The 2025 August Gala at Dramaten in Stockholm made history as Bea Uusma and Lina Wolff each won the prize for the second time. Uusma was awarded for the non-fiction book "Vitön", while Wolff won in the fiction category with "Liken vi begravde". Fabian Göranson received the prize for the best children's and young adult book with "Klara – Tvättbjörnarnas stad".
The August Prize, awarded since 1989 by the Swedish Publishers' Association, honors the best Swedish books of the year in three categories. The gala took place on November 24, 2025, at Dramaten in Stockholm, where 514 submitted titles resulted in 20 finalists.
In the fiction category, Lina Wolff was awarded for "Liken vi begravde", published by Albert Bonniers. The book, set in her birthplace Hörby, explores darkness and light. "I tried to think about how much darkness can fit in the light and how much light can fit in the darkness", Wolff said. This is her second win, following "De polyglotta älskarna" in 2016. She joins Per Olov Enquist and Kerstin Ekman as the only ones with two wins in the category. To DN, she commented: "This book sat so deep inside, and feels so important to me".
Bea Uusma won in non-fiction for "Vitön" (Norstedts), a follow-up to her 2013 August Prize-winning "Expeditionen: Min kärlekshistoria" about Andrée's polar expedition. The jury praised how she uses modern technology to uncover new details in polar history. "I didn't write a speech because I was so sure I wouldn't win any prize for this one", Uusma said from the stage. She is the first to win the non-fiction prize twice.
Fabian Göranson's graphic novel "Klara – Tvättbjörnarnas stad" (Galago) took the children's and young adult category. The jury called it "a heroine for our time".
Additionally, the Little August Prize went to Maja Grönroos for "Ketchup", and the honorary prize to Littfest in Umeå. Each winner receives 100,000 SEK, named after August Strindberg.