Nordic noir, also known as Scandinavian noir, is a

genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...

crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professiona ...

usually written from a police point of view and set in

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

or the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; ) are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe, as well as the Arctic Ocean, Arctic and Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic oceans. It includes the sovereign states of Denm ...

. Nordic noir often employs plain language, avoiding

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...

, and is typically set in bleak landscapes. This results in a dark and morally complex mood, in which a tension is depicted between the apparently still and bland social surface and the patterns of murder,

misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...

, rape, and racism the genre depicts as lying underneath. It contrasts with the

whodunit A ''whodunit'' (less commonly spelled as ''whodunnit''; a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an criminal ...

style such as the

English country house image:Blenheim - Blenheim Palace - 20210417125239.jpg, 300px, Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a Townhou ...

murder mystery. Some of the best known Nordic noir authors are

Jo Nesbø Jon "Jo" Nesbø (; born 29 March 1960) is a Norwegian novelist and musician. His books had sold over 50 million copies worldwide by 2021, making him the most successful Norwegian author to date. Siegel, Lee (5 May 2014).Pure Evil: Jo Nesbø and th ...

from Norway; Henning Mankell,

Stieg Larsson Karl Stig-Erland "Stieg" Larsson (, ; 15 August 1954 – 9 November 2004) was a Swedish writer, journalist, and far-left activist. He is best known for writing the ''Millennium'' trilogy of crime novels, which were published posthumously, sta ...

and Camilla Läckberg from Sweden; Jussi Adler-Olsen from Denmark; and

Arnaldur Indriðason Arnaldur Indriðason (pronounced ; born 28 January 1961) is an Icelandic writer of crime fiction; his most popular series features the protagonist Detective Erlendur. Early life Arnaldur was born in Reykjavík on 28 January 1961, the son o ...

from Iceland. The popularity of Nordic noir has extended to the screen, with TV-series such as '' The Killing'', '' The Bridge'','' Trapped'', and '' Bordertown''.

Origins

There are differing views on the origins but most commentators agree that the genre had become well established as a literary genre by the 1990s; Swedish writer Henning Mankell, who has sometimes been referred to as "the father of Nordic noir", notes that the

Martin Beck Martin Beck is a fictional Swedish police detective and the main character in a series of ten novels by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, collectively titled ''The Story of a Crime''. Frequently referred to as the Martin Beck stories, all were ada ...

series of novels by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö "broke with the previous trends in crime fiction" and pioneered a new style: "They were influenced and inspired by the American writer Ed McBain. They realized that there was a huge unexplored territory in which crime novels could form the framework for stories containing social criticism." Kerstin Bergman notes that "what made Sjöwall and Wahlöö's novels stand out from previous crime fiction – and what made it so influential in the following decades – was, above all, the conscious inclusion of a critical perspective on Swedish society." Henning Mankell's books on " Kurt Wallander" made the genre a mass phenomenon in the 1990s. Norwegian author Karin Fossum's books on "Inspector Sejer" were also highly influential and widely translated. British author Barry Forshaw suggested that Peter Høeg's atmospheric novel ''

Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow ''Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow'' (), published in America as ''Smilla's Sense of Snow'', is a 1992 novel by Denmark, Danish author Peter Høeg tracing the investigation into the suspicious death of a Greenlandic boy in Denmark. A global bestsel ...

'' was "massively influential" as the true progenitor of the "Scandinavian New Wave" and, by setting its counter-intuitive heroine in Copenhagen and Greenland, that it inaugurated the current Scandinavian crime writing wave. One critic opines, "Nordic crime fiction carries a more respectable cachet... than similar

genre fiction In the book-trade, genre fiction, also known as formula fiction, or commercial fiction,Girolimon, Mars"Types of Genres: A Literary Guide" Southern New Hampshire University, 11 December 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2024. encompasses fictional ...

produced in Britain or the US". Language, heroes and settings are three commonalities in the genre, which features plain, direct writing style without

. The novels are often

police procedural The police procedural, police show, or police crime drama is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasises the investigative procedure of police officers, police detectives, or law enforcement agency, law enforcement agencies ...

