The 2015 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year

On 16 May 2015, at the Gala Dinner at CrimeFest, Bristol, Petrona Award judges, Barry Forshaw, Dr Katharina Hall and Sarah Ward, announced the winner of the 2015 Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.

The winner was The Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir translated by Victoria Cribb and published by Hodder & Stoughton.

The trophy was presented by the Godmother of modern Scandinavian crime fiction, Maj Sjöwall, co-author with Per Wahlöö of the Martin Beck series.

As well as the trophy, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir receives a pass to and a guaranteed panel at next year's CrimeFest.

-ends-

Notes to editors

When the shortlist was announced in March, the judges wrote of The Silence of the Sea: Yrsa Sigurðardóttir has said ‘I really love making people’s flesh creep!’, and she is the supreme practitioner when it comes to drawing on the heritage of Icelandic literature, and channelling ancient folk tales and ghost stories into a vision of modern Icelandic society. In Silence of the Sea, an empty yacht crashes into Reykjavik’s harbour wall: its Icelandic crew and passengers have vanished. Thóra Gudmundsdóttir investigates this puzzling and deeply unsettling case, in a narrative that skilfully orchestrates fear and tension in the reader.

This is the third year of the Petrona Award. The previous winners are Liza Marklund for Last Will, and Leif G W Persson for Linda, As In the Linda Murder, both translated by Neil Smith.

The 2016 Petrona Award will shortly be open for submissions, and more information on all aspects of the Award can be found on the Petrona Award website (http://www.petronaaward.co.uk/).

The 2015 Petrona Award shortlist in full:

The Hummingbird by Kati Hiekkapelto tr. David Hackston (Arcadia Books; Finland)
The Hunting Dogs by Jørn Lier Horst tr. Anne Bruce (Sandstone Press; Norway)
Reykjavik Nights by Arnaldur Indriðason tr. Victoria Cribb (Harvill Secker; Iceland)
The Human Flies by Hans Olav Lahlum tr. Kari Dickson (Mantle; Norway)
Falling Freely, As If in a Dream by Leif G W Persson tr. Paul Norlen (Doubleday; Sweden)
The Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir tr. Victoria Cribb (Hodder & Stoughton; Iceland)