Arnaldur Indridason (b. 1961) has been Iceland`s most popular author for decades. He is the winner of the CWA Gold Dagger Award for the top crime novel of the year in the English language, Silence of the Grave. He also has the rare distinction of having won the Nordic Crime Novel Prize two years running. The Shadow District – the first book in the Reykjavik Wartime Mystery series – won the Premio RBA de Novela Negra, one of the world’s most prestigious crime fiction prizes.

Jar City was nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and The Draining Lake was nominated for the Icelandic Literary Prize. Indridason has received The Order of the Falcon, the highest order of the Republic of Iceland, for his contribution to Icelandic literature. His novels have sold over 20 million copies worldwide, in over 40 languages.

“Indridason is easily the finest of the contemporary Nordic crime writers… At any rate, it’s one of the finest crime novels of this or any year. ”
CRIME TIME (About The Shadow District)

“Yet another masterpiece from Arnaldur. He is exceptional–the Lionel Messi of literature. Arnaldur understands the art of storytelling.”
MORGUNBLADID DAILY (About Petsamo)

“There is no Icelandic crime writer who does better than Indridason.”
KILJAN NATIONAL TV (About Oblivion)

AWARDS

2021 – The Jonas Hallgrimsson Award, for outstanding contribution to the Icelandic language
2018 – The Great Caliber Award of Honour, Poland for the whole career, presented at the International Mystery&Thriller Festival in Wroclaw, Poland
2017 – The Drop of Blood, the Icelandic Crime Writers’ Award: Petsamo
2016 – Honyaku Mystery Award as the best foreign mystery novel of the year (Voices) (Japan)
2015 – Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
2013 – RBA’s International Crime Novel Award (The Shadow District) (Spain)
2011- First Prize of Honour for Nordic Crime Fiction, for the whole career (Boréales/Région Basse-Normandie (France)
2011 – Prix Boréales, First Prize of Honour for Nordic Crime Fiction (Betty) (France)
2011 – Publisher’s Weekly’s Top 10 Fiction: Mysteries & Thrillers (Operation Napoleon), US
2009 – The Foreign Literature Award, given by The Finnish Whodunit Society (Suomen Dekkariseura), for the whole career. (Finland)
2009 – The Barry Awards: The Draining Lake (Kleifarvatn), translated to English by Bernard Scudder
2008 – The Drop of Blood, the Icelandic Crime Writers´ Award: Harðskafi
2008 – Le Prix du Polar Européen du Point (The Draining Lake), France
2007 – Grand Prix des Lectrice de Elle (France): La Femme en Vert (Grafarþögn), translated to French by Eric Boury
2007 – Grand Prix de Littérature Policiere Roman Etranger (Voices) (France)
2007 – Prix Trophée 813 (Voices), (Franve)
2006 – Prix Fiction du Livre insulaire de Ouessant (France): La Femme en vert (Grafarþögn) translated to French by Eric Boury
2006 – Le Prix Mystère de la Critique (France): La Cité des Jarres (Mýrin), translated to French by Eric Boury. As the best translated crime novel of the year
2006 – Le Prix du Coeur Noir (The Black Heart Award) (France): La Cité des Jarres (Mýrin), translated to French by Eric Boury. As the best translated crime novel of the year
2005 – The Martin Beck Award (Sweden): Änglarösten (Röddin / The Voice), translated to Swedish by Ylva Hellerud. As the best translated crime novel in Sweden.
2005 – The Golden Dagger (UK): Silence of the Grave (Grafarþögn), translated to English by Bernard Scudder. For the top crime novel of the year in the English Language.
2004 – The Order of the Falcon, the highest order of the Republic of Iceland, for his contribution to Icelandic literature
2004 – The Swedish Marin Beck Award (Silence of the Grave)
2003 – The Glass Key; The Nordic Crime Novel’s Award: Grafarþögn (Silence of the Grave)
2002 – The Glass Key; The Nordic Crime Novel’s Award: Mýrin (Jar City)
2003 – Caliber (Sweden): Glasbruket (Mýrin), translated to Swedish by Ylva Hellerud. For the Best Crime Novel of the Year.

