Per Wahlöö facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Per Wahlöö
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| Born | Per Fredrik Wahlöö 5 August 1926 Kungsbacka Municipality, Sweden |
| Died | 22 June 1975 (aged 48) Malmö, Sweden |
| Pen name | Peter Wahloo |
| Occupation | Novelist, crime reporter |
| Genre | Crime fiction |
| Notable works | Martin Beck |
| Notable awards | The Laughing Policeman (1971) Edgar Award (Best Novel) |
| Partner | Maj Sjöwall |
Per Fredrik Wahlöö (born August 5, 1926 – died June 22, 1975) was a famous Swedish writer. In English, his name was sometimes written as Peter Wahloo. He is best known for the detective novels he wrote with his partner, