Career
He is the brother of religion scholar Mattias Gardell. He is well known for his books and plays in all of Scandinavia and also published in Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Poland. Gardell"s first novel, Passionsspelet (The Passion Play), was published in 1985.
Since then, he has written some ten novels, including En Komikers Uppväxt (A Comedian Growing Up), which became a television series.
He has also written several other books, nine plays and two screenplays that were made into movies, including Livet är en schlager (Life Is A Schlager). His novels are not yet available in English.
In 2006, more than 20 years after his first novel was published, Gardell is one of Sweden"s most famous stand-up comedians and probably the country"s most well-known openly gay manitoba Gardell performed his own play Tillfällig gäst i ditt liv (Temporary guest in your life) (2007) at the Scala Theater in Stockholm.
In 2013 Gardell was elected "Homo Bi Transport Person of the Year" at the Swedish Gay Gala, notably for the book Torka aldrig tårar utan handskar (Don"t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves).
His prize was presented to him by the Swedish Crown Princess Victoria, whom Gardell thanked with the words: "Victoria, you are our Crown Princess, but tonight I think that I"m our little queen" - this went down well with the Crown Princess, whom Gardell knows well.