Havsörnens skrik had a successful launch in Denmark with several reviews as well as media coverage:
“Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander are successfully back in their working clothes”
– Jyllands Posten
“I devoured it. Smirnoff is herself in Stieg Larsson’s shoes”
– Weekendavisen
“The story is full of surprises and it is impossible to let go of the book once you’ve taken the book train to Lapland”
– Nordjyske
Since Peter Englund’s November 1942 – An Intimate History of the Turning Point of WW2 has been published in Germany, Italy, Denmark, Finland and Norway it has gotten a fantastic reception with praising reviews!
Germany
“In his snapshot of November 1942, the Swedish historian [Peter Englund] puts individual human beings, their suffering and their actions, at the center of a battle he understand to be a fight between barbarism and civilization, and he does so in a manner so gripping and at the same time distressing that the reader is entirely captivated. (…) Englund’s triumph reminds us also that in spite of all strategic decision-making, the individual human being always is at the center and that history is fundamentally open-ended.”
—Neue Zürcher Zeitung
“An extraordinary and unsettling work. (…) ‘Moving’ is a weak word – again and again, this book is very tough on you. Englund unfolds the existential dramas in stylistically elevated prose, closely following the testimonies of his protagonists and of the literature about them.”
—Deutschlandfunk Kultur
“Brilliant… Englund’s art consists in his not only letting well-known figures speak — the likes of Albert Camus, Ernst Jünger, and Sophie School — but also ordinary soldiers, ‘normal’ citizens and outsiders.”
—Nürnberger Nachrichten
“Englund’s portraits help us experience the existential dimension of war.”
—Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung
Italy
“A fragmented and compelling narration with the most different sets restores a human dimension to war, enriches it with feelings, makes the horror really atrocious.”
—Corrado Augias, Venerdì di Repubblica
“Peter Englund succeeds in transforming the narrative of the war into literature.”
—Lorenzo Cremonesi, Corriere della Sera
“Almost every page in this book becomes a movie in the head of the reader.”
—Giorgio Gandola, Panorama
“An incredible tapestry woven by the many witnesses whose voices Englund uses. You can see how a colossal mosaic was made of millions of blood and bone pieces. And suddenly in that mosaic a different world began to take shape and succeeded in stopping the advance of dictatorships”
—Matto Sacchi, il Giornale
“A mosaic of the Apocalypse or of what is closest to the apocalypse human beings have ever experienced.”
—Matto Sacchi, il Giornale
Finland
[November 1942] provides a global panorama that is based on individual experiences described in diaries, letters and memoirs. Women’s experiences are commendably included. –The worm’s-eye view is powerful, because the reader is already familiar with the big picture of the war.”
—Helsingin Sanomat
Denmark
“There were several turning points in the fight against Nazism, which in the summer of 1941 seemed invincible. And then against Japan, whose advance thundered across the East. But November 1942 stands out in this context [of decisive turning points]. At the time, not many could gain an overall impression of what was happening around the world. Eighty years later, the author Peter Englund paints a comprehensive picture of the situation – and he does it excellently, captivatingly, cruelly, and poetically.”
—Historie Online
“With incredible diligence and care, Peter Englund has collected the lives and testimonies of 39 people … One of Peter Englund’s strengths as a historian has always been his ability to immerse himself in events, visually and emotionally, to see the details that others historians do not see … [The book] is well written, one learns a lot, and becomes curious for more.”
—Berlingske Tidende
Norway
“The turning point of the Second World War [is] masterfully portrayed through the experiences of 39 [individuals] who were there when it happened. … It is impossible to read November without having disturbing associations to what is happening in Ukraine.”
—Stavanger Aftenblad
“November is a relentless depiction of the horrors of war, right down to the microscopic level. And although it may sound paradoxical, Peter Englund writes so smoothly and elegantly that it occasionally becomes almost lyrical. Assuredly translated into Norwegian by Alexander Leborg.
—Verdens Gang
“Peter Englund writes brilliantly about 39 destinies in November 1942. … Peter Englund is not quite like other historians. Instead of documenting what happened, he is concerned with how those involved experienced it. In November, across 360 short chapters, he follows 39 people in various places around the world in November 1942 – that is, at the moment when the war was about to pivot in the Allies’ favor. Each of the 39 people is introduced with a portrait at the start of the book. Along with some utterly luminous and unique photographs from the period in question, the images contribute significantly to increasing the sense of
intimacy and reality in the narrative. … Peter Englund writes about 39 individuals and skillfully makes me care about each one of them. It is a considerable literary achievement. November is a masterfully executed, multilayered narrative.”
—NRK
“… with small, precise, sensitive keys, Englund unlocks vast spaces of meaning … brilliant history writing, but also an intensely topical reality check.”
