A short life of the author
Fredrik Backman (b. 1981) was born on 2 June 1981 in Helsingborg, Sweden. He worked as a blogger and freelance columnist before publishing his first novel. He lives in Stockholm.
Life and Career
A Man Called Ove (2012, Swedish: En man som heter Ove) — about Ove, a fifty-nine-year-old widower who plans to kill himself but is continually interrupted by his new neighbours, who need his help — was a phenomenon. It spent over a year on the Swedish bestseller list, sold over 12 million copies worldwide, and was adapted as a Swedish film (2015, Oscar-nominated) and an American remake, A Man Called Otto (2022, starring Tom Hanks). The novel’s genius is its tonal control: it is simultaneously a comedy about a grumpy old man and a devastating portrait of grief, loneliness, and the redemptive power of community.
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry (2013) and Britt-Marie Was Here (2014) continued his exploration of eccentric, lonely people who find connection.
The Beartown trilogy — Beartown (2016), Us Against You (2017), The Winners (2022) — about a small Swedish hockey town torn apart by a sexual assault — was his most ambitious work. It is a social novel in the tradition of Scandinavian realism, exploring class, gender, loyalty, and the dark side of community.
Anxious People (2019) — about a failed bank robber who accidentally takes a group of apartment viewers hostage — was another global bestseller, adapted as a Netflix series.
Major Works and Themes
Backman writes about community — how people who are isolated, difficult, or broken find each other and build something worth protecting. His fiction is sentimental in the best sense: it insists that kindness matters, without being naive about human cruelty.
Key Works
- A Man Called Ove (2012)
- Beartown (2016)
- Anxious People (2019)
- The Winners (2022)
Collecting Backman
Swedish first editions (Forum) are the primary collectibles. English firsts (Sceptre UK/Atria US) bring $20–$50.