
Photo: Peter Knutson
Simona Ahrnstedt (b. 1967) was born in Prague and moved to Sweden with her parents at a very young age. Besides being one of Sweden’s best-selling authors, she is a licensed psychologist and cognitive behavioral therapist. Ahrnstedt’s rich and captivating character depictions, paired with her provocative and daringly executed plots, breathe life into the now rapidly growing genre of Scandinavian women’s fiction. Alongside her role as novelist, Ahrnstedt is a spokesperson for books by women, for women and about women.
“I am IN LOVE with Swedish author Simona Ahrnstedt’s books.”
–Marian Keyes
Shortlisted for the Feelgood of the Year Award Sweden – Ett otänkbart öde An Unthinkable Fate | 2023 |
Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Feelgood Fiction) Iceland – En enda risk High Risk | 2023 |
Shortlisted for the Feelgood of the Year Award Sweden – Nattens Drottning The Queen of the Night | 2022 |
Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Feelgood Fiction) Sweden – Nattens Drottning The Queen of the Night | 2022 |
Shortlisted for the Mofibo Awards (Best Romance) Denmark – Bara lite till Just a Bit More | 2021 |
Feelgoodfredag (Best Romance Novel ) Sweden – Med hjärtat som insats Hearts on the Line | 2020 |
Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Fiction) Sweden – Med hjärtat som insats Hearts on the Line | 2020 |
Shortlisted for the Storytel Awards (Best Fiction) Sweden – Bara lite till Just a Bit More | 2019 |
Shortlisted for LovelyBooks Leserpreis Germany – De skandalösa The Scandalous | 2019 |
2021, Women’s fiction
2020, Women’s fiction
2019, Women’s fiction
2017, Women’s fiction
2016, Women’s fiction
2015, Women’s fiction
2014, Women’s fiction
Simona Ahrnstedt’s romantic historical novel An Unthinkable Fate and Peter Hammarbäck’s heart-warming debut Zoo Boy have been longlisted for the Swedish Feelgood Festival’s award Feelgood of the Year 2023.
To see the list of the nominees and vote for your favorite, click “Read more” below.
Simona Ahrnstedt’s An Unthinkable Fate debuts on the official Swedish bestseller list for hardcover fiction this week, coming in at No. 2. Martin Widmark performs a hat trick on the children’s bestseller list, returning to No. 1 with The Detective Mystery as well as placing at No. 3 with The Library Mystery, and No. 4 with The Diamond Mystery.
In the spring of 1884 the young society woman Alexandra Rosenkvist is living in the north of Sweden, exiled having caused a scandal that shocked the high society. Now she’s finally allowed to return to Stockholm, where modern inventions such as the telephone and electricity are seeing the day of light, and where intelligence and money are beginning to be considered more important than fine ancestry. The women’s fight is in its early stages and within Alexandra a longing is growing for independence and the prospect of devoting herself to her passion: art.
The one coming to collect Alexandra is Atle Falk, a man with a dark past. Together with Atle, her cheery maid Minna and the pious handmaiden Emmy, Alexandra will traverse through a Sweden that is rapidly changing. On the surface the young dreamy socialite Alexandra and the scarred and cynical Atle have nothing in common, but during the course of their journey they grow closer to one another and unthinkable feelings blossom. Alexandra’s dreams of an independent and free life begin to flourish. But at home in Stockholm her rich and conservative family await. And they have very different plans for her.
An Unthinkable Fate is the fourth stand-alone set in Simona Ahrnstedt’s Wadenstierna-universe.
The nominees for this year’s Icelandic Storytel Awards have been announced. The Storytel Awards have been bestowed to highlight the best audio books of the year. The awards are granted within six categories: Suspense, Fiction, Non-fiction, Feelgood, YA, and Children’s books.
Among the nominees for suspense are Johan Theorin’s Weathered Bones and Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s I See You.
We’re Just Trying to Have Fun by Hálldor Armand Asgeirsson is featured within the non-fiction category.
Simona Ahrnstedt’s High Risk is nominated in the feelgood category, whilst Martin Widmark’s The Saffron Mystery is in the running for the children’s books award.
Readers will be able to vote for their favorite works, after which a jury will pick a winner among the three candidates with the most votes in each category.
Simona Ahrnstedt’s novel The Queen of the Night and Anders de la Motte and Måns Nilsson’s cozy crime novel Death Goes Antiquing have been longlisted for the Swedish Feelgood Festival’s award Feelgood of the Year 2022.
