Henrik Nilsson Thelander
Henrik Nilsson Thelander, born 1976, resides in Genarp outside Lund with his wife and two children. His stories unfold in the twilight realm between dream, fantasy, and adventure reality.
A recurring theme in all of them revolves around the vulnerability and greatness of the ordinary person, along with our fears and the courage to confront them. With inspiration from Astrid Lindgren’s fantastic children stories and Never Ending Story, Nilsson Thelander delivers a magic world with strong children’s characters and their point-of-view.
Henrik has received high ratings from BTJ for both of his books The Ice Kings Lives and Emmi in the enchanted Forest.
The Swedish Arts Council has awarded literature grants to both books.
Winner State Cultural Council “A Very Good Book” award
Instagram: henriknilssonthelander
Where the Ice King Lives
When an elderly woman named Elsa confides in three friends that the Ice King is responsible for their sick parent's condition, they discover she is not delusional as they initially thought. As they witness snow transforming into unicorns, fairies, ice trolls, silver wolves, and an evil dragon, they embark on a perilous journey to the Ice King's magical world to rescue their loved ones.
The Ice King is an adventurous suspense novel and an imaginative tale about deep friendship, the battle between life and death, and the courage to face one’s fears.
“The Ice King is a very well-written story. Author Henrik Nilsson Thelander offers readers beautiful settings, friendship, plenty of magic and suspense. Not least, the theme of fear in the book is particularly interesting. How does fear affect our actions towards the world around us? Can fear be manipulated and exploited?”
A rating of 4 out of 5 — Reviewer Kerstin Hagstrand-Velicu, BTJ-häftet No. 20, 2020
“The Ice King delivers a powerful, overwhelming sense of joy, gravity, and wonderful magic. I truly enjoy what I’m reading. A book for ages 9 and up — many times, a suspense novel for young readers can be both better and more thrilling than suspense novels for adults. The Ice King is such a book, so read it! Highly recommended.” — i_min_bokhylla
Original title: Iskungen
Publication: Visto Förlag August 2020
Pages: 279
Rights sold: All rights available
Reading material: Full translation
Emmi in the Enchanted Forest
Two sisters move with their single mother to a village deep in the countryside. They soon discover that something is amiss, something unexplainable and malevolent is taking over the people. Emmi, the peculiar girl who lives in the woods, is the only one willing to be their friend, and she disappears without a trace.
“…a powerful reading experience suited for children in middle grade, but also for older readers. The language is easy to read, beautiful, and has a fine rhythm that skillfully creates a sense of unease and suspense. Emmi captures the reader from the very first page, and once you start reading, it’s almost impossible to stop. Nilsson Thelander has managed to create a story that touches on loneliness, alienation, and friendship — all wrapped in a truly scary ghost story. Simply masterful.
Overall rating: 5 out of 5.”
— Lina Bäckström, Bibliotekstjänst, BTJ-häfte 23, 2023
“Wow! There’s no doubt this is one of the very best chapter books I’ve read aloud to my daughter — and we’ve read a loooot. I’ve been reading to her every bedtime since she was about one year old, and she’s turning ten this January. And this book fit perfectly into the genre phase she’s in right now. A spot-on combination. The language and storytelling are rich and vivid, on a more mature level than many other books aimed at the same age group. The cast of characters is wonderful, and every event and piece of dialogue carries so much. Even I, as an adult, was drawn into the story and became deeply invested in the characters. The suspense is high, as is the drive of the narrative, and it was impossible not to read ‘just one more chapter.’ There is also room for sorrow, fear, confusion, and distrust — as well as love, friendship, courage, and faith. Everything fits into this fantastic book. I love it!”
— @bokhyllaniskuggan
Original title: Emmi
Publication: Storify Publishing September 2023
Pages: 268
Rights sold: All rights available
Reading material: Full translation
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