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Upon their arrival, and to their surprise, Valdemar is mistaken for the local constable, and Mika his errand girl, summoned to arrest Annie for mysterious crimes. But are dark forces at work at Roseboon? After all, doors are kept bolted. Windows are nailed shut. And screams pierce the dark. Maybe something wicked has been unleashed. Everything points to a creature that only comes at night.

So why is Annie in the crosshairs?Now Mika and Valdemar must maintain their bluff long enough to uncover the mysteries of Roseboon and free Mika’s mother from captivity before accusations against her become inescapable.

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Moomin fans of all ages will delight at the stunning artwork that accompanies the lively, witty writing, and become fully immersed in the beautiful Moominvalley.

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When her classmate and his mother nearly drown in the damp, choking fog, Tuva seeks answers about its supernatural nature. And the truth she uncovers is more wondrous—and sinister—than she could have imagined.

All the while, a hauntingly familiar voice calls for Tuva, pulling at the ties that bind her to the supernatural world, trying to draw her in. But are the powers that Tuva possesses enough to save the world from this true evil lingering in its midst?

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This year’s judges included the now retired SELTA founder member Tom Geddes, current SELTA member Kate Lambert, and the writer and journalist Dea Birkett, who said of the winner:

‘As a first time judge, I was in awe of the role of the translator in this incredible work. Translating is the strangest of jobs, as the more the reader notices you, the less good your work is. Invisibility is your aim. I quickly forgot this was a translated work, and skipped through different voices, eras and perspectives all conveyed with ease and authenticity. I hope this award makes the translator visible again.’

This was the first time that Agnes has been shortlisted for the Bernard Shaw prize, while also being the first time Pushkin Press has featured on the shortlist for the prize. SELTA offers its wholehearted congratulations to Agnes on her achievement. SELTA even received a name check. While accepting her prize, Agnes said:

‘I also want to extend my literally forever gratitude to SELTA […] for welcoming and supporting me when I was a brand new and slightly overwhelmed translator.’

The runner up on the evening was Saskia Vogel for her translation of Hanna Nordenhök’s Caesaria.

The prize is awarded for the best translation into English of a full length Swedish language work of literary merit and general interest, with the winner receiving £3000 and the runner up £1000. Named after the author and dramatist George Bernard Shaw, whose Nobel Prize went towards a foundation for ‘the promotion and diffusion of knowledge and appreciation of the literature and art of Sweden in the British Islands’, the prize was established in 1991 and is now awarded biennially. The next award will be for 2027 (awarded in 2028).

You can watch the full prize ceremony here (and the announcement of the Bernard Shaw Prize here). And finally well done to all the translators who were featured on the shortlist for the 2025 prize as announced last December.

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Stålenhag’s masterful storytelling and hyper-realistic art transports you to an alternate history revealing his most intimate work to date, delving into themes of masculinity, friendship, and sexuality through the lens of a queer science fiction tale. The story spans decades following two young men, stuck in the past and each other’s orbit, as fleeting moments become defining memories as they set out to explore the forbidden zone together.

Set against the backdrop of Stålenhag’s native Sweden and based on the alternate version of Mälaröarna outside of Stockholm, Sunset at Zero Point juxtaposes giant futuristic machines with the inner turmoil of its characters facing a social dystopia, crafting a narrative that is both visually stunning and emotionally resonant.

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Meanwhile, Martin Hill moves to a secluded estate to write a biography about the business leader Gunnar Irving, intrigued by the fact that the legendary property contains an abandoned astronomical observatory. Soon, Hill discovers that the area has more stories to offer…about mysterious lights and mutilated bodies. While Asker and Hill try to find answers, the Glass Man rises from the depths of darkness from which no one ever returns. Nobody but him.

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A biennial award, the Bernard Shaw Prize is awarded for translations into English of full length Swedish language works of literary merit and general interest. The winning prize is £3,000, whilst a runner-up  receives £1,000.

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Tove Jansson’s story of a mysterious, threatening comet, and the journey of discovery by Moomin and his friend Sniff across the Lonely Mountains, has captivated generations of readers across the world. The story introduced much-loved Moomin characters, including the free-spirited Snufkin, the philosophical Muskrat, the intuitive Snorkmaiden, obsessional Hemulens and strange Hattifatteners.

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The SELTA literary translation workshop at the Embassy of Sweden in London on Tuesday 7 October was a real treat. The room was nicely set up and there was good coffee and even some Swedish fikabröd on offer (one of my main reasons for showing up…).

People had translated short texts from upcoming novels by Agnes Lidbeck and Hanna Johansson, and we sat with the authors to chat and share ideas and insights about their Swedish texts and the various English translations.

There were two tables, one for each of the authors, and there was a pretty even split between the tables. I was at Agnes’s table and the discussion was well mediated by fellow SELTA member Alex Fleming.

One thing that soon became clear was how helpful it would have been to have read the whole book before embarking on the translation of the excerpt. Agnes provided a lot of background to the various characters, social classes, moods and timelines involved, which shed a whole new light and quickly revealed how our translations could be improved. It was also useful to get an insight into the sheer depth of meaning in certain Swedish words (such as ‘…va?’), and to realise that no translator can reasonably be expected to delve into all the various echelons of meaning and implication in each and every word, and then try to convey exactly the same nuances in a single English word, every time. So all we can do is our best, of course!

After the workshop, a few of us went round the corner to buy a few bits at the Totally Swedish shop, and many of also had lunch together at a nearby Franco Manca. As a relatively new SELTA member myself, it was great to meet and chat to fellow translators – mainly new ones, but some more experienced ones too.

