
Photo: Paal Audestad
Jo Nesbø (b. 1960) is a musician, songwriter, screenwriter, 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 55 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
“Jo Nesbø is one of today’s most interesting thriller writers, and Harry Hole is an all-time great character – for me, a 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight.”
– Lee Child
“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’ Shortlisted 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 |
2022, Crime
2019, Crime
2017, Crime
2013, Crime
2011, Crime
2009, Crime
2007, Crime
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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
Killing Moon, Jo Nesbø’s latest Harry Hole title, is the No. 1 most sold hardcover fiction title of the month of January in Sweden.
Jo Nesbø’s Killing Moon is No. 1 also this week on the official hardcover bestseller list in Sweden. This marks the novel’s third week at the top.
Jo Nesbø’s standalone novel The Kingdom is No. 1 on the official bestseller list for paperbacks in France.
Jo Nesbø’s Killing Moon, the thirteenth Harry Hole novel, stays firmly put at No. 1 on the official hardcover bestseller list in Sweden.
Jo Nesbø and Jørn Lier Horst are the two most sold Norwegian authorships during 2022. Jo Nesbø is the No. 1 best selling author with his Killing Moon, the thirteenth Harry Hole novel. Jørn Lier Horst is No. 2 with The Traitor, the sixteenth novel about William Wisting.
Jo Nesbø’s thirteenth novel in the Harry Hole series, Killing Moon, was just published in Sweden and went straight to No. 1 on the official weekly bestseller list for hardcover fiction. Ia Genberg’s award-winning The Details is No. 5.
The last bestseller lists of 2022 in Norway saw both Jo Nesbø and Lars Kepler feature at No. 1 on the hardcover lists; first Nesbø with Killing Moon – also the No. 1 most sold hardcover fiction title of the entire month – and then Lars Kepler with The Spider. Kepler’s title was additionally No. 1 on the e-book lists. Lastly, on the final set of lists, Kepler and Nesbø were joined by Liza Marklund, who came in at No. 1 on the paperback list with The Polar Circle.
Jo Nesbø stays put at No. 1 on the hardcover fiction list this week, placing first once more with Killing Moon. Lars Kepler claims another top spot on the lists with The Spider, which is No. 1 in e-books.
Jo Nesbø’s international bestseller, Killing Moon, is back at No. 1 on the official Norwegian bestseller list for hardcovers this week. Killing Moon is the thirteenth Harry Hole novel.
Jo Nesbø’s Killing Moon, just published by Ullstein in Germany, enters Der Spiegel’s bestseller list for hardcover fiction at No. 5.
The Danish edition of Jo Nesbø’s Killing Moon, the 13th installment in the Harry Hole series, has gone straight to No. 1 on Saxo’s bestseller list. Saxo is Denmark’s biggest online retailer.
The bestseller lists for week 39 in Norway are in, and Jørn Lier Horst’s just published The Traitor goes straight to the top, claiming the No. 1 spot in the fiction category. Jo Nesbø comes in at No. 2 on the same list with Killing Moon, and Matias Faldbakken climbs to No. 3 with Poor Thing. On the paperback list, Liza Marklund’s The Polar Circle jumps to No. 2.