—Klassekampen
“The unwillingness to superimpose a traditional narrative structure onto the Second World War means that the historian Englund comes across as almost anti-historic. November is experimental history writing. In an intricate and richly illustrated arrangement we gain insight into 39 individual destinies across four weeks in November 1942. … The technique is not entirely dissimilar to that of Nobel laureate Svetlana Aleksievich, even if her work is based on interviews. Just like the contemporary sources that Englund uses, the reader gets the feeling of being trapped in a universe in which there are two givens: the war and the moment. The lives we follow are wrapped in the fabric of spacetime which the war constitutes, and which Englund recreates. Coinciding dates in the source material help to create a sense of immediacy. … Englund’s exceptionally vivid book … impresses in its scope, and at the same time draws the reader so close to the lives of the sources that you can just disregard the next film about the Second World War, and rather immerse yourself in November once more.” —Vårt land
“…with November, the author shows that he is among Scandinavia’s leading non-fiction writers. … From the first page, Englund makes clear that he is serious about literary non- fiction. My God, this man can write. Even the long footnotes are riveting, and Alexander Leborg has done an excellent job with the Norwegian translation. November is a handbook in how to get the most out of your sources.”
—Morgenbladet
“It almost shouldn’t be possible to cover so many fields, each with such a vast supply of historical evidence, but November never feels burdensome or overloaded – on the contrary, it is strikingly accessible and alive, and the reason for that lies of course in the way Englund approaches and uses his sources.”
—Vinduet
Last week Wahlström & Widstrand published the Swedish Edition of The River and its getting acknowledged in several reviews:
“With intimate knowledge, Rosa Liksom portrays the void that the final year of the [second] world war left in northern Finland. It is heartbreaking.”
Västerbottens-Kuriren
“The River is a novel that allows us to understand our own time, and with whose help we may be able to approach the innermost essence of life. It is, to say the least, magnificent.”
Upsala Nya Tidning
“Necessary reading. … Rosa Liksom has always written brutal, confident and utterly unsentimental prose, but here, when depicting people and animals during a chaotic escape, there is also room for both love and compassion.”
Kulturnytt, Sveriges Radio
“Read together, The Colonel’s Wife and The River illustrate how wondrously strong the human essence is – the longing,the dreams and the anxiety – even in a war zone.”
Aftonbladet
“The River is a powerful and painful – but also reassuring – story, about escape and survival. Topics that unfortunately posses a continued timeliness even today. In addition, Liksom sheds new light on important historical events that otherwise risk sliding into the darkness of oblivion”
Norra Skåne
“The Finnish writer Rosa Liksom has an impeccable ability to merge sacred and profane, nature and culture, in her books.… Rosa Liksom has written a novel of equal significance to Swedish and Finnish historiography.”
Göteborgs-Posten
Two new Millennium-covers are now revealed!
To the left we find the cover of the US edition that will be published by Knopf and to the right we have the cover of the UK edition published by MacLehose. Both editions will be published August 29th 2023 and are translated by Sarah Death.
Two astonishing covers for Karin Smirnoff’s The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons – the first part in a new installment continuing Stieg Larsson’s monumental Millennium Series.
Lisa Bjerre and Susan Casserfelt’s upcoming Unknown Sender was recently pre-reviewed by BTJ and was credited for its environmental depictions as well as the appealing writing. Here is a selection of review quotes:
”Bjerre & Casserfelt writing is both rapid and skillful and results in easy flowing prose.”
“The characters are authentic, and the appeal is both modern and current.”
“This is a novel that stands strong in the extensive range of detective stories and it is continuously engaging and exciting.”
We’re excited to welcome the third installment of the Line 17-series January 25th!
Karin Smirnoff’s Havsörnens skrik received a warm welcome from the Swedish press, here it a selection of review quotes on the amazing crime novel:
“Men Who Hate Women was the starting point for Stieg Larsson’s Millennium success. A feminist perspective and the theme of men’s violence against women and women who strike back was strong throughout the trilogy. Not least through Lisbeth Salander and her background story. As Karin Smirnoff takes over The Millennium baton after David Lagercrantz she proves that she is exactly the right writer for this central theme.” (…)
“Havsörnens skrik is a strong combination of her peculiarity as a writer, her own language, the darkness and the solidarity which works perfectly well together with what Millennium repreents. Not least because Smirnoff too has room for humor and a twinkle-in-the-eye drive with both our current time and Stieg Larsson’s two old heroes.” (…)
Skånska Dagbladet
“Havsörnens skrik is a really, really good crime novel. It is also a serious and successful attempt to keep Stieg Larsson’s commitment alive and let entertainment literature speak heavy truths about our time.”
Gefle Dagblad
“The order is restored: Larsson’s sharp social criticism is back”
Arbetarbladet
“Letting Karin Smirnoff take over the baton after David Lagercrantz is a
stroke of genius. It is hard to believe anyone could have done it better than Smirnoff.
Unless it would have been Stieg Larsson himself.”