Thanks to SELTA for organising this and to everyone involved, and I look forward to joining other SELTA events in the future.

Matt Bibby

As a new member of SELTA, I came along to the translation workshop excited to get involved but a little anxious about my own contributions since I hadn’t had the chance to submit my own translation in advance. I needn’t have worried! The setting and company were relaxed and welcoming and I felt at ease from the start. After a coffee, chat and round of introductions, we chose whether a group to join – one working on Agnes Lidbeck’s forthcoming novel and the other working with Hanna Johansson.

Those of us working with Hanna quickly became embroiled in the challenge of how to translate gymnasiet – everything from secondary school to 6th form was considered though I’m not actually sure we settled on a choice in the end! Other challenges included names of plants – rubber plant or ficus – and the classic Swedish Har man… construction. The discussion flowed freely with ideas coming from all round the table. As a newcomer, I really enjoyed the opportunity to work collaboratively with other translators and hear their thoughts highlighting just how our backgrounds, interests and preferences influence our translation. Especially interesting were Hanna’s own thoughts and contributions to the discussion. This was the first time I’d been in a translation workshop with an author and it was fascinating to see how our discussion and questions were shaping her own thoughts around where her manuscript would go from here.

All in all, an enjoyable and thought-provoking morning with like-minded colleagues and excellent fika. I am looking forward to the next one already!

Joanne Haslett

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The prize is awarded by the National Book Critic’s Circle, with books of any genre translated into English and published in the United States being eligible.

“All translation is alchemy of course, though to my mind, this is especially true of poetic texts, and Josefsson’s collaboration with Kiros—along with an excellent translator’s note—is exceptional. Kiros’s sure and powerful vision makes O a literary creature of ambition, risk, and wonder, a polyphonic layering of voices that enjoins multiple rereadings, yielding insight, wonder, and sighs.” – Mandana Chaffa on Words Without Borders.

You can read a review of O by Leonora Simonovis here at the Poestry Foundation.

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The Petrona Award recognises outstanding translated crime fiction from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, with this year’s winner being announced on 16th October 2025. There were a total of 31 entries to the annual prize, so congratulations Neil and Rachel!

The judges on Neil’s translation of Pascal Engman’s The Widows:

“A previous winner of the Petrona Award with FEMICIDE, Pascal Engman once again produces a high-octane thriller which impressed the judges with its complex plotting, nerve wracking tension and strong characterisation throughout.”

And on Rachel’s translation of Deliver Me by Malin Persson Giolito:

“DELIVER ME is a powerful, yet unsettling, examination of the dark underbelly of suburban Stockholm and the real victims of gang violence and social inequality.”

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How does one appraise literary quality and just what did Alfred Nobel have in mind when he wrote in his will that his Literature Prize be awarded to a person who had ‘produced the most outstanding work in an ideal direction’? Why was the very first recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature Sully Prudhomme, while Lev Tolstoy was overlooked? How have the winners been chosen? In this volume, Kjell Espmark (1930–2022) adeptly surveys the first 120 years of the prize and presents the Nobel Committee’s reasoning. His deep knowledge of the Nobel Prize in Literature and personal experience of deciding the winners give unprecedented insight into the workings of the prize. The final chapters focus on the Committee’s broadened horizons and revised modus operandi, as well as the most propitious choice of Nobel laureate of all time.

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Marking the book’s tenth anniversary, this bestselling global phenomenon has now been fully revised and updated.

(Also published in the USA by St. Martin’s Essentials).

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Fortunately, he still has his rich memories, phone calls with his best friend Ture, and his beloved dog Sixten for company.

Only now his son is insisting the dog must be taken away. The very same son that Bo is wanting to mend his relationship with before his time is up. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotions and makes Bo determined to resist and find his voice.

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In the latest instalment of the Millennium series, spring returns to Sweden’s far north, but a night-time explosion destroys a historic river bridge in the forest, shocks the residents of the small town of Gasskas and leaves the police playing catch-up in a fast-moving situation. Natural resources in the region are being shamelessly exploited by shadowy multinationals and their local government puppets, opposed only by Lisbeth Salander’s niece Svala and a group of environmental activists. What begins as a protest spins out of control when a young journalist is found murdered. Lisbeth’s long-term sidekick, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, not in the best of health, is about to move north from Stockholm to become the editor at of the local newspaper and be near his daughter and grandson. He  unravels a story that has the makings of an explosive scandal. Lisbeth, meanwhile, is desperate to track down her old hacker friend, Plague, who has vanished. When it becomes clear that both she and Svala are on a secret underworld hit list, Lisbeth decides to stake everything on keeping Svala safe.

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Hailed as one of the most talented players to ever step onto a tennis court, Borg collected the game’s highest honors, including eleven Grand Slam titles – with five consecutive Wimbledon titles – establishing himself as one of the greatest of all time. Then he stunned the sporting world by announcing his retirement at the age of twenty-six and disappeared from tennis.

After all these years of silence, Borg is ready to share everything. In this candid memoir, Borg takes us through all the major moments in his career, shares insights into his rivalry with John McEnroe and their legendary 1980 Wimbledon final, and explains his shock retirement. Borg writes candidly about his childhood, his early stardom, and his uncomfortable relationship with fame, alongside all the highs and lows of his unmatched career.

This look behind the curtain at an enigmatic player who has fascinated generations of tennis fans, is ultimately a remarkable look at the making of sporting legend and, for readers who know nothing about tennis, a rare glimpse into an extraordinary, compelling life.

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