NOMINATIONS

2024 – Nominated for the Icelandic Literary Prize (Journey’s End)
2024 – Longlisted for the CWA Dagger Award for Crime Fiction in Translation (The Girl by the Bridge), United Kingdom
2024 – Longlisted for the Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year (The Girl by the Bridge), United Kingdom
2023 – Shortlisted for Best Translated Crime Fiction, by the Swedish Academy of Crime Fiction (Wall of Silence), Sweden
2022 – Le Prix Points par Points Literature Award, as the best crime novel in France for the past 50 years (Jar City)
2022 – Top Pick, Library Reads, November (The top ten adult fiction and nonfiction chosen monthly by America’s Library Staff) (The Shadow District)
2021 – The Icelandic Literary Prize (The King and the Clockmaker)
2021 – The Best Translated Crime Novel (The Girl by the Bridge), the Swedish Crime Academy
2021 – Parade’s List of 101 Best Mystery Books of All Time (Jar City) by Parade.com, US
2021 – The Golden Bat Thriller Awards for his complete oeuvre (The Netherlands)
2021 – One of the 21 best reads of the year, by Télérama Magazine (The Quiet Mother), France
2021 – The Times Best Crime Fiction for July 2021 (The Darkness Knows), UK
2019 – The Drop of Blood – The Icelandic Crime Novel Award (The Girl by the Bridge)
2019 – One of the 100 Best Crime Novels and Thrillers Since 1945, according to Sunday Times, UK (Strange Shores)
2018 – The Drop of Blood, the Icelandic Crime Writers’ Award (The Darkness Knows)
2018 – CWA International Dagger, Longlist (The Shadow District)
2018 – The Glass Key, The Nordic Crime Novel’s Award: Petsamo (Petsamo)
2018 – One of the Six Best Recent Thrillers, by Guardian, UK (The Shadow Killer)
2018 – Recommended by The New York Times (The Shadow Killer)
2017 – The Glass Key, The Nordic Crime Novel’s Award (Petsamo)
2017 – The Crime Time Best of the Year, UK (The Shadow District)
2017 – Recommended, by New York Times (The Shadow District)
2017 – Number one of top 10 Nordic Crime Novels of 2017, selected by Crime Fiction Lover, UK (The Shadow District)
2017 – One of the 50 Best Crime Novels of the past 50 years, according to Times (Jar City), United Kingdom
2016 – One of the 10 Best Crime Novels Ever, according to John Verdon in Publisher’s Weekly (Hypothermia)
2016 – The Drop of Blood, The Icelandic Crime Novel Award (The Shadow Killer)
2016 – Shortlisted for The European Crime Fiction Star Award (The Ripper Award), the most prestigious crime fiction award in Europe. The award is handed out once every two years during the international crime fiction festival of Mord am Hellweg. The European Crime Fiction Star Award honors a crime fiction author who has rendered outstanding services to crime literature in Europe.  Germany
2015 – Petrona Award Shortlist for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year (Reykjavik Nights), United Kingdom
2015 – The Barry Award, as best Novel (Strange Shores), USA
2015 – One of the Best Crime Novel of 2015 in Sweden, according to Dagens Nyheter (Oblivion)
2015 – The Best Crime Novel of the Year in The Netherlands, according to Vrij Nederland (Reykjavik Nights and The Shadow District)
2014 and 2015 – One of the 50 Best Thrillers and Crime Novels of the past 5 years in UK, according to The Sunday Times (Hypothermia)
2014 – The CWA International Dagger of 2014 in UK, for the top crime novel of the year in the English language (Strange Shores)
2014 – One of the 10 top crime novels in translations, selected by Guardian (Ann Cleeves) (Voices), United Kingdom
2014 – The Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year in UK (Strange Shores)
2013 – The DV Newspaper’s Cultural Award (Reykjavik Nights)
2013 – The Petrona Award for the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year in UK (Black Skies)
2013 – Selected as one of the best crime books of 2013 in UK, selected by Financial Times (Strange Shores)
2013 – Selected as one of the best crime books of 2013, by The Times (Strange Shores)
