Augustin Erba

I started out in mathematics, then I was diverted into journalism. A decade into my career on TV and radio my texts started getting more and more attention. Big publishing companies published my first novel "Ensamhetens broar" 2009 (The Lonely Bridges) and a textbook on journalism 2010.
I won awards for my novel, but my textbook did not take off. Neither reached a large audience.

In 2012, I shifted into theatre and spent almost two years as a playwright and as a director. I was nominated for Prix Europa and Stora Radiopriset for my short plays.

In 2015 my second novel was published,"Blodsbunden" (Bloodbound). It got reviews that every novelist dream of. Some of the biggest, most prestigious papers called me an "epic writer" and said that the book was a must-read. I got a literary award from the prestigious "De Nio" and a glowing review in Der Spiegel for the German translation. It still remains on the bestselling list at bookshops all over Sweden.

In 2017 my short story "Hiwa" was published. It is an allegory about fake news, set in the present, a story about how fast a society can change its perspective on our fellow humans. Though published by a small publisher, it surprisingly became a hit for younger readers. Maybe because there was a dragon in it.

In 2019 my third novel was published, "Snöstorm", (Blizzard). A love story primarily set in the 1980s about the road not taken. It got mostly amazing reviews who said it was page turner that beautifully captured the feeling of being young and in love. The paperback became a bestseller in the summer of 2020, remaining no 1 for weeks in biggest bookstore chain in Sweden, Akademibokhandeln.

After writing the love story I felt the need to make use of my extensive experience as a comedy writer. I had written a lot of humour earlier in my life, including some short plays.

"The Sufferings of Young Walter" (2022) is my first comedy and - in spite of humour being very individual - was collectively received with reviewers saying they laughed a lot. It was called hilarious, absurd and lovable by some of the harshest literary critics in Sweden. It is the story of a midlevel bank manager who is overly concerned about his health.

My novels are published by Albert Bonniers Förlag.

The picture of me is taken by Sara MacKey.