Upsala Nya Tidning
“Everything is, of course, connected as it turns out. The force of the plot carries over loose snow and through bombshelter doors. But what ultimately remains, and what is Smirnoff’s great achievement, is how she time and again disrupts the narrative with the question of the children. The boys who get beaten and grow up to be men who beat women. The Lisbeth girls, with their chronic maternal grief. Those who know that it is always too late to have a happy childhood. There the connections to Smirnoff’s previous books become clear. This is as it should be, as there is the feminist anger, the founding connection, that unites her with Stieg Larsson. The one that is, literally, carried through smoke and shell fire by Lisbeth and Svala together.”
Västerbottenskuriren
“Overall, we more than approve of Smirnoff’s debut a crime novelist (…) what impresses is the thrilling plot, the environmental depiction, and above all the unexpected and, yes, poignant relationship between Lisbeth and Svala. Something tells me that the dark tale of the Millennium will continue for a long time.
Svenska Dagbladet
Award-winning author Mikael Niemi’s stunning novel To Cook a Bear will be adapted into a six-part series produced by Disney+; making it the first Nordic Original production. The story takes place in 1852 in a small village up north and is centering on a pastor and a runaway Sami boy, who develops a deep relationship while investigating an unexpected murder mystery.
The screenplay is written by Swedish screenwriter Jesper Harrie (“Blinded,” “Bonus Family,” “Sunny Side”) who described his ambition to not only “create a crime in a historical setting, but also a drama.” The series is produced by by Miira Paasilinna, Martin Person and Mia Welin at Anagram Sweden for The Walt Disney Company Nordic & Baltic.
“We are incredibly proud to announce the very first Disney+ Nordic Original production. “To Cook a Bear” has everything we want to offer our adult audience; a deep, rich story set in a truly grand Nordic Noir scenery. I am confident it will find its way to the hearts of audiences in and well beyond the Nordics, and we can’t wait to bring it to them” said Vibeke Lia, Director of Programming & Production, The Walt Disney Company Nordic & Baltic.
“I feel great joy and anticipation for the production of “To Cook a Bear.” It will be exciting to follow the Sami boy Jussi and his meeting with the great revival Pastor, and see their fight against the evil ravaging the Northern wilderness. We get to follow a story about cunning and courage, but also about man’s longing for both divine and human love,” said author Mikael Niemi.
We’re so happy to see that Havsörnens skrik by Karin Smirnoff is nominated for the Adlibris Prize 2022. The winners of the award is decided by the readers – so make sure to place your vote before the 8th of December; the last day to vote. The winner is presented in January – we are crossing our fingers for Havsörnens skrik!
The week for the publication of Millennium 7 is finally here.
On Friday, November 4th, Havsörnens skrik will be released.
An art catalogue text led to a friendship that led to a book cover. Author Karin Smirnoff and artist Sara-Vide Ericson’s journey continues to take unexpected turns.
Forget about traditional crime fiction covers. The cover for Havsörnens skrik (The Sea Eagle’s Cry) by Karin Smirnoff is something completely different, and the person behind it is Sara-Vide Ericson, the brightest star of Sweden’s contemporary art scene.
It started in 2021, when Sara-Vide Ericson was the inaugural artist to be shown at the new Skellefteå Art Gallery. Sara-Vide contacted Karin Smirnoff to enquire if she would consider writing an essay for the exhibition catalogue. Karin accepted and went on to depict, in prose and poetry, the feeling the art evoked in her.
When Karin Smirnoff, in turn, asked if Sara-Vide would consider creating a painting for the cover of Havsörnens skrik (The Sea Eagle’s Cry), Sara-Vide – herself a voracious reader of suspense novels – was honored to take on the task.
“In the painting The Passenger, a suspension bridge twists over black water like a helix in the night, or a DNA spiral from the past to the future. Setting foot on the bridge requires all your balance, strength and presence to continue forward. Because being out there is exhausting, violent and deafening – amid the silence. Will it carry your weight? Who do you become once you reach the other side? The spectator, like the protagonist, is exposed to rhythm, external forces and their own place in history. Just like when painting or writing. In that movement, you oscillate between being the eagle that stretches its wingspan and the prey caught in its talons,” says Sara-Vide Ericson.
“Book covers are an art form in themselves. Most crime novels look alike, but this one stands out. Sara-Vide’s art is always evocative and exciting. It’s also great fun that we can collaborate in different ways by combining our modes of expression,” says Karin Smirnoff.
On Saturday 24 September, the cover was shown publicly for the first time, at the Gothenburg Book Fair. In its original form, the painting The Passenger (oil on canvas, 150×230 cm, 2022) is part of a larger exhibition of Sara-Vide Ericson’s work, on view at V1 Gallery in Copenhagen until 29 October 2022.
Miroslav Sokcic is behind the cover design. Havsörnens skrik (The Sea Eagle’s Cry) will be released on 4 November 2022.