Crime Prize to Debut Author

With no end in sight for the enormous public appetite for Scandinavian noir fiction, book publishers are always on the lookout for exciting new authors with undiscovered manuscripts. In February, Norwegian publisher Cappelen Damm added a bit of spice to the hunt when it announced a new contest, the Cappelen Damm krimkonkurrensen – crime competition – with a prize of NOK 500,000 to the winner. With blind-judging by the jury, the winning entry could be from an established author – or a debut from the next queen or king of crime.

Last week, the publisher announced the winner: newcomer Lars Ove Sæther with his book Hanegal (Rooster), featuring rookie NCIS detective Jenny Brox.

Writing why it gave the award to Sæther, the jury wrote: “Ultimately, there was no doubt about the winner, who told his well-written story with great authority. The story is dark, with plenty of horror, but also is enjoyable. He manages to keep the tension all the way to the end, tying up the loose ends elegantly and managing to come up with a solution that was a surprise for the jury. Simply put, it’s a real page turner with great entertainment value.”

Members of the jury include: Chris Tvedt (Cappelen Damm author), Alexandra Beverfjord (news editor for Norwegian daily Dagbladet) and Mariann Fugelsø Nilssen (publisher at Cappelen Damm).

Along with the money awarded, the book will get the usual distribution from Cappelen Damm in all its channels, plus a prime spot in the book club Krimklubben.