2013 – Selected as one of the best crime books of 2013 in UK, by Evening Standard (Strange Shores)
2012 – The Nonino Internationall Prize (Italy)
2012 – Best Foreign Crime Novel in The Netherlands, by Crimezone (Strange Shores)
2012 – Selected as one of the best crime novel of 2012 in Sweden, by Dagens Nyheter (Strange Shores)
2012 – The Best foreign crime novel in Sweden 2012, nominated by The Swedish Academy of Crime Fiction (Svenska Deckaraakademin) (Strange Shores), Sweden
2012 – The Barry Award, as one of the six best crime novels published in the US 2011 (Outrage), US
2011 – Number one on the Guardian’s list of the 10 Best Modern European Crime Writers, UK
2011 – One of the best crime novels of the year in Ireland, by Irish Times (Black Skies)
2011 – Selected as the best crime novel of the year in The Netherlands, by Vrij Nederland (Black Skies)
2010 – The Season’s Best Mystery Reads, selected by The New Yorker (Jar City), US
2010 – The Barry Award, as Best of the Decade (Jar City), US
2010 – The CWA International Dagger (Hypothermia), United Kingdom
2010 – One of Ten Most Notable Crime Books of 2010, by The New York Times (Hypothermia)
2010 – The Swedish Martin Beck Award (Outrage), Sweden
2010 – One of the three Best Crime Novels of 2010 in Sweden, selected by Aftonbladet (Outrage), Sweden
2009 – One of the most notable crime novels in USA, selected by The New York Times (Arctic Chill)
2009 – CWA International Dagger: Arctic Chill (Vetrarborgin, translated by Bernard Scudder and Victoria Cribb)
2009 – Macavity Award (Mystery Readers International): The Draining Lake (Kleifarvatn) translated by Bernard Scudder
2009 – One of the best crime novels of 2009 in UK, selected by Sunday Times (Hypothermia)
2009 – Reviewed as The Best Crime Novel of 2009, in The Times (Hypothermia)
2008 – The Glass Key, The Nordic Crime Novel Award (Hypothermia)
2007 – Shortlisted for the Icelandic Booksellers’ Literary Award (Hypothermia)
2006 – The Martin Beck Award (Sweden): Mannen i sjön (Kleifarvatn), translated to Swedish by Ylva Hellerud
2006 – The International IMPAC Dublin Award: Jar City (Mýrin), translated to English by Bernard Scudder
2006 – The Barry Award (US): Silence of the Grave
2006  – The Gumshoe Awards, as one of the five best European crime novels published is USA (Jar City)
2005 – Kansas City Star (USA): Jar City (Mýrin), translated to English by Bernard Scudder. As one of 10 most noteworthy crime novels of the year
2005 – One of the 10 Best Crime Novels of 2005 in The Netherlands, by De Volkskrant (Voices)
2005 – Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle (France): La Cité des Jarres (Mýrin), translated to French by Eric Boury
2005 – One of the 8 best crime novel of 2005 in The Netherlands, by Crimezone.nl (Netherlands): Engelenstem (Röddin)
2005 – One of the 100 best books of the year in The Netherlands, by BOEK Magazine (Voices)
2005 – One of the 10 Top Crime Books Of the Year 2005, by CrimeSquad.com, UK (Silence of the Grave)
2004 – Nominated as the best crime novel of 2004 in The Netherlands, by crimezone.nl (Silence of the Grave)
2004 – Crimezone.nl (Netherlands): Moordkuil (Grafarþögn), translated to Dutch by Paula Vermeidjen
2004 – The Icelandic Literature Prize: Kleifarvatn (The Draining Lake)
2004 – The Martin Beck Award (in Sweden): Kvinna i grönt (Grafarþögn / Silence of the Grave). As the best translated crime novel of the year
2004 – The New Zealand Herald: Jar City (Mýrin), translated to English by Bernard Scudder. As one of the best crime novels of the year
2003 – The Martin Beck Award (Sweden): Glasbruket (Mýrin / Jar City). As the best translated crime novel
2003 – The Best Crime Novel of the Year Crimezone.nl (Netherlands): Noorderveen (Mýrin), translated to Dutch by Paula Vermeidjen
2001 – DV Daily Newspaper Cultural Prize for literature (Iceland): Mýrin (Jar City)
2001 – The Icelandic Bookseller’s Award: Grafarþögn (Silence of the Grave)