Kerstin Lillemor Ekman (née Hjorth; born 27 August 1933) is a Swedish novelist.
Life and career Kerstin Ekman wrote a string of successful detective novels (among others De tre små mästarna and Dödsklockan) but later went on to psychological and social themes. Among her later works is Mörker och blåbärsris (1972) (set in northern Sweden) and Händelser vid vatten (1993), in which she returned to the form of the detective novel.
Ekman was elected member of the Swedish Academy in 1978, but left the Academy in 1989, together with Lars Gyllensten and Werner Aspenström, due to the debate following death threats posed to Salman Rushdie. In 2018, the Academy granted her resignation, the rules of membership having changed to allow members to resign.
In 1998, she was awarded the Litteris et Artibus medal.
In 2026 she was voted "The best and most significant living Swedish author" by 101 literary critics, scholars and writers in a poll in Svenska Dagbladet.
Partial bibliography See the article on Swedish Wikipedia for a complete bibliography.
Blackwater (Händelser vid vatten, 1993), translated by Joan Tate, 1996 Under the Snow (De tre små mästarna, 1961), translated by Joan Tate, 1997 The Forest of Hours (Rövarna i Skuleskogen, 1988), translated 1998 Grand final i skojarbranschen (2011) Då var allt levande och lustigt : om Clas Bjerkander : Linnélärjunge, präst och naturforskare i Västergötland (2015)
The Women and the Town (Kvinnorna och staden) Tetralogy Witches' Rings (Häxringarna, 1974), translated by Linda Schenck, 1997 The Spring (Springkällan, 1976), translated by Linda Schenck, 1999 Angel House (Änglahuset, 1979), translated by Sarah G. Death, 2002 A City of Light (En stad av ljus, 1983), translated by Linda Schenck, 2003
The Wolfskin (Vargskinnet) Trilogy God's Mercy (Guds Barmhärtighet, 1999) The Last String (Sista rompan, 2002) Lottery Scratchcards (Skraplotter, 2003)
References
2009-11-21 Nationalencyklopedin • http://www.ne.se/kerstin-ekman
External links Kerstin Ekman: Be careful of writers. Interview with Kerstin Ekman recorded during the Louisiana Literature festival, 2012. Video by Louisiana Channel.