Crime author receives acclaimed French Prize

Crime novel Grafarþögn just received the Ouessant literature prize in France, the prize being yet another feather in the already decorated cap of writer Arnaldur Indridason. This is the third French prize received by the author this year.

This spring he received French crime novel award Le Coeur Noir for his novel Mýrin and for the same book he received accclaimed prize Le Prix Mystère de la Critique which is awarded annually for best published crime novel in France. Mýrin received the award for crime novel translated into French, a prize formerly received by authors such as Boris Akúnin and Henning Mankell.

Arnaldur is happy about the success of his novels in France. " The French are a great nation of bookreaders and seem to be particularly interested in crime novels." He says that his rapidly rising international fame does not influence his writing. " I haven't changed my emphasis at all in those ten years that I've been writing. I just hope that I'm getting better and more mature as a writer," he says. These days Arnaldur is reading the final proof for his latest novel, Konungsbók, which will be published on November 1. " It's a story that takes place in Copenhagen in 1955, mainly in Copenhagen but also in other places in Europe." This is the third novel by Indridason which neither features his much-loved characters Erlendur or Sigurður Óli. " It is restful to take a break from a series and do something new." explains Arnaldur, who refrains from giving further clues on the story in his latest oeuvre. -khh, Fréttablaðið.