This morning Netflix announced that acclaimed musicians and composers Nick Cave and Warren Ellis will create the original score for the highly anticipated new series Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole.

The pairing of Cave and Ellis with the dark, atmospheric world of Harry Hole is a match made in noir heaven. Renowned for their haunting, emotive soundtracks – spanning films such as The Proposition, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and Wind River – Cave and Ellis bring a depth and intensity that perfectly echoes the psychological complexity and Nordic noir sensibility of Nesbø’s universe. 

Composer Nick Cave: “We loved working on this adaptation – Harry Hole’s murky, morally-complex world has been brought to life in all its darkly brutal glory, and it was an honour to work with the legendary Jo Nesbo.”

Author, creator and executive producer Jo Nesbø: “Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are masters at conjuring mood and tension, and their music is the ideal companion to Harry Hole’s brooding, enigmatic journey through the shadows of Oslo. Their music has always been a soundtrack to my writing process. To have them now scoring the world of Harry Hole feels both surreal and absolutely right.”

Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole will premiere on Netflix on March 26th. 

Monika Fagerholm’s critically acclaimed Nowhere Land/Women in Revolt has been shortlisted for the 2026 Swedish Radio’s Novel Award. The award was founded in 1993 and is given each year to an outstanding Swedish novel from the preceding year’s literary publication. The winner will be announced on April 24.

The official Norwegian bestseller lists for 2025 have been compiled, and claiming the No. 1 spot in hardcover fiction is Jo Nesbø with Wolf Hour. Jørn Lier Horst appears on the lists with two titles, coming in at No. 3 in hardcover and e-book with The Last Case, and No. 3 in paperback with The Lake. Pascal Engman meanwhile has three titles on the lists, starting with Tierra del Fuego and X at No. 6 and No. 7 in paperback, and No One at No. 9 in e-book.

Nordisk Film & TV Fond and Göteborg Film Festival have announced the five drama series nominated for the Nordic Series Script Award, and among the nominees are Ingeborg Topsøe for Reservatet (Denmark), Karin Arrhenius for Jag for ner till bror (Sweden) and Tiina Lymi for Queen of Fucking Everything (Finland).

The Nordic Series Script Award recognises exceptional screenwriting in Nordic drama. This prestigious award, worth NOK 200,000, is presented annually at the Göteborg Film Festival’s TV Drama Vision. Financed by Nordisk Film & TV Fond, it is awarded to the main writer of a Nordic drama series that premiered in 2025. The winners of the awards will be announced at an award ceremony on the evening of January 27.

The four-part miniseries Jag for ner till bror premiered on SVT on December 26, and is being hailed as the best Swedish series of 2025. Adapted from Karin Smirnoff’s acclaimed debut novel, the series is written by Karin Arrhenius and directed by Sanna Lenken.

“Jag for ner till bror is the best Swedish TV series of the year. /…/ It should be impossible. How do you do justice to Karin Smirnoff’s acclaimed, almost mythically stark torrent of words on the often disenchanted TV screen? The answer comes in four hard-hitting episodes that pulverize any conceivable skepticism. /…/ It is once again time to celebrate screenwriter Karin Arrhenius.”
★★★★
– DN

“What resonates most strongly with me is how well this adaptation captures the relationship between the siblings. It also serves as a timely reminder, as the holiday season’s demand for total happiness by Boxing Day more often than not tends to drive one mad with one’s family of origin.”
★★★★★
– SvD

“Karin Smirnoff’s Jag for ner till bror has become an excellent miniseries. /…/ Despite a shimmering hint of fairy tale, Jag for ner till bror is above all emotionally true, coherent, and believable.”
★★★★
– Expressen

“By far the best Swedish TV series of the year. /…/ Hats off. Screenwriter Karin Arrhenius and director Sanna Lenken have turned Karin Smirnoff’s acclaimed 2018 debut novel Jag for ner till bror into a four-part miniseries — and it is something truly special, with extraordinary intensity in every single scene. /…/ Everything comes together in this distinctive, richly textured and intense world, existing somewhere between social realism and tall tale. And it is both moving and impressively unsentimental at the same time.”
★★★★
– Aftonbladet

Pascal Engman continues his streak on the Norwegian paperback bestseller list, coming in at No. 1 with No One also on the first list of the new year.

Sarah Sheppard is awarded the 2025 Popular Educator of the Year by the Swedish Skeptics’ Association. She is praised for making science accessible and enjoyable with her unique blend of science and imaginative storytelling in books such as Animals in the City, Important Maps for Daydreamers and Adventurers and Long Live the Evolution.

The nomination reads:

“Through her wonderful books, Sarah sparks curiosity and enthusiasm for science in both children and grownups. It’s especially nice to present the award to someone who engages and educates children and parents at the same time.”

Jo Nesbø’s Wolf Hour, published in Germany last week, has entered Der Spiegel’s bestseller list for hardcover fiction at No. 2.