore today typically associated with the winter solstice and the Christmas season. They are generally described as being short, having a long white beard, and wearing a con ...
". After graduating from
Gothenburg University
The University of Gothenburg ( sv, Göteborgs universitet) is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg. Founded in 1891, the university is the third-oldest of the current Swedish universities and with 37,000 students and 6000 s ...
with a degree in Economics, she moved to
Stockholm, where she worked as an economist before beginning writing fiction seriously.
She is a business partner in a jewellery company called Sahara Silver Jewelry AB. Hong Kong
maternity
]
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of gesta ...
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion i ...
company Sono Vaso launched in Europe with the then-pregnant author endorsing.
Läckberg first married Micke Eriksson; they divorced in 2007. Under Swedish law, as Läckberg's ex-husband, Eriksson was entitled to half the revenue from the contracts signed during their marriage. Eventually it was agreed that she would pay him a lump sum.
Läckberg was married for the second time in 2010, to
Martin Melin
Martin Melin (born 6 March 1967), is a Swedish author, police officer, television personality, and the world's first winner of the TV reality series Expedition Robinson (the first of the Survivor series). Melin is the son of historian Jan Meli ...
,
winner of
Expedition Robinson
''Robinson'', formerly ''Expedition Robinson'', is a Swedish reality game show and the original version of the international '' Survivor'' format.
The television show places a group of strangers in an isolated location, where they must provid ...
. The two had met at a 2005 release party for one of her books, then began a working relationship. Melin proposed to Läckberg in August 2009.
In 2015, she was engaged to Simon Sköld, MMA fighter and author, and they married in 2017.
Camilla Läckberg has four children: Wille and Meja from her first marriage, Charlie from her second, and Polly is from her relationship with Sköld. Charlie is also the subject of his mother's first children's book, ''
Super-Charlie''.
Bibliography
Most of Läckberg's novels feature the crime solving husband-and-wife duo of writer Erica Falck, and police detective Patrik Hedström.
* 2003's ''
Isprinsessan'', translated into English as ''
The Ice Princess'' by
Steven T. Murray in 2008. First in the Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck series.
* 2004's ''Predikanten'', translated into English as ''
The Preacher'' by Steven T. Murray in 2009. Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck #2.
* 2005's ''Stenhuggaren'', translated into English as ''
The Stone Cutter'' by Steven T. Murray in 2008. Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck #3.
* 2006's ''Olycksfågeln'', translated into English as ''
The Gallows Bird'' a.k.a. ''The Stranger'' by Steven T. Murray in 2011. The paperback version seems to be called ''The Stranger''; the film is called ''The Jinx''. Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck #4.
* 2007's ''Tyskungen'', translated into English as ''
The Hidden Child'' by
Tiina Nunnally
Tiina Nunnally (born August 7, 1952) is an American author and translator.
Early life and education
Nunnally was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and St. Louis Park, Minnesota. She was an AFS exchange student to ...
in 2011. Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck #5.
* Also published in 2007 was ''Snöstorm och mandeldoft'', a
novella translated into English as ''The Scent of Almonds''; included in 2013's ''Mord och mandeldoft''.
* 2008's ''Sjöjungfrun'', translated into English as ''
The Drowning'' by Tiina Nunnally in 2012. Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck #6.
* Läckberg also published in 2008 ''Smaker från Fjällbacka'', a cookbook that was translated into English as ''
Flavours from Fjällbacka''.
* 2009's ''Fyrvaktaren'', translated into English as ''
The Lost Boy'' by Tiina Nunnally in 2013. Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck #7.
* 2011's ''Änglamakerskan'', translated into English as ''
The Angel Maker's Wife'', a.k.a. ''Buried Angels'', by Tiina Nunnally in 2014. Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck #8.
* 2011 also saw ''Fest, mat och kärlek'' translated into English as ''
Feast, Food & Love''.
* Also published in 2011 was ''Super Charlie'', translated into English as ''Super Charlie''. Subject of the book is Läckberg's son Charlie.
* 2013's ''Mord och mandeldoft'', translated into English as ''The Scent of Almonds and Other Stories'' by Tiina Nunnally in 2015.
* 2014's ''Lejontämjaren'', translated into English as ''The Ice Child'' by Tiina Nunnally in 2016. Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck #9.
* 2017's ''Häxan'', translated into English as ''The Girl in the Woods''. Patrik Hedström and Erica Falck #10.
* 2019 ''The Golden Cage''
* 2020 ''Silver Tears''
Adaptations
Television
The first four novels were adapted as telemovies between 2007 and 2010, with
Elisabet Carlsson
Elisabet Carlsson (born 9 January 1968) is a Swedish actress. She studied at the Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting in Stockholm 1988–1992. She is married to the actor Stefan Roos and together they have a daughter.
Filmography
...
and
Niklas Hjulström
Niklas Hjulström (born 15 February 1962) is a Swedish actor, singer and director. He is brother to Carin Hjulström, grandson to Filip Hjulström and son to Lennart Hjulström.
Hjulström was born in Mölndal, Sweden, and finished his educ ...
starring as Erica and Patrik.
Filming of the TV series ''
Fjällbackamorden'' began in August 2011 based on the characters from Läckberg's novels, but the stories were new, with actors
Claudia Galli
Claudia Josefina Galli Concha (born 3 August 1978) is a Swedish actress. Claudia was born in Stockholm.
Career
She started her career at age three in the segment "Film-tajm" in the television show Trazan & Banarne. Galli got her breakthrough ...
and
Richard Ulfsäter playing Erica and Patrik.
Film
In 2013, a Swedish film directed by
Per Hanefjord titled ''Tyskungen,'' and based on Lackberg's 2007's novel of the same name (translated into English as ''
The Hidden Child'') was released with
Galli and Ulfsäter reprising their roles as Erica and Patrik.
Awards
* People's Literature Award (2006)
*
SKTF Prize for Author of the Year (2005)
*
Grand Prix de Littérature Policière The Grand Prix de Littérature Policière (or the Police Literature Grand Prize) is a French literary prize founded in 1948 by author and literary critic Maurice-Bernard Endrèbe. It is the most prestigious award for crime and detective fiction in ...
(2008)
See also
*
List of female detective/mystery writers
*
List of women writers
* List of women writers (A–L)
* List of women writers (M–Z)
See also
* Feminist literary criticism
*Feminist science fiction
*Feminist theory
* Gender in science fiction
* List of biographical dictionaries of female writers
* List of early- ...
*
Swedish Crime Writers' Academy
References
External links
Official Website (in English)Camilla Läckberg's top 10 Swedish crime novelsOfficial Blog (in Swedish)Camilla Lackberg in BCNegra
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lackberg, Camilla
1974 births
Living people
People from Tanum Municipality
Writers from Bohuslän
Swedish crime fiction writers
Swedish women novelists
Swedish mystery writers
Women mystery writers
Women crime fiction writers
21st-century Swedish women writers
21st-century Swedish novelists
University of Gothenburg alumni
Nordic Noir writers