As of: April 9, 2024, 8:14 a.m
By: Sven Trautwein
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Arne Dahl, the representative of the Swedish crime thriller, returns with “Silent Scream”. In the interview, the author explains how he came to write and who inspired him.
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Crime novels from the far north have enriched the German literary landscape for over three decades. Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, pioneers of the Nordic noir genre, showed what a gripping Swedish crime story should look like. The focus is not only on hunting down the perpetrator, but above all on the psychological background of the crime. In 2022, Arne Dahl created an impressive conclusion to his Berger-Blom series with “Zero Equals One”. Now he returns with “Silent Scream” and the character Eva Nyman. He made a brilliant start. In an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA, Arne Dahl talks about the beginnings and what motivates him to write.
Arne Dahl in an interview
Arne Dahl in an interview: “Yes, I always wanted to write” – The new crime series with the opening “Silent Scream” © Sven Trautwein/Piper/Montage
What is special about “Silent Scream”?
I attach great importance to incorporating current topics, be it crime or climate change. These aspects flow into my stories. For me, crime is always connected to society and its boundaries.
Are the books about Eva Nyman designed as a series?
Yes, they are. I appreciate developing characters gradually. Although I can no longer plan 20 years in advance, there are at least three more books planned with Eva Nyman as a character.
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Is this social criticism in Swedish crime novels typical of the genre?
Although there are other trends, this is an integral part of Swedish crime fiction. It has been a tradition since the 1960s, founded by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. Over time, I realized that Henning Mankell's crime novels are good literature and not bad, as some critics claim.
Where does the dark and bloody in Sweden come from?
There are various explanations for this. Maybe it's the dark winters, the forests. We also have less violence compared to other countries, although it has increased in recent years. The new crime is different and beyond my imagination. When I started as a crime writer in 1997, there was a different kind of crime than there is today. The clan structures and the associated violence have been added.
There is always some kind of revenge that can be understood
Arne Dahl
Did you always want to write?
Yes, I've always wanted to write. Even as a young man. It was more than just a hobby, I was always focused and serious about it. Even on my debut. I often still see myself as the young Jan Arnald. A look back without nostalgia. I need that every now and then.
Do you have a specific writing rhythm?
My writing process is divided into two phases. In the first one I have to be a little hard on myself before it really transitions into language. In the second phase it's just fun. But everything has to be correct. I used to create the plot on the computer. With lots of elements, arrows and so on. This was also necessary for the “A group” and the “Opcop series”. Lots of characters, themes that should all flow together. Later I liked to improvise. But now with the new one I'm plotting again.
Are there good and bad criminals?
I would say there is a kind of “revenge” that can be understood. The emotional power behind the act is understandable. But the motives also change over time. Today, for example, climate issues are more important than before.
Is that why crime novels work well because they always have a good ending?
I prefer them to play in the gray area in between. There’s a lot of that in “Silent Scream” too. Only through this mix can a book be truly interesting. There are a few questions that need to be clarified in the current crime story. What's behind Eva Nyman's past? What danger lurks there?
Do you feel liberated when you finish a book?
It's never completely finished. If it's with the publisher, there's a bit of back and forth before it hits the market. There are discussions and revisions. Cliffhangers here and there, then the dialogues, which are very important to me. Interrogation scenes are particularly close to my heart.
Which authors inspired you?
As a teenager, I devoured a lot of crime novels. There was my parents' bookshelf. I liked Frederick Forsyth. Even if they aren't exactly titles that a ten-year-old should read. Then there were Agatha Christie and Dorothee L. Sayers, all the cozy crime writers in Britain. I loved that.
Thank you for the interview.
Arne Dahl “Silent Scream”
Translated by Kerstin Schöps
2024 Piper, ISBN-13 978-3-492-07241-0
Price: Hardcover, €17, 464 pages
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Interested in interviews? Jussi Adler-Olsen ends his “Special Department Q” series. In an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA he tells us what comes next. For Hubertus Borck, the crime thriller was an “accident”. And for crime award winner Johannes Groschupf, there is no better place for crime fiction than Berlin.