Ia Genberg has been awarded the 2025 Berns Prize by PEN Sweden. The prize is awarded annually by PEN Sweden to an author, journalist, or photographer who has “made a valuable contribution to the portrayal of Stockholm’s culture and nature, its institutions and its development, or Stockholm life in other forms”.

PEN Sweden’s motivation states:
“The 2025 Berns Prize is awarded to author Ia Genberg, who in a number of novels with distilled precision writes forth life in darkrooms and containers, on balconies and next to train tracks in Stockholm, including the novel The Details, in which she unmistakably and with perfect pitch portrays a 1990’s that, despite it being part of the past, feels remarkably close.”

The Berns Prize was established in 1963 in connection to the renowned Stockholm restaurant’s 100-year anniversary. Previous awardees include Per Anders Fogelström, Sara Stridsberg, and Jonas Hassen Khemiri.

Today, the nominations for the 61st Guldbagge Awards were unveiled.

Andreas Öhman received a nomination for Best Director for his celebrated rom-com Sju steg, which also secured a nomination in the Best Film category.

Ella Rae Rappaport was nominated for Best Actress for her leading role in the chaotic science-fiction film Egghead Republic, which is also nominated for Best Film. Arvin Kananian earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the same film.

The awards will be presented at the Guldbagge Awards gala at Cirkus in Stockholm on January 19, 2026.

Monika Fagerholm’s critically acclaimed and award-winning novel Nowhere Land/Women in Revolt has been shortlisted for the prestigious Finnish Runeberg Award.

The jury’s motivation states that the book “pours out over the pages and positively bubbles with life … a celebration of storytelling and expressive delight at its very best, impossible to resist.”

The Runeberg Award is one of Finland’s most significant literary honors, presented by the City of Borgå, the newspaper Uusimaa, the Finnish Writers’ Union, the Finnish Critics’ Association, and the Finnish Authors’ Association.

The winner will be announced on Runeberg Day, February 5.

Antti Tuomainen’s Saw Hard has been shortlisted for the Finnish Detective Society’s Clue Award, presented annually to the best crime or thriller novel of the previous year. The prize has been awarded since 1983.

The jury’s motivation reads:

“The book is an engaging and addictive story about Heikki, a sawmill owner facing financial ruin, a corpse that turns out not to be dead, and the power of money. The small-village setting is vividly portrayed. Its depiction of people in the summer night is warm, and the language is masterfully crafted. Tuomainen has discovered an ingenious way to remove villains from the stage almost by accident. The novel offers astonishing plot twists that make the reader laugh and cry at the same time. Yet the humor never feels forced; it simmers naturally throughout the narrative. The imagery is rich, and the storytelling flows effortlessly.”

The novel is one of six finalists, and the winner will be announced on February 3rd 2026.

As the year is coming to a close, critics at The New York Times have published their list of the “Best TV Shows of 2025”, and among their picks are two Swedish series: Mafia and Diary of a Ditched Girl.

Mafia, a crime drama released earlier this year on Viaplay in the UK and US, caught attention for its intense atmosphere, compelling storytelling and strong performance by lead actor Peshang Rad. Mafia is directed by Mani Maserrat and Tomas Jonsgården, and Axel Stjärne serves as the lead writer.

Diary of a Ditched Girl, a Netflix comedy-drama about modern dating, was praised for its raucous but bittersweet portrayal of relationships and heartbreak. The series is directed by Emma Bucht and Susanne Thorson, with Tove Eriksen Hillblom and Moa Herngren as screenwriters.

Monika Fagerholm is the winner of the 2025 Finlandia Award for ‘Best Fiction’. Her critically acclaimed novel Nowhere Land / Women in Revolt is praised by the jury with the following motivation:

“This year’s Finlandia Award goes to a profound and expansive novel that delves into writing, social currents, feminism, and family. The author writes like no one else; the sparkling, distinctive prose flows in a seductive spiral from beginning to end. The novel within the novel and its references are masterfully woven into the larger story, which I devour eagerly as I find myself captivated by every one of its characters.”

The Finlandia Award is Finland’s most prestigious literary award, presented by the Finnish Book Foundation. Since 1984 it has honored outstanding works by Finnish authors.