Henning Mankell
Henning Mankell was a renowned Swedish author, born in 1948 in Stockholm and raised in a small northern village. He began his career as a college student in 1968, writing and directing plays, which laid the foundation for his future as a professional writer. His first publication was "Bergsprängaren" (The Rock Blaster) in 1973, followed by a children's novel, "Sandmålaren" (The Sand Painter). Mankell is best known for his mystery and suspense novels, particularly the "Kurt Wallander" series, which gained international acclaim with the release of "Mördare utan ansikte" (Faceless Killers). His works often explore complex themes and social issues, and they have been adapted for television, further popularizing his characters.
Mankell spent part of his life in Maputo, Mozambique, where he directed the Teatro Avenida and drew inspiration for several novels from his experiences there. He continued to write prolifically until his passing in 2015 due to cancer, leaving behind a rich legacy of literature that resonated with audiences worldwide. His final book, "Svenska gummistövlar," was published posthumously in the same year he died. Mankell's work remains influential in the crime fiction genre, celebrated for its depth and cultural insight.
Henning Mankell
Swedish mystery novelist, children's literature writer, and playwright.
- Born: February 3, 1948
- Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
- Died: October 5, 2015
- Place of death:Goteborg, Sweden
Biography
Henning Mankell was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1948. He grew up in a small village in the north of Sweden. In 1968, Mankell was a successful college student who wrote and directed numerous plays. The work he did with these plays in college would eventually go on to inspire Mankell to be a professional writer.
His first book, Bergsprängaren (The rock blaster), was published in 1973. Mankell followed his first book with a children’s novel titled Sandmålaren (The sand painter). Also, Mankell turned in a short story to Ordfront Publishing House, who would eventually go on to publish many of his subsequent works. In the late 1970s, Mankell began to write more of the mystery and suspense novels that he is known for, including Fångvårdskolonin som försvann (The prison colony that disappeared) and Vettvillingen (The madman).
Mankell published numerous books in the 1980s as well, including Dödsbrickan (The death badge) and En seglares död (The death of a sailor). While the books were well received by the people of Sweden, it would take nearly ten more years for his work to catch the eye of the English-reading audience.
Mankell finished the 1980s taking an interest in writing, directing, and managing theater. While working on his books, he also served as the head of the Kronobergsteatern theater in Sweden. The theater was dedicated to only publishing plays from Swedish writers.
In the 1990s Mankell wrote numerous books, including Hunden som sprang mot en stjärna (The dog who ran towards a star) and Skuggorna växer i skymningen (The shadows grow in the dawn) for younger readers. They featured a pair of brothers and their assorted adventures. In the next year or two, Mankell wrote books about his characters grown up.
However, it was the publication of Mördare utan ansikte (Faceless Killers) that put Mankell on the map. He won an award from the Academy of Swedish Crime Writers as well as the Glass Key for writing the best Scandinavian crime novel of the year. With the success of Faceless Killers, Mankell continued to write and publish books featuring the character Kurt Wallander. Wallander appeared in novels such as Hundarna i Riga (The Dogs of Riga), Den vita lejoninnan (The White Lioness), and Mannen som log (The Man Who Smiled). Many of the books were also adapted for the small screen, with actor Kenneth Branagh portraying the detective in the BBC versions and Krister Henriksson playing the lead character in the Swedish productions.
Between the mid-1970s and 2015, Mankell lived part time in the metropolis of Maputo, Mozambique. While in Mozambique, he began working as the director of the Teatro Avenida in 1986. There, he also met and befriended Sofia, a poor, illiterate child who had lost her legs to a landmine; that relationship provided the inspiration for a trilogy of novels: Eldens hemlighet (Secrets in the Fire), Eldens gåta (Playing with Fire), and Eldens vrede (The Fury in the Fire).
Mankell continued to write his novels into the early 2000s. Fans were disappointed when Mankell decided to write and publish his final novel featuring Wallander, titled Den orolige mannen (The Troubled Man), in 2009. However, he ended up writing yet another, final Wallander novel, Handen, in 2013 (An Event in Autumn, 2014).
In 2014, Mankell announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer, which had been found in his neck and left lung. On October 5, 2015, he died in Goteborg, Sweden, at the age of sixty-seven. He was survived by his fourth wife, Eva Bergman, and his son, Jon Mankell. Mankell's final book, a novel titled Svenska gummistövlar, was published that same year.
