Stieg Trenter

Stieg Ivar Trenter (August 14, 1914 – July 4, 1967) was a Swedish journalist and popular crime writer.

Biography

Best described as Sweden's own Agatha Christie in popularity and national fan following (though a male writer). Born "Stig Johansson", he started out by using the name "Stieg Trenter" as pseudonym but soon changed his name to it in real life. He made his debut with the novel "Ingen kan hejda döden" ("No One Can Stop Death"), published in 1943.

Stieg Trenter is to date Sweden's perhaps most appreciated and read classic crime writer. With his books on the crime investigating press photographer Harry Friberg and his crime solving partner Detective Inspector Vesper Johnson he became one of the most popular writers in 1940s, 50s and 60s Sweden, and he remains popular today with constantly new published editions of his books and gaining new fans.

His criminal story constructions has been labeled OK by some experts (brilliant by others); moreover it is the incredible time feeling of the 1950s and 60s, the description of the Sweden back then and his extremely colourful portrayals of many classic Stockholm locations (such as districts, houses, streets, restaurants, public places, etc.) that attracts the readers. His portrayals are in most cases exact and he uses smells, sounds etc. to describe the feeling of the locations in a very original and unique way. His investigating hero; Friberg - through whose eyes we follow the story's development - is said to have been based upon Trenters good friend, the real-life press photographer K.W Gullers.

He was a much productive writer and his book series on Harry Friberg contains 23 books. The books on Harry Friberg are his most famous but he also published a number of other independent crime novels.

Stieg Trenter was since 1960 married to the author Ulla Trenter and they are parents to the author Laura Trenter.

Works

* "De döda fiskarna och andra spänningsberättelser" (2001) (new published short crime stories)
* "Rosenkavaljeren" ("The Knight of the Rose") (1967)
* "Sjöjungfrun" ("The Mermaid") (1966)
* "Tolfte Knappen" ("The Twelfth Button") (1965)
* "Guldgåsen" ("The Golden Goose") (1964)
* "Dvärgarna" ("The Dwarfs") (1963)
* "Sturemordet" ("The Sture Murder") (1962)
* "Färjkarlen" ("The Ferryman") (1961)
* "Skuggan" ("The Shadow") (1960)
* "Dockan till Samarkand" ("The Puppet for Samarkand") (1959)
* "Springaren" ("The Runner"/"The Knight") (1958)
* "Kalla handen" ("Cold Hand") (1957)
* "Narr på nocken" ("The Fool on the Roof"???) (1956)
* "Tiga är silver" ("Silence Is Silver") (1955)
* "Roparen" ("The Megaphone") (1954)
* "Aldrig Näcken" ("Not the Nix) (1953)
* "Gamla stan" ("Old Town") (1953)
* "Ristat i sten" ("Carved in Stone") (1952)
* "Lek lilla Louise" ("Play, Little Louise") (1950)
* "Eld i håg" ("Fire At Play"???) (1949)
* "Träff i helfigur" (???) (1948)
* "Tragiskt telegram" ("Tragic Telegram") (1947)
* "Det kom en gäst" ("There Was A Guest") (1947) (screenplay)
* "Lysande landning" ("Perfect Landing") (1946)
* "I dag röd..." ("Today Red...") (1945)
* "Farlig fåfänga" ("Dangerous Vanity") (1944)
* "Som man ropar..." ("As You Shout...") (1944)
* "Ingen kan hejda döden" ("No One Can Stop Death") (1943)

External links

Further information

* [http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/strenter.htm Stieg Trenter biography at Books & Writers]
* [http://www.albertbonniersforlag.se/200/201.asp?AuthorId=9653 Stieg Trenter at Albert Bonniers Förlag] (in Swedish)

Photo

* [http://www.tidningen-boken.com/980409.jpgPhoto of Stieg Trenter at Tidningen-boken.com]