
Photo: Paal Audestad
Jo Nesbø (b. 1960) is a musician, songwriter, and economist, as well as one of the leading crime writers in the world. He is recognized for having widened the scope of the thriller with his unusual literary qualities and ambitions, his psychological insights and his in-depth knowledge of life in a modern, globalized world. His books have garnered countless international awards, sold 50 million copies, and been translated into 50 languages. In addition to the Harry Hole series he is the author of stand-alone novels Headhunters, The Son, Blood on Snow, Midnight Sun, Macbeth and The Kingdom, as well as several children’s books in the Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder series.
“Jo Nesbo is my new favorite thriller writer and Harry Hole my new hero.”
–Michael Connelly
“I am the world’s greatest living crime writer. [Jo Nesbø] is a man who is snapping at my heels like a rabid pitbull poised to take over my mantle when I dramatically pre-decease him.”
–James Ellroy
“Many authors know how to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Jo Nesbo’s one of the few who keeps them there.”
–Linwood Barclay
“The Snowman by Jo Nesbo is relentless. His terrifying transformation of a childhood icon permeated my sleep. I started Redbreast but it was too much. I gave it to my guitarist Lenny Kaye and he was hooked. Now my band is reading Nesbo but I am too petrified to crack open the Phantom….”
–Patti Smith
“Norway boasts Henrik Ibsen, Edvard Munch and the best-selling thriller writer Jo Nesbø as native sons.”
–New York Times
“The next Munch or Ibsen could be Jo Nesbø … And, if there’s any justice, one day Harry Hole will be just as big as Harry Potter.”
–CNN
‘London’ Longlisted for the CWA Short Story Dagger UK – Sjalusimannen og andre fortellinger The Jealousy Man and Other Stories | 2022 |
Longlisted for the CWA Crime Fiction in Translation Dagger Award UK – Kongeriket The Kingdom | 2021 |
Shortlisted for the Mofibo Awards (Best Crime & Suspense) Denmark – Kongeriket The Kingdom | 2021 |
Shortlisted for Lubimy Czytać’s Best Book of the Year (Best Crime Fiction) Poland – Kongeriket The Kingdom | 2020 |
Shortlisted for the Adlibris Awards (Best Crime Fiction) Sweden – Kongeriket The Kingdom | 2020 |
CoScan’s Nordic Person of the Year Award UK | 2020 |
Shortlisted for the Ozon Book Award (Best Fiction) Russia – Kniv Knife | 2020 |
The Riverton Prize (Best Norwegian Crime Novel of the Year) Norway – Kniv Knife | 2020 |
Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Suspense) Sweden – Kniv Knife | 2019 |
Shortlisted for the Public Book Awards (Best Translated Novel) Greece – Macbeth Macbeth | 2019 |
Shortlisted for the British Book Awards (Book of the Year, Crime & Thriller) UK – Macbeth Macbeth | 2019 |
The Icepick Award (Best Translated Crime Novel of the Year) Iceland – Sønnen The Son | 2018 |
Shortlisted for the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers’ Award (Best Translated Crime Novel) Sweden – Macbeth Macbeth | 2018 |
The Raymond Chandler Award (Lifetime Achievement) | 2018 |
Shortlisted for LovelyBooks’ Der Leserpreis (Best Crime & Thriller of 2017) Germany – Tørst The Thirst | 2017 |
Nordic Noir Thriller of the Year Award Sweden – Tørst The Thirst | 2017 |
Shortlisted for the Book of the Year Award Sweden – Tørst The Thirst | 2017 |
Best Translated Mystery – Reader’s Choice Award Japan – Blod på snø Blood on Snow | 2017 |
Best Translated Mystery Award Japan – Blod på snø Blood on Snow | 2017 |
Shortlisted for the Brage Prize (Best Crime Novel) Norway – Mere Blod Midnight Sun | 2017 |
Boréales Honorary Award (for his entire literary work) France | 2017 |
Honyaku Mystery Award Japan – Blod på snø Blood on Snow | 2017 |
Shortlisted for The European Crime Fiction Star Award Germany | 2016 |
The Riverton Honor Prize Norway | 2016 |
Shortlisted for the Ark’s Book of the Year Award – Mere Blod Midnight Sun | 2015 |
The IcePick Award (Best Translated Crime Novel) Iceland – Blod på snø Blood on Snow | 2015 |
Shortlisted for LovelyBooks’ Der Leserpreis (Best Crime & Thriller of 2015) Germany – Sønnen The Son | 2015 |
St. Petersburg Reads Award (Best International Author of the Year) Russia | 2014 |
Shortlisted for The IcePick Award (Best Translated Crime Novel of the Year) Iceland – Panserhjerte The Leopard | 2014 |
Martinus Readers’ Choice Award (Best Foreign Author of the Year) Slovakia | 2014 |
Martinus Readers’ Choice Award (Best Novel of the Year) Slovakia – Politi Police | 2014 |
The Peer Gynt Prize (for his international success and for putting Norway on the map of international literature) Norway | 2013 |
Shortlisted for the Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards (The Bestseller Dagger) UK | 2012 |
Shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger (Best Translated Crime Novel of the Year) UK – Gjenferd Phantom | 2012 |
Shortlisted for the Edgar Award (Best Novel of the Year) US – Sorgenfri Nemesis | 2010 |
Shortlisted for the Macavity Awards (Best Mystery Novel) US – Sorgenfri Nemesis | 2010 |
The Great Caliber Award of Honour (for his entire authorship) Poland | 2010 |
Shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger UK – Frelseren The Redeemer | 2009 |
The Danish Academy of Crime Writers’ Award (Best Crime Novel of the Year) Denmark – Panserhjerte The Leopard | 2009 |
The Norwegian Book Club Prize (Best Novel of the Year) Norway – Hodejegerne Headhunters | 2008 |
Shortlisted for the Ark’s Children’s Book Award (Best Children’s Book) Norway – Doktor Proktors tidsbadekar Doctor Proctor and the Time-Travel Bath Bomb | 2008 |
The Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize (Best Novel of the Year) Norway – Snømannen The Snowman | 2007 |
The Norwegian Book Club Prize (Best Novel of the Year) Norway – Snømannen The Snowman | 2007 |
Shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger UK – Rødstrupe The Redbreast | 2007 |
The Finnish Academy of Crime Writers’ Special Commendation (Excellence in Foreign Crime Writing) Finland – Marekors The Devil’s Star | 2007 |
Shortlisted for the Ark’s Children’s Book Award (Best Children’s Book) Norway – Doktor Proktors prompepulver Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder | 2007 |
Best Norwegian Crime Novel Ever Written (Awarded by the Norwegian Book Clubs) Norway – Rødstrupe The Redbreast | 2004 |
William Nygaard Bursary Norway – Sorgenfri Nemesis | 2002 |
The Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize (Best Novel of the Year) Norway – Rødstrupe The Redbreast | 2000 |
The Glass Key (Best Nordic Crime Novel of the Year) The Nordic Countries – Flaggermusmannen The Bat | 1998 |
The Riverton Prize (Best Norwegian Crime Novel of the Year) Norway – Flaggermusmannen The Bat | 1997 |
2019, Crime
2017, Crime
2013, Crime
2011, Crime
2009, Crime
2007, Crime
2005, Crime
2003, Crime
2002, Crime
2000, Crime
1998, Crime
1997, Crime
2016, Children’s
2012, Children’s
2010, Children’s
2010, Children’s
2008, Children’s
2007, Children’s
2021, Crime
2021, Crime
Jo Nesbø’s short story London, from his story collection The Jealousy Man And Other Stories, is longlisted for the prestigious 2022 CWA Short Story Dagger, an award given to the best crime-focused short story of the year published or broadcast in the UK.
The shortlist will be announced on May 13th at the CrimeFest in Bristol.
This week’s bestseller lists in Norway have Jo Nesbø appear at the top of the paperback list, claiming the No. 1 spot with The Jealousy Man and Other Stories. Anne Holt comes in as No. 1 on the e-book list with The Eleventh Manuscript and makes an appearance at No. 2 on the paperback list with the same title.
The latest addition to the Detective Agency No. 2 series by Jørn Lier Horst & Hans Jørgen Sandnes, Operation Ninja, sails to No. 1 on the official bestseller list for children’s fiction.
Based on Nielsen BookScan’s data, UK trade magazine The Bookseller has announced the top ten bestselling novels in translation over the past 12 months. The Translated Top 10 chart, which include Yuval Noah Harari, Elena Ferrante and Haruki Murakami among else, is led by Jo Nesbø and his stand-alone novel The Kingdom.
The Bookseller says “In the past year, the Harry Hole creator’s all-time TCM total moved to just a smidge under £25m, to edge past Paulo Coelho as the second-bestselling author in translation since BookScan records began.”
For the second consecutive week, Anne Holt’s The Eleventh Manuscript grabs the No. 1 spot on the official Norwegian bestseller list for paperbacks. The novels also claims the top position on the e-book list this week.
Jo Nesbø’s The Jealousy Man and Other Stories and Hjorth & Rosenfeldt’s As You Sow comes in at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively on the paperback list also this week.
Anne Holt’s The Eleventh Manuscript comes in at No. 1 on the official Norwegian bestseller list for paperback this week, followed by Jo Nesbø’s The Jealousy Man and Other Stories at No. 2 and Hjorth & Rosenfeldt’s As You Sow at No. 3.
Jo Nesbø’s story collection Rat Island and Other Stories has gone straight to No. 1 on the Hungarian bestseller list upon publication.
The official Finnish bestseller list for the month of November is out. The list for hardcover fiction sees Jo Nesbø’s Rat Island and Other Stories listed as No. 2 for the second consecutive month, while Liza Marklund’s The Polar Circle climbs to No. 3.
C More is currently shooting its very first Norwegian original production, Headhunters, a prequel to Jo Nesbø’s novel Hodejegerne. Rolf-Magne Golten Andersen has written the script for the series, together with Geir Henning Hopland who is also serving as director.
Headhunters takes place prior to the events in the novel, and sees Axel Bøyum portraying headhunter and master manipulator Roger Brown and Martin Wallström as the star recruiter Jon Christian Wiklund. The series is produced by Yellowbird in co-production with C More and TV2 in Norway and will see its premiere in 2022.
Jo Nesbø’s Rat Island and Other Stories claims the No. 2 spot on the official Finnish bestseller list for hardcover fiction for the month of October. Liza Marklund’s The Polar Circle can be found at No. 5 on the list.
Jo Nesbø’s Rat Island and Other Stories is No. 4 on the largest bookstore chain Suomalainen Kirjakauppa’s bestseller list in Finland. Antti Tuomainen’s The Rabbit Factor and Lars Kepler’s The Mirror Man can be found on No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, on the bestseller list for paperback.
Jo Nesbø’s recently published The Jealousy Man and Other Stories is No. 1 and Niklas Natt och Dag’s 1793 is No. 2 on the bestseller list for crime & thriller fiction in Russia.
Jo Nesbø’s The Jealousy Man and Other Stories is No. 1 on the official Czech bestseller list.