Gunnar Staalesen
«A Norwegian Chandler.» Jo Nesbø
«One of the finest Nordic novelists in the tradition of Henning Mankell.» Independent
«Gunnar Staalesen is one of my very favourite Scandinavian authors. Operating out of Bergen in Norway, his private eye, Varg Veum, is a complex but engaging anti-hero. Varg means 'wolf' in Norwegian, and this is a series with very sharp teeth.» Ian Rankin
«Gunnar Staalesen was writing suspenseful and socially conscious Nordic Noir long before any of today's Swedish crime writers had managed to put together a single book page. To me he is one of Norway's most skillful storytellers, as well as being an incredibly nice guy!» Johan Theorin
«You always get a strong sense of place in Staalesen’s books and frosty Bergen, a place I’ve never visited, came alive. I hope we get to see much more of Varg Veum and this is the start of a wider readership for a writer who is one of the best.» Sarah Ward
Gunnar Staalesen was born in 1947 in the historical city of Bergen on the west coast of Norway. He took his M.A. at the Bergen University, studying English and French language and literature as well as comparative literature.
When he was 22 years old, he published his first novel, , in 1969. However, it is first and foremost as a crime story writer that Gunnar Staalesen’s name is known and loved. His books about the private eye Varg Veum are published in several countries, among them UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Russia. During 1997-2000 he wrote a trilogy, offering a wide scope focus on the city of Bergen during the 20th century, mirroring also the history of these 100 years. The series was extremely successful and was dramatised (by the author) and staged at e in Bergen.
