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Patrik Svensson & Fredrik Sjöberg nominated for the August Prize 2025

Posted on 21/10/2025 in Awards

Patrik Svensson’s The Merciful Killer and Fredrik Sjöberg’s Bruno Liljefors are nominated for this year’s August Prize in the Non-Fiction category. This is Patrik’s second nomination for the August Prize, which he won in 2019 for Gospel of Eels. We are so excited that Patrik and Fredrik are getting the recognition they deserve for these absolutely brilliant books.

From the Jury’s motivation:

For The Merciful Killer:
With sharp compassion and deep historical insight, Patrik Svensson weaves together the fate of a family with the history of Sweden’s farm laborers. It is a family tragedy, told in a poetic yet unsparing way. Here, political and psychological forces erupt, creating an unforgettable portrayal of the Sweden that so many, for so long, have wished to forget.

For Bruno Liljefors:
The Great bustard, one of the most charismatic species in the bird world, sets a dignified tone as Fredrik Sjöberg begins his biography of Bruno Liljefors. Here, two devoted observers of nature meet: the portraying author and the portrayed artist. Both possess a sharp eye for detail and for hidden connections. With magnificent eloquence, Sjöberg captures both aesthetics and ethics. The book is a work of art in itself, filled with knowledge, humor, and love.