In Which Country Is It Tradition to Read Crime Stories at Easter

Easter crime in Norway pin

It's a mystery! This is the bizarre story of how and why crime fiction took over the Norwegian easter holiday.

What springs to mind when you lot think of easter? Chocolate eggs, roast lamb, or a family get-together? For Norwegians, the almost common easter tradition is something altogether more… sinister.

Easter crime bunny ears

For each easter, hundreds of thousands of Norwegians indulge in criminal offence fiction, known in Norwegian every bit påskekrim (easter crime). Whether on TV, at the cinema or in novel form, crime fiction is consumed in massive numbers throughout the easter holiday.

If you're in any doubt, have a look at a bookstore during early on March. They'll exist clearing out the shelves to make room for påskekrim displays of the latest Norwegian crime books.

Acknowledged in global media as one of the earth'southward more unusual vacation traditions, Norway'south påskekrim has get internationally known. But what's behind it? Permit's take a expect.

The history of påskekrim

When I first encountered the miracle, I causeless it was a mod marketing campaign. However, it turns out that the origins of påskekrim go back almost 100 years.

In February 1923, ii young Norwegian authors Nordahl Grieg and Nils Lie wrote a criminal offence novel. But information technology was the involvement of publisher Gyldendal that would both propel the novel to fame and create a nationwide obsession for years to come up.

View of snowy mountains from the Oslo to Bergen railway
The origins of påskekrim lie with the Oslo to Bergen railway – sort of!

The publisher arranged a front page advertisement on the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten with the slogan Bergenstoget plyndret i natt (Bergen railroad train looted in the night), referring to the globe-famous Oslo to Bergen railway.

Then many people confused the stunt for a real news story that the stunt achieved widespread coverage and the book became a bestseller. Ever since, law-breaking novels and easter take been happy bedfellows.

Gyldenhal's Bjarne Buset told Visit Norway that the easter tradition of staying at a cabin enables påskekrim: "Few other countries have as many days off during easter every bit Norway. The length of our holiday means that we have time to read."

Crime fiction during the easter holiday

So, what does påskekrim look like in the 2020s? While books are nonetheless at its core, the phenomenon has spread into other forms of amusement.

Crime shows and films from Scandinavia and beyond are shown on Television, with British shows a particular favourite.

Promo image for British crime drama The Bay
NRK will broadcast season ii of British crime drama The Bay this year.

From what I can assemble, season 2 of The Bay, season ii of McDonald & Dodds, Grace, and The Pembrokeshire Murders will all be shown on NRK this twelvemonth. Meanwhile, TV2's offer includes The Sister, The Sommerdahl Murders and Bloodlands.

In previous years, I've seen some true crime podcasts heavily promoted too, although these are popular in Scandinavia year-round. If you've not yet checked it out, mind to my ain podcast with i of the hosts of Death in Ice Valley.

Every bit for books, you'll find special offers on archetype detective novels and modern thrillers in all Norwegian bookstores. Large names such equally Jo Nesbø'due south Harry Hole series and Jørn Lier Horst'southward William Wisting series are big sellers every yr.

Another large seller is the annual collection of crime brusk stories and novellas from Strawberry Publishing. This twelvemonth'south Påskekrim 2021 contains xv stories from authors including big names such equally Unni Lindell, Thomas Anger, Jørn Lier Horst and Tom Egeland.

Crime writing festival

Krimfestivalen aims to celebrate and explore the phenomenon of Scandinavian crime fiction from an international perspective. Information technology is, of grade, held a few weeks earlier easter each year.

Reading a Norwegian crime novel by a cosy fireplace

The 2021 Krimfestivalen was held as a fully digital upshot. John Grisham, Harlan Coben, Lars Kepler, David Baldacci and Val McDermid were amidst the authors taking part.

Not in Norway? No problem!

If you desire to join in the påskekrim tradition this easter, you don't demand to be in Norway. Many Norwegian authors have been translated into English.

If you lot like 'locked room' mysteries, try 1222 by Anne Holt, which by the fashion starts off on the Oslo to Bergen railway for that extra påskekrim touch.

For something grittier, try Dregs by Jørn Lier Horst. Information technology'south the story that introduced the William Wisting character to the world in English language.

Another popular crime writer Karin Fossum is known as the "Norwegian queen of crime." Her night procedurals dig deep into the human status. All of her Inspector Sejer books have been translated into English language.

If you are learning Norwegian, why not try the crime books written for children past Jørn Lier Horst? They are shorter than Horst'due south full-length novels with simpler language, but the stories are just as compelling!

Depending on where you are in the world, you can also enjoy some Scandinavian law-breaking dramas on many streaming services. Await out for Wisting or Swedish-Danish production The Bridge to get you lot started.

Will you be reading or watching whatever påskekrim this year?

claytonwhisetter.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/easter-crime/

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