Gunnar Staalesen
«A Norwegian Chandler.» Jo Nesbø
«One of the finest Nordic novelists in the tradition of Henning Mankell.» Independent
«Gunnar Staalesen is one of my very favourite Scandinavian authors. Operating out of Bergen in Norway, his private eye, Varg Veum, is a complex but engaging anti-hero. Varg means 'wolf' in Norwegian, and this is a series with very sharp teeth.» Ian Rankin
«Gunnar Staalesen was writing suspenseful and socially conscious Nordic Noir long before any of today's Swedish crime writers had managed to put together a single book page. To me he is one of Norway's most skillful storytellers, as well as being an incredibly nice guy!» Johan Theorin
«You always get a strong sense of place in Staalesen’s books and frosty Bergen, a place I’ve never visited, came alive. I hope we get to see much more of Varg Veum and this is the start of a wider readership for a writer who is one of the best.» Sarah Ward
Gunnar Staalesen was born in 1947 in the historical city of Bergen on the west coast of Norway. He took his M.A. at the Bergen University, studying English and French language and literature as well as comparative literature.
When he was 22 years old, he published his first novel, Times of Innocence, in 1969. However, it is first and foremost as a crime story writer that Gunnar Staalesen’s name is known and loved. His books about the private eye Varg Veum are published in several countries, among them UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Russia. During 1997-2000 he wrote a trilogy, offering a wide scope focus on the city of Bergen during the 20th century, mirroring also the history of these 100 years. The series was extremely successful and was dramatised (by the author) and staged at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen.
In 1975 Staalesen published his first crime story, a police novel entitled Side by Side, Two in a bind . After the publication of three novels, the author decided that he would leave the limitations of the police novel and try out the private eye genre in stead.
Varg Veum came to life in 1977 in the first of many books that would conquer Norwegian readers and make its creator the king of crime story writing for many years. Staalesen’s basic idea was to create a crime noire PI, adding his own social criticism located in the Bergen scenario - under the Nordic light – and this was a success from the very first novel. Varg Veum steps forward as a 68 generation idealist, a divorced, slightly alchoholic ex-social worker well versed in life’s darker side. Behind his rough exterior and sharp verbal sallies, both typical genre markers, hides a warm-hearted and sensitive person with a strongly developed social conscience and an unflagging solidarity with the common people.
Staalesen’s excellency in writing was profoundly confirmed when he published Reflections in a Mirror in 2002, seven years after the previous Varg Veum novel, The Writing on the Wall, won the Riverton Prize for the second time and was published as Book of the Month in Norway’s major book club.
His series featuring the hard-boiled but sympathetic PI Varg Veum from the historical city of Bergen, has sold more than 2 million copies, as well as 200,000 DVDs. 12 novels have been filmed.
«This series stands alongside Connelly, Crais, Temple, Camilleri and others, who are among the very best modern exponents of the poetic yet tough detective story with strong, classic plots; a social conscience; and perfect pitch in terms of a sense of place.»
Euro Crime
«Every inch the equal of his Nordic confrères Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbø`.»
Crime Time
Prizes:
1975: The Riverton Prize
1989: The Booksellers Prize
1989: The Gyldendal Prize
1990: Palle Rosenkrantz prisen (Denmark)
1991: Kaliberprisen (Sweden)
1994: Riksmålsprisen for children’s books
2002: The Riverton Prize
2012: The Riverton Club's Honorary Award (for Varg Veum)
2015: The Swedish Crime Writers' Academy’s Honorary Award "Grand Master"
2017: Petrona Award for the best Scandinavian crime novel of the year, for Where Roses Never Die
Foreign Sales: Gunnar Staalesen's crime novels are translated into 20 languages, among these English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Persian and Russian.
