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.

Lisa Ridzén’s debut When the Cranes Fly South has been featured in UK retailer Waterstones’ Best Fiction of 2025. The novel was listed in the category ‘The Contemporary World’; the best novels to reflect the love, politics and communities that typify the current moment.

Lisa Ridzén’s runaway bestselling debut When the Cranes Fly South has been listed among the Best Books of 2025 by both Amazon US and the publication Shelf Awareness.

Amazon US featured the the novel in two categories in their round-up of the best titles of the past year, as selected by the Amazon Editors: Literature & Fiction and Discoveries. Amazon Editor Erin Kodicek had the following to say about the novel:

“Lisa Ridzén’s When the Cranes Fly South is a deceptively quiet tale that contains multitudes–at once a beautiful ode to the older and those who attend to them (not as a job, but as a sacred duty, a vocation, an act of love), and an important reminder that it’s never too late, or too soon, to take an inventory of our lives and make course corrections. It’s no wonder Cranes was a book of the year in Sweden and an international best seller. It resonates with every reader who wrestles with some tender regret. And that’s most of us.”

Shelf Awareness, the trusted publication and newsletter of the indie bookselling community in the US, also listed the novel among the 10 best fiction titles of the year. The selected titles ‘reflect the newsletter’s pride in championing commendable writing, books with striking prose, distinctive premises, and captivating author voices’. Cheryl McKeon from the Book House of Styvesant Plaza writes that:

“Swedish author Lisa Ridzén’s debut is a realistic, poignant retrospective on the last months of a life. (…) When the Cranes Fly South ruminates on a long life lived with care, a deep appreciation for natural surroundings, and a commitment to leaving a legacy of love.”