Jussi Adler-Olsen
Encyclopedia
Carl Valdemar Jussi Henry Adler-Olsen (born 1950) is a Danish author
who, after following several different courses of study and engaging in various professions, embarked on his literary career with two books about Groucho Marx
in 1984. His bestsellers include the thriller Alfabethuset (Alphabet House) (1997) and, most recently, Journal 64 (2010).
, he was the youngest of four children and the only boy. Son of the successful sexologist Henry Olsen, he spent his childhood with his family in several mental hospitals across Denmark. In his late teens, he played in several pop groups as lead guitar. After graduating from the state school in Rødovre
, he studied medicine, sociology and film making. In the late 1970s, he worked in various areas of publishing including cartoon-scripting, proof-reading and journalism.
(1984–1985). In 1989, he published Fred på tryk, the only widely quoted Danish bibliography on literature dealing with peace and security.
His first successful novel, Alfabethuset (The Alphabet House), followed in 1997. It tells the story of two British pilots on a secret mission who are shot down in Germany during World War II
. It was followed in 2002 by Og hun takkede guderne (The Company Basher), a thriller set in Iraq
in which an Indonesian specialist in destroying large corporations is persuaded to bring down an oil company.
In 2006, Washington dekretet (The Washington Decree) begins with the assassination of the Democratic front-runner on the eve of an American presidential election.
His first novels in the crime-thriller series about Department Q, Kvinden i buret (The Woman in the Cage) and Fasandræberne (The Pheasant Killers) were published in 2007 and 2008. Both are set in Denmark where they enhanced his popularity, appearing at the top of bestseller lists. Then followed Flaskepost fra P (Message in a Bottle) in 2009, and his latest Department Q book, Journal 64, was published in 2010.
Adler-Olsen's novels have been sold in 25 countries including China, Germany, The Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US. The Alphabet House has also appeared as a movie.
Danish literature
Danish literature, a subset of Scandinavian literature, stretches back to the Middle Ages. Of special note across the centuries are the historian Saxo Grammaticus, the playwright Ludvig Holberg, the storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, and Karen Blixen who...
who, after following several different courses of study and engaging in various professions, embarked on his literary career with two books about Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
in 1984. His bestsellers include the thriller Alfabethuset (Alphabet House) (1997) and, most recently, Journal 64 (2010).
Early life
Born on 2 August 1950 in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, he was the youngest of four children and the only boy. Son of the successful sexologist Henry Olsen, he spent his childhood with his family in several mental hospitals across Denmark. In his late teens, he played in several pop groups as lead guitar. After graduating from the state school in Rødovre
Rødovre
Rødovre Kommune is a municipality in Region Hovedstaden on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. Its mayor is Erik Nielsen, a member of the Social Democrats political party who hold a majority of seats in the council.-History:The municipality was created in 1901 when the parish of Rødovre was...
, he studied medicine, sociology and film making. In the late 1970s, he worked in various areas of publishing including cartoon-scripting, proof-reading and journalism.
Literary career
In 1980, he embarked on the compilation of Denmark's first cartoon encyclopedia, Komiklex, which he completed in 1985. He went on to write two books about Groucho MarxGroucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
(1984–1985). In 1989, he published Fred på tryk, the only widely quoted Danish bibliography on literature dealing with peace and security.
His first successful novel, Alfabethuset (The Alphabet House), followed in 1997. It tells the story of two British pilots on a secret mission who are shot down in Germany during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was followed in 2002 by Og hun takkede guderne (The Company Basher), a thriller set in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in which an Indonesian specialist in destroying large corporations is persuaded to bring down an oil company.
In 2006, Washington dekretet (The Washington Decree) begins with the assassination of the Democratic front-runner on the eve of an American presidential election.
His first novels in the crime-thriller series about Department Q, Kvinden i buret (The Woman in the Cage) and Fasandræberne (The Pheasant Killers) were published in 2007 and 2008. Both are set in Denmark where they enhanced his popularity, appearing at the top of bestseller lists. Then followed Flaskepost fra P (Message in a Bottle) in 2009, and his latest Department Q book, Journal 64, was published in 2010.
Adler-Olsen's novels have been sold in 25 countries including China, Germany, The Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and the US. The Alphabet House has also appeared as a movie.
Awards
- Harald Mogensen prize 2010 for Flaskepost fra P.
- Glass Key awardGlass key awardThe Glass Key award is a literature award given annually to a crime novel by an author from the Nordic countries.The award, named after the novel The Glass Key by American crime writer Dashiell Hammett, is a real glass key given every year by the members of the Crime Writers of Scandinavia to a...
2010 for Flaskepost fra P. - De Gyldne Laurbær 2011 for Journal 64