Adolfsson wins Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year 

Fatal Isles by Maria Adolfsson, translated from the Swedish by Agnes Broomé and published by Zaffre, has won the 2022 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.

Adolfsson will receive a trophy, and both the author and the translator will receive a cash prize of £100 each. The full shortlist can be found here.

The judging panel, made up of Jackie Farrant, creator of Raven Crime Reads and a bookseller; Miriam Owen, founder of the Nordic Noir blog; and Ewa Sherman, translator, writer, and blogger at Nordic Lighthouse, described the winning book as “captivating”.

In a joint statement on the winner they said: “This captivating winning novel is the first in a proposed trilogy featuring the beautifully flawed protagonist Detective Inspector Karen Eiken Hornby, whose take on life and work make for a strong, down-to-earth and modern heroine in the relicts of a man’s world.

“Set in the fictional yet completely credible location of Doggerland, this three-island archipelago in the North Sea reflects Scandinavian, North European and British heritages. Doggerland is shaped and influenced by its geographical position; the atmospheric setting, akin to the wind and history-swept Faroe and Shetland Islands, and Nordic climes, enhances the suspenseful and intriguing plot of a police procedural that combines detailed observations and thoughts on the human condition.

“A brutal murder sets in motion an investigation into layers of hidden secrets and of societal attitudes, and the interaction between the superbly portrayed characters creates a thrilling tension and believable environment.”

Adolfsson said: “I feel so honoured and want to send my warmest thanks to the Petrona Award jury. This appreciation for my work means a lot to me.

“For me it is especially exciting that the British readers enjoy exploring Doggerland together with me. I’ve always been interested in what unites people in Scandinavia and the British Isles, how we are culturally linked, and what sets us apart. To me, Doggerland is – or at  least might have been – the link between us. Or to quote Herman Melville: ‘It’s not down on any map; true places never are.’”

Broomé also commented: “I am deeply honoured to receive the Petrona Award 2022. With such an impressive shortlist it is truly humbling to be chosen. I am grateful to the jury for their unswerving commitment to bringing Scandinavian crime literature to an English-speaking readership. My warmest thanks to everyone at Zaffre for their support along this journey and, above all, to Maria Adolfsson for introducing me to Detective Inspector Karen Eiken Hornby.”