Yrsa Sigurdardottir scoops Petrona Award

Yrsa Sigurdardottir (third from left) with Petrona judges Sarah Ward and Dr Kat Hall, Godmother of Scandinavian
crime writing Maj Sjowall, judge Barry Forshaw and EuroCrime's Karen Meek. Photo Credit: Eurocrime

Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurdardottir emerged from a very strong field to be named the winner of the 2015 Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel at the Crimefest Gala Dinner last night. Sigurdardottir was presented with the award by Godmother of Scandinavian crime Maj Sjowall (co-author of the groundbreaking Martin Beck series), who was a special guest at Crimefest in Bristol this year.

The Petrona Award judges said Sigurdardottir is "the supreme practitioner when it comes to drawing on the heritage of Icelandic literature, and channelling ancient folk tales and ghost stories into a vision of modern Icelandic society". Her winning novel, SILENCE OF THE SEA, involves Thóra Gudmundsdóttir investigating a "puzzling and deeply unsettling" case where a luxury yacht crashes into Reykjavik harbour, with it's crew and passengers nowhere to be found. The judges said the story "skilfully orchestrates fear and tension in the reader". Congratulations to Yrsa Sigurdardottir!