To see the list of the nominees and vote for your favorite, click “Read more” below.
The nominees for the Swedish 2021 Storytel Awards have been announced. The Storytel Awards have been bestowed since 2007 in Sweden to highlight the best audio books of the year. The awards are granted within six categories: Suspense, Fiction, Non-fiction, Feelgood, YA, and Children’s books.
Among the nominees for suspense are Kristina Ohlsson’s Icebreaker, Hjorth & Rosenfeldt’s As You Sow, Jens Lapidus’ The No-Go Zone, Anders de la Motte & Måns Nilsson’s A House to Die For, Liza Marklund’s The Polar Circle, and Anders Roslund’s Trust Me.
The nominees within the fiction category includes Fredrik Backman’s The Winners and Jonas Gardell’s A Happier Year, and Simona Ahrnstedt’s The Queen of the Night is featured on the Feelgood list.
Meanwhile, Anders Hansen’s Brain Blues and Måns Mosesson’s Tim – The Official Biography of Avicii features on the Non-fiction list, and David Sundin’s audiobook The Audiobook That Did Not Want To End – Part 2, from the same universe as The Book That Did Not Want To Be Read, is in the running for the Children’s books’ award.
Readers will be able to vote for their favorite works until February 9, after which a jury will pick a winner among the three candidates with the most votes in each category.
To cast your vote, click “Read more” below.
Niklas Natt och Dag’s 1795 claims top placements on the official Swedish bestseller lists for the month of October across all formats, coming in at No. 1 on the hardcover and e-book list and No. 2 on the audio list. Anders Hansen’s Brain Blues, published only three days before the end of the month, grabs the No. 3 spot on the non-fiction list, while Simona Ahrnstedt’s The Queen of the Night takes the No. 5 spot on the e-book list.
Niklas Natt och Dag’s 1795 continues to top the official Swedish bestseller list for hardcover fiction, keeping its No. 1 spot for the third consecutive week. Simona Ahrnstedt’s just published The Queen of the Night enters the e-book list at No. 4.
Kate Ekberg is a star. She has single-handedly created the immensely popular night club Kate’s, which is on everyone’s bucket list. She’s a glamorous, tough, and savvy business woman. But no one knows that she is also in the grip of a blackmailer.
Outwardly, Jacob Grim is an uptight bank manager complete with a stern look, double-buttoned suits and sober ties. Ever since a tragedy unfolded ten years back, he has forced himself to suppress all emotions. It’s been working fine, until he comes across a desperate Kate.
Something occurs in the meeting of these opposites: the charismatic nightclub icon and the closed-off bank man. They are thrown into a whirlwind passion that changes everything and suddenly there’s a promise of something more. If they dare to do the most difficult thing: be vulnerable.
The Queen of the Night is a feelgood love story about falling for your complete opposite against all odds and re-evaluating everything you thought you knew in the process. The book is the fourth installment in the stand-alone series Opposites Attract.
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.
The nominees for 2020’s Storytel Awards have been announced. Previously known as the Grand Audiobook Prize, the Storytel Awards have been handed out to the best audio books in Sweden since 2007. The awards are split into five categories: Suspense, Fiction, Non-fiction, YA, and Children’s books.
Among the nominees for the Suspense award are: Kristina Ohlsson’s Storm Watch, Anders Roslund’s Sweet Dreams, Stina Jackson’s The Last Snow, Lars Kepler’s The Mirror Man, and Hans Rosenfeldt’s When Crying Wolf.
Simona Arhnstedt’s Hearts on the Line meanwhile features on the list of Fiction nominees, and Björn Natthiko Lindeblad’s I May Be Wrong on the Non-fiction list.
David Sundin’s audiobook adaptation of his bestselling debut, The Book That Did Not Want To Be Read, is in the running for the Children’s books’ award. In its audio form, the book is called The Audiobook That Did Not Want To End.
Fans will be able to vote for their favorites till February 28, after which a jury will pick a winner among the three candidates with the most votes in each category.
To cast your vote, click “Read more” below.
Lars Kepler’s latest title about Joona Linna, The Mirror Man, comes in first in three categories on the official Swedish bestseller lists for October. It is No. 1 in hardcover, audio, and e-books. Hans Rosenfeldt follows just behind, placing at No. 2 in hardcover and audio with When Crying Wolf. Simona Ahrnstedt’s ever popular Opposites Attract series makes its mark on the e-book list, where the latest installment – Hearts on the Line – comes in at No. 3.