Maj Sjöwall: ‘Nordic noir’ pioneer, author of the Martin Beck series, dies aged 84

With her husband Per Wahloo, who died in 1975, Sjöwall’s books paved the way for the likes of Henning Mankell and Stieg Larsson

Maj Sjöwall, one half of a Swedish crime-writing couple credited with inventing the “Nordic noir” genre, has died aged 84, her publisher said on Wednesday.

Sjöwall, a pioneer of gritty realism and an inspiration to modern crime writers, “passed away today after an extended period of illness,” Ann-Marie Skarp, head of publisher Piratforlaget, told AFP.

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