Note from AnnaBoots: Tove Jansson was in fact a Swedish-speaking Finnish author, not Swedish. Märta Tikkanen is also Finnish.
"Scandinavian literature is famous for its crime novels and bleak landscapes. Perhaps most famously, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Laarson, translated by Reg Keeland, took the world by storm (although Keeland still isn't listed on the book's cover). Published in 2005, it had sold 30 million copies worldwide by 2010, and was ranked by The Guardian as one of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century.
But looking past Stieg Laarson, what Swedish books available in English translation should you read? Please don't assume that all Swedish literature is cold crime investigation and psychological thrillers — you should know that childhood classic Pippi Longstocking, about the antics of a wild, strong, mischievous red-pigtailed girl, came from Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, translated by Florence Lamborn."
