Ann-Heln Laestadius

Ann-Helén Laestadius (1971) is an author and journalist from Kiruna, Sweden. She is Sami and of Tornedalian descent, two of Sweden’s national minorities. Ann-Helén lives with her family in Solna outside of Stockholm.

Laestadius made her debut as a young adult author in 2007 and has written seven YA novels and two children’s books thus far. In 2016 she was awarded the prestigious August Prize for Best Young Adult and Children’s Novel for Ten Past One, for which she was also awarded Norrland’s Literature Prize.

In her books, Laestadius always returns to her roots in Kiruna and Norrbotten. She often writes about identity, language, belonging to different cultures, and the importance of family.

In January 2021, Romanus & Selling published Ann-Helén Laestadius’ first adult novel: Stolen. It has quickly become a favorite among both readers and critics, and it is a national bestseller. Stolen has been sold to nineteen territories around the world.

In September 2021, Laestadius won the Book of the Year Award for Stolen. She has also been awarded the Adlibris Award for best novel, and the Your Book Our Choice Prize, given by the Swedish Association for Bookstore Employees.