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Henning Georg Mankell

ヘニング・マンケル

Henningu Mankeru

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1948-02-03 （Stockholm）
Died
2015-10-05 age 67
Nationality
Sweden
Languages
Swedish
Residence History
Sveg (Härjedalen region) → Bollnäs / Borås (Västra Götaland region) → Maputo, Mozambique → Norway (1970s)

Career

Occupations
Crime novelist, Children's author, Playwright, Theatre director, Translator
Active Years
1968-2015
Influenced By
Pär Wahlöö, Maj Sjöwall
Influenced
Stieg Larsson

Awards

Swedish Crime Writers' Academy Award
1991
Work: Mördare utan ansikte
Organization: Swedish Crime Writers' Academy
Result: Winner
The Glass Key
1992
Work: Mördare utan ansikte
Organization: Scandinavian crime writers association / Glass Key
Result: Winner
CWA Gold Dagger
2001
Work: Villospår
Organization: Crime Writers' Association (UK)
Result: Winner
GAMSHOE Award (European Crime Fiction)
2005
Work: Danslärarens återkomst (Tango Step)
Organization: GAMSHOE Awards
Result: Winner
German Children's Literature Award
1993
Work: Hunden som sprang mot en stjärna
Organization: German children's literature award committee
Result: Winner
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award
2002
Work: Secrets of the Fire (En eld?)
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: Winner
Finnish Mystery Society - Foreign Crime Writer Award
1998
Work: Wallander series
Organization: Finnish Mystery Society
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Mördare utan ansikte

1991 Police procedural / Crime fiction

First of the Kurt Wallander series, set in southern Sweden; a police procedural that explores social tensions and criminal investigations in a small town.

social issueslonelinessjustice
Adaptations
  • [Television series] Wallander (2008)
Translations
  • Mördare utan ansikte (English translation available)

Villospår

1995 Police procedural / Crime fiction

A Wallander novel dealing with police investigation and personal conflict; it gained significant recognition in the UK.

justiceethicspersonal conflict
Translations
  • Villospår (English translation)

Danslärarens återkomst

2000 Crime fiction

A crime novel intertwining human relationships and past secrets; recipient of a European crime fiction award.

past traumahuman relationships

Secrets of the Fire

1995 Non-fiction / Children's

A non-fiction work addressing landmines in Mozambique, presented with accessibility for younger readers.

legacy of warhumanitarian issues

Bibliography

  • Mördare utan ansikte (1991)
  • Hundarna i Riga (1992)
  • Den vita lejoninnan (1993)
  • Mannen som log (1994)
  • Villospår (1995)
  • Den femte kvinnan (1996)
  • Steget efter (1997)
  • Danslärarens återkomst (2000)
  • Kinesen (2008)
  • Kvicksand (2014)

Adaptations

  • Wallander (TV adaptations in Sweden and UK)

Translations of Works

  • Wallander series translations (various translators; published in many languages)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Socially conscious crime fictionConcise, character-driven prose with psychological focus
Recurring Motifs
lonelinesscorruption and ethicsNordic landscapes and seasons

Health

  • illness (undergoing treatment)
    2014-2015
    Affected his late-career activities; he wrote about his illness in Kvicksand (a memoir of his struggle).

Legacy

One of Sweden's best-known crime writers internationally through the Wallander series; noted for socially engaged fiction and broad popular impact via TV adaptations.

In Popular Culture

  • The Wallander TV adaptations in Sweden and the UK brought the character to a wide popular audience.

Trivia

  • Founded the Avenida Theater in Maputo and spent significant time working in Mozambique.
  • Received an honorary degree from the University of St Andrews.