THE VARG VEUM SERIES
Wolves at the Door (2018)
Denmark, Gyldendal
The Netherlands, Uitgeverij Marmer
UK, Orenda Books
Big Sister (2016)
Denmark, Gyldendal
The Netherlands, Uitgeverij Marmer
UK, Orenda Books
France, Gaia
Wolves in the Dark (2014)
Denmark, Gyldendal
UK, Orenda Books
France, Éditions Gaïa
The Netherlands, Uitgjiveri Marmer
Where Roses Never Die (2012)
Denmark, Gyldendal
France, Éditions Gaïa
The Netherlands, Uitgjiveri Marmer
UK, Orenda Books
Greece, Dioptra Publishing
We shall Inherit the Wind (2010)
Denmark, Vindrose/Gyldendal
Iceland, Draumsýn
Poland, slowo/obraz terytoria
UK, Orenda Books
France, Éditions Gaïa
The Netherlands, Uitgeverij Marmer
Cold Hearts (2008)
Denmark, Vindrose / Gyldendal
France, Éditions Gaïa
Poland, slowo/obraz terytoria
UK, Arcadia Books
Germany, Polar Verlag
The Netherlands, Uitgeverij Marmer
The Consorts of Death (2006)
China, Shanghai Translation Publishing House
Czech, Garamond
Denmark, Vindrose/Gyldendal
France, Éditions Gaïa
Italy, Iperborea
Poland, slowo/obraz terytoria
Romania, Pandora Publishing
Russia, Inostranka Publishers
Spain, Alba Editorial
UK, Arcadia Books
Bulgaria, Books4All
The Netherlands, Uitgeverij Marmer
Face to Face (2004)
Denmark, Vindrose
France, Éditions Gaïa
Germany, Fischer
Sweden, Bra Böcker
Reflections in a Mirror (2002)
Denmark, Vindrose
France, Éditions Gaïa
Germany, Fischer
Italy, Iperborea
Sweden, Bra Böcker
The Dead are All Well – short stories (1996)
Germany, Fischer
The Writing on the Wall (1995)
Brazil, Vertigo
Denmark, Vindrose
France, Éditions Gaïa
Germany, Fischer
UK, Arcadia Books
Dead Dogs don’t Bite (1993)
Denmark, Vindrose
France, Éditions Gaïa
Germany, Fischer
Bulgaria, Books4All
Bitter Blooms (1991)
Bulgaria, Ciela
Denmark, Gyldendal
France, Éditions Gaïa
Germany, Fischer
Hungary, Nyitott
the Netherlands/Belgium, Manteau
Netherland, Uitgjiveri Marmer
UK, Orenda Books
Fallen Angels (1989)
Denmark, Gyldendal
France, Éditions Gaïa
Germany, Goldmann
the Netherlands/Belgium, Conserve
Netherland, Uitgjiveri Marmer
UK, Orenda Books
Black Sheep (1988)
Denmark, Gyldendal
France, Éditions de l’Aube
Germany, Fischer
Greece, Polis
the Netherlands/Belgium, Manteau
the Netherlands, Uitgjiveri Marmer
Bulgaria, Books4All
The Fairy Ring – short stories (1985)
Denmark, Politikens Forlag
Germany, Fischer
At Night All Wolves are Gray (1983)
Bulgaria, Ciela
Denmark, Vindrose
France, Éditions Gaïa
Germany, Goldmann
Greece, Polis
the Netherlands/Belgium, Standaard
UK, Quartet Books
The Woman in the Fridge (1981)
Denmark, Borgen
Faroe Islands, Sprotin
Finland, Otava
France, Gallimard
Germany, Fischer
Italy, Iperborea
the Netherlands/Belgium, Standaard
The Netherlands, Uitgeverij Marmer
Sleepy Beauty Slumbered for a Hundred Years (1980)
Denmark, Vindrose
Finland, Otava
France, Gallimard
Germany, Fischer
Yours Until Death (1979)
Bulgaria, Ciela
Denmark, Gyldendal
Finland, Otava
Germany, Fischer
Greece, Polis
Slovakia, Slovensky spisovatel
UK, Arcadia Books
The Fox takes the Goose (1977)
Brazil, Vertigo
Denmark, Vindrose
France, Éditions Gaïa
Germany, Fischer