, focusing on the monotonous, day-to-day work of police, often involving the simultaneous investigation of several crimes. Examples especially include Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander detective series, and Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö's

novels. Until the 2010s, the genre had no particular name, but was sometimes referred to descriptively as "Nordic crime fiction" or "Scandinavian crime fiction". Within the Nordic countries themselves, this is still the case. The terms "Nordic noir" and "Scandinavian noir" are used largely interchangeably in English. In the English-speaking world, the term "Nordic noir" was coined by the Scandinavian Department at the

University College of London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

and gained further usage in the British media in the 2010s beginning with the airing of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

documentary called the ''Nordic Noir: The Story of Scandinavian Crime Fiction''. It is said that

’s Millennium Trilogy contributed to the popularity of “Nordic noir” among readers outside Scandinavian countries. ''The Guardian'' also referred to ''The Killing'' as Nordic noir. These factors underscore that the term is considered typical of a phenomenon seen as uniting the viewpoint of foreign eye towards recognizable Nordic context. Nordic noir remains a foreign term, as it is not normally used in the Nordic countries and has no equally established equivalent in the Scandinavian or other languages of the Nordic countries.

Features

Some critics attribute the genre's success to a distinctive and appealing style, "realistic, simple and precise... and stripped of unnecessary words". Their protagonists are typically morose detectives or ones worn down by cares and far from simply heroic. In this way, the protagonists' lives cast a light on the flaws of society, which are beyond the crime itself. This is associated with how this genre often tackles a murder mystery that is linked with several storylines and themes such as the investigation of the dark underbelly of modern society. This is demonstrated in the case of the ''Insomnia'' films, which featured crime-solving linked to the decline of the Nordic welfare state. A description of Nordic noir cited that it is typified by a dimly lit aesthetic, matched by a slow and melancholic pace, as well as multi-layered storylines. It often features a mix of bleak naturalism and disconsolate locations, with a focus on the sense of place where bad things can happen. These were the distinguishing emotions of the series '' Bordertown'', which were further combined with an atmosphere arising from the fear of Russia. The works also owe something to Scandinavia's political system where the apparent equality, social justice, and liberalism of the

Nordic model The Nordic model comprises the economic and social policies as well as typical cultural practices common in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden). This includes a comprehensive welfare state and multi-level colle ...

is seen to cover up dark secrets and hidden hatreds. Stieg Larsson's ''Millennium'' trilogy, for example, deals with misogyny and rape, while Henning Mankell's '' Faceless Killers'' focuses on Sweden's failure to integrate its immigrant population.

Television

The term "nordic noir" is also applied to films and television series in this genre, both adaptations of novels and original screenplays. Notable examples are '' The Killing,'' '' The Bridge'', '' Trapped'', '' Bordertown'', '' Deadwind'' and '' Lakeside Murders''. Critic Boyd Tonkin has suggested that the Scottish but heavily Scandinavian-influenced

Shetland Isles Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway, marking the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the ...

and

Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides ( ) or Western Isles ( , or ), sometimes known as the Long Isle or Long Island (), is an Archipelago, island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. It is the longest archipelago in the British Isles. The islan ...

have produced authors in an allied, if not precisely identical tradition. Exponents include

Ann Cleeves Ann Cleeves (born 24 October 1954) is a British mystery crime writer. She wrote the Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez, and Matthew Venn series, all three of which have been adapted into TV shows. In 2006 she won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger for her ...

, whose ''Shetland'' books have been adapted for television, and Peter May's '' Lewis Trilogy''. The relatively slower narrative pace of UK crime dramas ''

Broadchurch ''Broadchurch'' is a British crime drama television series broadcast on ITV for three series between 2013 and 2017. It was created by Chris Chibnall, who acted as an executive producer and wrote all 24 episodes; it was produced by Kudos in a ...

'', '' The Missing'' and ''

River A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

'' is also credited to a "Scandinavian noir" influence. Subtitled original programmes have proven more popular with British audiences. International adaptations such as Sky Television's French/British '' The Tunnel'' (adapted from the Swedish/Danish '' The Bridge'') have their own identity whilst retaining a stylistic and thematic affinity with the original series. While American cinema brought the English language movie version of ''

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (original title in ) is a psychological thriller novel by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. It was published posthumously in 2005, translated into English in 2008, and became an international bestseller. ''T ...

'' to a worldwide audience, receiving plaudits and was a box-office success, the American adaptations such as '' The Killing'' have fared less well critically and have proven less popular in terms of audience reaction than original productions, an example being the enduring interest in Arne Dahl's ''Intercrime'' series, originally titled ''The A Team'', and its TV adaptations. In February and March 2021 UK's

BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

broadcast the Finnish psychological thriller ''Man in Room 301'' ( Finnish: "Huone 301").

Authors

Authors who have contributed to the creation and establishment of this genre include:

Finnish

* Leena Lehtolainen *

Reijo Mäki Reijo Juhani Mäki (born 12 October 1958) is a Finnish writer of crime fiction. Career Mäki published his first novel ''Enkelipölyä'' in 1985. His most well-known character is private detective Jussi Vares who was first introduced in the ...