Author Works
Children's Literature:
Sandmålaren, 1974
Hunden som sprang mot en stjärna, 1990 (A Bridge to the Stars, 2005)
Skuggorna växer i skymningen, 1991 (Shadows in the Twilight, 2008)
Katten som älskade regn, 1992 (The Cat Who Liked Rain, 2008)
Eldens hemlighet, 1995 (Secrets in the Fire, 2000)
Pojken som sov med snö i sin säng, 1996 (When the Snow Fell, 2007)
Resan till världens ände, 1998 (The Journey to the End of the World, 2008)
Eldens gåta, 2001 (Playing with Fire, 2002)
Eldens vrede, 2007 (The Fury in the Fire, 2009)
Drama:
Apelsinträdet, pb. 1983
Älskade syster, pb. 1983
Lögnhalsarna, pb. 2012
Long Fiction:
Bergsprängaren, 1973
Vettvillingen, 1977
Fångvårdskolonin som försvann, 1979
Dödsbrickan, 1981
En seglares död, 1981
The Daisy Sisters, 1982
Sagan om Isidor, 1984
Leopardens öga, 1990 (The Eye of the Leopard, 2008)
Mördare utan ansikte, 1990 (Faceless Killers, 1997)
Hundarna i Riga, 1992 (The Dogs of Riga, 2001)
Den vita lejoninnan, 1993 (The White Lioness, 1998)
Mannen som log, 1994 (The Man Who Smiled, 2005)
Comedia infantil, 1995 (Chronicler of the Winds, 2006)
Villospår, 1995 (Sidetracked, 1999)
Den femte kvinnan, 1996 (The Fifth Woman, 2000)
Steget efter, 1997 (One Step Behind, 2001)
Berättelse på tidens strand, 1998
Brandvägg, 1998 (Firewall, 2002)
I sand och i lera, 1999
Labyrinten, 2000
Vindens son, 2000 (Daniel, 2010)
Danslärarens återkomst, 2000 (The Return of the Dancing Master, 2003)
Tea Bag, 2001 (The Shadow Girls, 2012)
Innan frosten, 2002 (Before the Frost, 2005)
Djup, 2004 (Depths, 2006)
Jag dör, men minnet lever, 2003 (I Die, but the Memory Lives On, 2004)
Kennedys hjärna, 2005 (Kennedy’s Brain, 2007)
Italienska skor, 2006 (Italian Shoes, 2009)
Kinesen, 2008 (The Man from Beijing, 2010)
Den orolige mannen, 2009 (The Troubled Man, 2011)
Minnet av en smutsig ängel, 2011 (A Treacherous Paradise, 2013)
Handen, 2013 (An Event in Autumn, 2014)
Kvicksand, 2014
Svenska gummistövlar, 2015
Short Fiction:
Pyramiden, 1999 (The Pyramid, 2008)
Bibliography
Calamur, Krishnadev. "Remembering Henning Mankell." Atlantic. Atlantic Monthly Group, 5 Oct. 2015. Web. 28 Dec. 2015. A posthumous retrospective of Mankell's career.
Kandell, Jonathan. "Henning Mankell, Writer Whose Wallander Patrolled a Gritty Sweden, Dies at 67." New York Times. New York Times, 5 Oct. 2015. Web. 28 Dec. 2015. An obituary of Mankell discussing the influence of Africa on him, detailing his family life, and giving his views on world politics, in addition to outlining his literary career.
Mankell, Henning. "'Wallander' Author Henning Mankell on the Catastrophe of Cancer." Interview by Martin Scholz. NPR. NPR, 17 Jan. 2015. Web. 28 Dec. 2015. A conversation with Mankell in which he discusses his battle with cancer, his life satisfaction, and his views on Africa amid the Ebola epidemic.
Preston, John. "Henning Mankell: I'm Not Afraid of Dying." Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 5 Oct. 2015. Web. 28 Dec. 2015. Reprints a 2011 interview highlighting the parallels between Mankell and his creation, Wallander.
"Wallander Writer Henning Mankell Dies." BBC. BBC, 5 Oct. 2015. Web. 28 Dec. 2015. An obituary including remembrances by Sir Kenneth Branagh, who played Wallander for television, and covering his philanthropic activities as well as his literary work.