Maria Ernestam

Background

Ernestam grew up in Uppsala, Sweden.

Education

In addition, Ernestam studied English literature and Mathematics at the University of Uppsala. Ernestam also studied in the United States, where she took a Master of Arts in political science, focusing on international relations, at the University of Kansas.

Career

She is a journalist, having earned her journalism degree at the University of Gothenburg. She thereafter moved to Germany where she stayed for eleven years in Frankfurt am Main, working as a correspondent for Swedish business weekly Veckans affärer and Swedish medical weekly Dagens medicin. In 2005, Maria Ernestam got her first novel published, "Caipirinha with Death" (Caipirinha medical Döden).

lieutenant tells the tale of Death knocking at the wrong door and meeting a woman who starts working for him.

In Russia the book was compared to Mikhail Bulgakov"s "The Master and Margarita". After that, Ernestam has written seven more novels.

She has also contributed to anthologies and short story selections. Maria Ernestam"s books have been characterized as being dramatic psychological relationship novels spiced with twists and drastic humour.

The books have been sold to thirteen countries and have reached top list placements in Germany and Taiwan.

More than half a million copies have been sold....

Achievements

• In France, Maria Ernestam received the booksellers" prize "Prix Page des Libraires" for "Buster"s Ears" (Busters öron). The same book received the French awards "Prix Louisiana Passerelle" and "Prix de l"Armitière". Ernestam"s French translator Esther Sermage was awarded the prize for best translation of foreign literature into French for "Buster"s Ears". She got the prize at Lire en Poche in Gradignan. "Always with you" (Alltid hos dig) was nominated to "Prix Littéraire Cezan Inter-Civil Engineering". "Always with you" was also nominated for "Stora Läsarpriset" (The grand Readers" prize) at Bokcirklar.se.