* Mikko Porvali * Matti Rönkä * Christian Rönnbacka * Max Seeck

Icelandic

* Yrsa Sigurðardóttir * Ragnar Jónasson

Danish

* Jussi Adler-Olsen * Leif Davidsen *

Peter Høeg Peter Høeg (born 17 May 1957) is a Danish writer of fiction. He is best known for his novel ''Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow'' (1992). Early life Høeg was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Before becoming a writer, he worked variously as a sailor, ...

Norwegian

* Alex Dahl * Kjell Ola Dahl * Thomas Enger * Karin Fossum *

Anne Holt Anne Holt (born 16 November 1958) is a Norwegian author, lawyer and former Minister of Justice and the Police (Norway), Minister of Justice. Early life She was born in Larvik, grew up in Lillestrøm and Tromsø, and moved to Oslo in 1978. Holt g ...

* Jørn Lier Horst * Hans Olav Lahlum * Christer Mjåset *

* Pernille Rygg *

Gunnar Staalesen Gunnar Staalesen (born 19 October 1947) is a Norwegian writer. He is a major figure in the Nordic noir crime fiction genre through his 20 novels featuring Varg Veum, a private detective in Bergen on the rainy west coast of Norway. The Varg Veu ...

* Frode Sander Øien (Samuel Bjørk) *

Swedish

Jan Arnald Jan Arnald (born 11 January 1963) is a Swedish novelist and literary critic, whose pen name is Arne Dahl. He has become famous with crime fiction, and he is also a regular writer in Swedish newspaper ''Dagens Nyheter''. He published ''Barbarer' ...

(Arne Dahl) *

Karin Alvtegen Karin Alvtegen (born 8 June 1965, Huskvarna, Sweden) is a Swedish author of crime fiction. Alvtegen's psychological thrillers are generally set in Sweden. Four of her books have been translated into English: ''Missing (Alvtegen novel), Missing'', ...

* Majgull Axelsson * Annika Bryn *

Christoffer Carlsson (writer) Christoffer Carlsson (born August 28, 1986, in Halmstad) is a Swedish criminologist and writer, best known for the crime novels about Leo Junker (2013–2017) and the ongoing ''Hallandsviten'' ("Halland suite"), which includes ''Under the Storm' ...

* LiseLotte Divelli *

Åke Edwardson Åke Edwardson (born 10 March 1953 in Eksjö, Småland) is a Swedish author of detective fiction, and was previously a lecturer in journalism at University of Gothenburg, the city where many of his ''Inspector Winter'' novels are set. Edwardso ...

* Kerstin Ekman *

Kjell Eriksson 'Kjell Sylve Eriksson (born 1953 in Uppsala) is a Swedish writer, author of the detective chief inspector Ann Lindell crime novels. ''Den upplysta stigen'' (“Shining path”), the first of the Lindell series, was named Best First Novel of 1999 ...

* Börge Hellström * Anna Jansson *

P. C. Jersild Per Christian Jersild, better known as ''P. C. Jersild'', (born 1935) is a Sweden, Swedish author and physician. He also holds an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Medicine at Uppsala University from 22 January 2000, and another one in engine ...

Mari Jungstedt Mari Jungstedt (born 31 October 1962, in Stockholm) is a Swedish journalist and crime fiction author. Jungstedt worked as a reporter with Swedish national public radio and television, and was an occasional presenter on TV4's daily talk show ...

* Mons Kallentoft * Robert Karjel * Camilla Läckberg * Jens Lapidus *

Åsa Larsson Åsa Larsson is a Swedish crime-fiction writer, with her novels featuring Rebecka Martinsson. Her books and characters serve as the basis for the internationally successful TV series ''Rebecka Martinsson''. The 2007 Swedish film ''Solstorm'' w ...

* Göran Lundin * Henning Mankell * Liza Marklund *

Anders de la Motte Lars Anders Thomas de la Motte (born 19 June 1971) is a Swedish crime writer. Biography Anders de la Motte grew up in the town of Billesholm in Skåne County in southern Sweden, where his mother was librarian in Bjuv. He then moved to Stockh ...

Håkan Nesser Håkan Nesser (born 21 February 1950) is a Swedish author and teacher who mainly writes crime fiction. He has won Best Swedish Crime Novel Award three times, and his novel ''Carambole'' won the prestigious Glass Key award in 2000. His books ha ...

* Leif G. W. Persson * Anders Roslund * Carl-Johan Vallgren * Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö * Johan Theorin * Helene Tursten * Lars Kepler