Lise Villadsen and her YA-novel The Supermassive Black Hole Club has been bestowed with the high-profile Danish School Libraries Author Award of 2025 for ‘Book of the Year’.

The award is one of Denmark’s biggest accolades for children’s- and young adult literature and has been bestowed since 1981 to a writer that through their authorship has made an exceptional literary or non-fictional contribution to the experiences and/or knowledge of children and young adults. The award aims to celebrate the literature that truly makes a difference in schools. The nominated authorships are symbolized by a title released in the preceding year that must be of remarkable quality.

Before handing over the accolade during the award ceremony, the jury highlighted that:

“The Supermassive Black Hole Club is a novel, which largely revolves around identity and sense of community – and concepts such as commitment and sincerity.(…) Lise Villadsen has written a terrific book. (…) With loneliness as a starting point, the novel deals with the simple – but certainly not easy – art of having the courage to be yourself. But also to dare to let others in – and that whilst mistakes and white lies can turn out to open doors to others, the lies can also be a risky, knotty and dangerous path to choose.”

Irene has a burning wish: to become a mother.

She is happily married to the priest Thomas, who already has the young daughter Isabella from a previous marriage, and whilst Irene loves her bonus daughter, she longs to have a child of her own. Having tried in vain for many years to become pregnant, they are now faced with starting fertility treatments.

At the same time a new family moves in next-door to their vicarage and Irene, who already has developed a habit of listening in to her husband’s confidential counseling sessions, begin to keep an eye on the neighbors.

Is everything on the other side of the fence really as perfect as it seems? Ought she tell the couple that the church gravedigger is peeking through their windows at night? And is it only in her imagination, or does Thomas have a bit too much chemistry with the neighbor woman? When Thomas begins to act strange and suddenly wishes to withdraw from their fertility treatment, Irene has to get to the bottom of it.

What is she not seeing? What is it that’s preventing her from becoming a mother?

Let the Little Children Come is Lise Villadsen’s adult thriller debut. It is an intense, psychological thriller about paranoia, couple relationships and violent desires.

Lise Villadsen’s lauded YA-novel The Supermassive Black Hole Club has been shortlisted for ‘Book of the Year’ at the Danish School Libraries Author Award 2025.

The award is one of Denmark’s biggest accolades for children’s- and young adult literature and has been bestowed since 1981 to a writer that through their authorship has made an exceptional literary or non-fictional contribution to the experiences and/or knowledge of children and young adults. The award aims to celebrate the literature that truly makes a difference in schools. The recipient of the award is selected by the school library association’s board of directors and the winner will be announced at an award ceremony in October.

Lise Villadsen’s Don’t Fall, Don’t Drown, Don’t Die has been awarded with Danish newspaper Horsen’s Posten’s Book of the Year Award 2020 in the category ‘Best Young Adult Novel’. A jury nominated a shortlist consisting of five works in each of the eight categories and the readers then went on to elect their favourite reads.

The Danish audio and e-book service Mofibo has announced this year’s nominees in the Mofibo Awards. The awards are split into six categories: Crime & Suspense, Fiction, Romance, Non-fiction, YA, and Children’s books.

Competing for the title of Best Crime & Suspense are: Katrine Engberg with Isola, Lars Kepler with The Mirror Man, Jo Nesbø with The Kingdom, and Stefan Ahnhem with X Ways to Die.

Annette Bjergfeldt’s debut title When Life Gives You Hippos is in the running for Best Fiction, while Simona Ahrnstedt features on the Romance shortlist with her Just a Bit More.

Lastly, the YA and Children’s categories see Lise Villadsen and Don’t Fall, Don’t Drown, Don’t Die and Bobbie Peers and The Explorers’ Club and the Turtle Cannon each grab a spot on the shortlists.

To cast your vote, click “Read more” below.

Lise Villadsen (b. 1985) is the Danish breakout star behind a series of electrifying young adult novels centered around complex family dynamics and youth mental health issues. Villadsen began to pen novels already at the age of 14, making her lauded debut in 2018. Through her highly acclaimed works, Villadsen shrewdly captures the voice of the adolescent generation.