The jury for the 2026 Petrona Award has just revealed the shortlist for the ‘Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.’ Among the six nominees are Satu Rämö’s The Grave in the Ice and Antti Tuomainen’s The Winter Job.

The Judges have the following to say about each title:

“In a genre typically dominated by male leads, characters like Hildur flip the traditional detective-and-victim dynamic on its head, subverting conventional gender roles and expectations. These well-developed characters, combined with a fresh storyline, ensure The Grave in the Ice is a solid police procedural with genuine depth.”

“With an impressively precise control, The Winter Job combines humour in the narrative, with a harmonic balance between the dark, the absurd and the slightly slapstick, but never at the expense of the plot and characterisation.”

The winning title will be announced on 22 October 2026.

The Birkarls ruled Europe’s far north for hundreds of years, yet there are few traces of them in Swedish history. Even the word “birkarl” has faded from existence.

But the people of Norrbotten, as King Gustav Vasa called the remote region, did not live in an isolated wilderness beyond the reaches of society — quite the opposite. One of them was Birkarl Andreas Nicolai, vicar and court chaplain. He lived during the break between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, in the turbulent time that was the 16th century. An era plagued by war, bloodbaths, rebellions, civil wars, destroyed monasteries, and royal fratricide. He served at court, traveled far and wide, was involved in constant conflicts, and was one of the forces that governed the Swedish church, gradually acquiring a great fortune. Toward the end of his life, he contributed to the demarcation of the border with Russia – the one which today constitutes NATO’s eastern border.

The Birkarl is set at the court of King Gustav Vasa, and in Norrbotten, Finland, Estonia and by the Arctic Ocean. It is a vibrant and violent story that has never been told before. It is based on the life and work of Andreas Nicolai, and is the first novel in a series about the power struggles of the 16th century.

Maya is tired. Tired of constantly being expected to want to climb the career ladder, to want more, to grow, to become better. She just wants to be. To put in her hours and then go home.

When Maya is more or less forced to moderate a conference critical to the survival of her employer Origon, her friends see it as a golden opportunity for her to take the next step in her career. But something inside Maya begins to stir. And right there on stage, in front of hundreds of spectators and financiers, she loses it.

What happened to her little brother all those years ago, the guilt she’s carried since, the demands for success, mindfulness as the solution to everything, and the superficiality of almost all her relationships, can no longer be held at bay. All Maya can think about is if this is the moment when everything will come crashing down.

Bad Vibes balances humor with a poignant story of grief, guilt, and the journey towards forgiving those closest to you, and ultimately, yourself.

Late at night, a doctor burns to death inside the closed forensic psychiatric institution Helix. The interrogations with staff and inmates are complicated due to patient confidentiality and psychotic illnesses. After another death in the same ward, Saga Bauer accepts a top-secret assignment. She is placed as a patient among the most dangerous perpetrators in Sweden. Joona Linna is Saga Bauer’s only contact on the outside. The Queen hiding in the ward turns out to have a court of subjects – and she leaves victims behind at a faster rate than any serial killer has ever done before.

Medusa is the eleventh book in the Joona Linna series.

This is the story of a group of friends in the 1980s who were family to one another in a time when no one else would be.

Just as they began to live and carry themselves with a smidgeon of pride, they start to fall ill and die in a new disease the newspapers name the Gay Plague.

It is a love that will cost them everything.

The story told in Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves is real. The love story of Rasmus and Benjamin is already a cult classic. It’s a dizzying, epic novel of a city and a time, about love and friendship in a universe to get lost in. Stepping out on the other side, you will never be the same.

For the first time ever, Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves is published in a merged edition, as its author Jonas Gardell had intended it to be read.

Seth Manteus is a Swedish actor currently studying at the renowned Malmö Theatre Academy. Highly ambitious and driven, he approaches his work with curiosity, commitment and a strong desire to continuously develop his craft. With a natural screen presence and a strong sensitivity to character, Manteus brings an openness and intensity to his performances.

He made his breakthrough as the young Hugo in the SkyShowtime drama series The Trio (2026), based on Johanna Hedman’s acclaimed novel. The series received fantastic reviews, with critics praising its performances, storytelling and emotional depth. The Trio marked Manteus’ first major TV role, acting alongside Felix Sandman, Rebecka Harper and August Wittgenstein.

Manteus is also a trained musical theatre performer, having studied at Musikteaterskolan in Bjärnum, where he received extensive training in musical theatre, with a particular focus on high-level jazz dance, ballet and singing. His musical background also includes guitar, piano and drums.