Henning Mankell, a Swedish legend

The father of modern Nordic noir, renowned Swedish crime writer, children's author and dramatist Henning Mankell has died. 

  • Author and dramatist Henning Mankell. Photo: Leopard Förlag/Lina Ikse

  • Henning Mankell, one of Sweden's most famous crime writers, has died. Mankell was born in Stockholm in 1948. In his lifetime he wrote some 40 novels and plays, including a dozen books with fictional detective Kurt Wallander, translated into 40 languages and sold around the world. After an 18-month battle with cancer the author died at age 67 in Gothenburg on October 5, 2015.

  • Henning Mankell (1948-2015) was a renowned Swedish crime writer, occasional children's author and dramatist, best known for a series of detective novels starring Kurt Wallander. He founded the Avenida Theater in Maputo, Mozambique. He was married to Eva Bergman, daughter of Ingmar Bergman. Photo: Gustaf Eneroth/Norstedts

  • "Henning Mankell was one of the great Swedish writers, loved by readers here at home and around the world," said his publishers. His books about Wallander, the detective in the southern Swedish town of Ystad, have been turned into television series in Swedish as well as English. Mankell also wrote numerous plays and children's books, and in 1996 he was awarded the Astrid Lindgren Prize for excellence in children's writing.

  • Henning Mankell, famous Swedish crime writer and also Ingmar Bergman's son-in-law (Mankell was married to Eva Bergman) is shown here during a time when he was busy with a script about Ingmar Bergman's life and career for SVT, Swedish Television. The script was the basis for a drama series in 2012. Photo: SVT

  • In recent years, Mankell divided his time between Sweden and Africa, active in critical social issues in Africa and directing at various theaters. He was the artistic director of a theater in Maputo, Mozambique. He founded Leopard Publishing House, where his later books
    were published, in 2001 with his colleague and friend of 40 years, Dan Israel.

  • Home of fictional police inspector Kurt Wallander (the main character in Henning Mankell's books) - what town is it? Learn about it this month as Dr. Jim Kaplan discusses Scandinavian crime novels.

  • Israel said on Monday that Sweden had lost "one of its greatest Swedish authors" of all time. "(Mankell's) work was so infinitely greater than just being a crime writer," he said. "He wrote plays, debate books, everything. He was always driven by the same burning passion to give people the tools to understand, first and foremost, their reality."

  • Mankell leaves a widow Eva Bergman, 70, the daughter of Swedish cinema great Ingmar Bergman, and his son Jon.

  • Read here for more about Sweden through fictional characters by Mankell and other prominent contemporary Swedish writers.