The nominees for the August Prize 2025 have been announced, featuring themes like dogs, death, and ketchup among the entries. The authors include both debutants and veterans, such as previous winners Lydia Sandgren and Lina Wolff. Six books in each category—fiction, non-fiction, and children's and youth literature—are competing for the prize.
The August Prize nominations for 2025 were announced on October 20. In the fiction category, books such as Lydia Sandgren's 'Artens överlevnad' are nominated; she won the prize in 2020 for 'Samlade verk'. 'It is a damn good novel, it is fun to read. I write books that are like worlds one steps into,' says Sandgren. Lina Wolff, winner in 2016 for 'De polyglotta älskarna,' is nominated for 'Liken vi begravde.' 'It feels just as fun now. I wanted to find a way to write about very dark things so that the dark does not completely win,' she states. Linda Spåman's 'Ett år av apokalyptiskt tänkande' is the second graphic novel ever nominated. 'It felt like they were joking. I had a wonderful day by the Mediterranean when my publisher called,' Spåman recounts.
In the non-fiction category, works like Fredrik Sjöberg's 'Bruno Liljefors. En biografi' are highlighted, which Jan Eklund calls his 'clear favorite' despite a national focus lacking global outlooks. Other nominees include Robin Olovsson's 'Historien om Norrland' and Bea Uusma's 'Vitön.' The category is described as stronger than last year's.
The children's and youth books are nominated with titles like 'Vi måste ha ketchup!' by Pija Lindenbaum and Anna Åkerström, and 'Det finns inget paradis' by Oskar Kroon. Alexandra Sundqvist notes a list that 'springs with reading joy.' Jonas Thente describes the fiction as straightforward and simple books in a rejuvenating category.
Several veterans dominate, with a chance for a second statuette. The Little August Prize nominates young authors like Ella Cronsten for 'Flamman hon bär.'