(b. 1970) was born and raised in a fishing village in western Iceland. At twenty-six, he relocated to Reykjavík to pursue a writing career, transporting all his belongings in an old car.

During the first decade of his career, Stefán balanced his writing with various jobs, including construction work, dishwashing, printing, and working in a home for the mentally ill. These diverse experiences enriched his storytelling.

His major breakthrough came with the thriller The Cursed Ship (previously published as The Ship), which garnered attention both in Iceland and internationally. This success paved the way for the popular Grimsson detective series, featuring detective Grimsson and other thriller and fiction works.

In 2012, his bestseller Black’s Game was adapted into a film, becoming one of Iceland’s highest-grossing movies, with director Nicolas Winding Refn involved in the production.

THE DARK PRINCE OF NORDIC NOIR

“A book in the spirit of Tarantino, suitably bloody and suitably funny. But above all, cool.” (about Black’s Game)
ULFHILDUR DAGSDOTTIR, BOKMENNTIR.IS

“If you like Nordic Noir for its darkness and strong lead characters then Stefan Mani is your guy.”
YRSA SIGURDARDOTTIR, CRIME WRITER

“When Stefán Máni gets going, nothing can hold him back.”
KARL BLONDAL, MORGUNBLADID DAILY

“Cruelty is a hard-hitting crime story with a noble antihero whom the reader gets to know intimately. It’s a gripping tale that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end.”
JURY’S VERDICT, THE BLOOD DROP, ICELANDIC CRIME AWARD

“Stefan Mani makes the books of our best author, Stieg Larsson, look like Sunday school texts.” (about The Cursed Ship)
KRISTIANSSTAD BLADET, SWEDEN

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

2007 – The Blood Drop, Icelandic Crime Award and nomination for the Glass Key Award (The Ship)
2010 – Crime Fiction of the Year in France by literary magazine Liré (The Ship)
2012 – The Blood Drop, Icelandic Crime Award and nomination for the Glass Key Award (The House, A Grímsson Series title)
2014 – The Blood Drop, Icelandic Crime Award and nomination for the Glass Key Award (Cruelty, A Grímsson Series title)
2014 – Prix Des Lecteurs at the 10th Festival Du Polar in Villeneuve Lez Avignon in France (Premonition of Death)
2022 – Nomination for The Blood Drop (Hunger, A Grímsson Series title)
2023 – Nomination for The Blood Drop (City of the Dead, A Grímsson Series title)