Nordic Noir: the new cool

Book tickets

Over the past decade, the icy winds of Nordic noir have swept through the worlds of crime fiction, feature film and television drama. The mood (gloomy and bleak) and look (dark and grim) combined with compelling narratives, strong female characters and the distinctive landscapes of Scandinavia have attracted huge numbers of devotees globally. Professor Sue Turnbull, who co-authored the Nordic noir entry for the Oxford Research Encyclopaedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice, will explore this phenomenon with the aid of TV clips and a panel of writers: Leigh Redhead, Hanna Lofgren and Janice Simpson.

Leigh Redhead, Australia’s Queen of Noir, has worked on a prawn trawler and as a waitress, exotic dancer, masseuse, teacher and apprentice chef. She is the author of the award-winning Simone Kirsch private eye series: Peepshow (2004), Rubdown (2005), Cherry Pie (2007) and Thrill City (2010), and is currently completing the fifth in the series while studying for a PhD in Australian noir fiction. For viewing, Leigh likes The Killing and Fortitude and, on the literary front, Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites.

Hanna Lofgren is a freelance translator of Swedish and Spanish. Her first translation of a crime novel was Savage Congress by debut Swedish author Anna Karolina (Echo Publishing, 2016). Hanna has an MSc in Translation Studies (Edinburgh University) and is a member of the Swedish–English Literary Translators’ Association. A long-time lover of Scandinavian crime fiction, she mostly reads Anna Jansson, Mari Jungstedt, Karin Alvtegen, Camilla Läckberg, Åsa Larsson and Liza Marklund – all in Swedish; favourite viewing includes The Killing, The Bridge and Midnight Sun.

Janice Simpson, a Sisters in Crime convenor, is working on a new crime series set in Australia, as well as a compendium of stories about the importance of place in the lives of adoptees. In her first crime book, Murder in Mt Martha (Hybrid Publishers, 2016), murder stretches its tentacles into the past and the 1953 murder of a 14-year-old girl. Janice has had several short fiction and non-fiction pieces published in print and online magazines. She is a creative practices PhD candidate at RMIT. She is a huge fan of Nordic noir: favourites include Norwegian author Agnes Ravatn; Finnish novelist, performance artist and punk singer Kati Hiekkapelto; and the Danish TV series, The Killing. (Author Q&A)

Compere Sue Turnbull is Professor of Communication and Media Studies at the University of Wollongong. Her recent publications include The TV Crime Drama (Edinburgh University Press, 2014). Sue is a frequent media commentator on television and radio who also writes on crime fiction for Fairfax Media. A long-time convenor of Sisters in Crime, she is now its ambassador.

Venue: The Rising Sun Hotel (upstairs – no lift)
cnr Raglan Street and Eastern Road, South Melbourne
Melways map 57 H2; free on-street parking after 6 pm
Trams 1, 12 or 55 or St Kilda Road trams

Tickets: $15 / $10 Sisters in Crime and Writers Victoria members/concession
Tickets not sold prior to the event will be available at the door for $17 / $12
Dinner upstairs from 6.30 pm (bookings not necessary); ‘brothers-in-law’ welcome

Bookings: Eventbrite
Please note that ticket purchases to this event will incur an Eventbrite processing fee at checkout.

Sun Bookshop stall: members receive a 10% discount

Additional information: Carmel Shute 0412 569 356; admin@sistersincrime.org.au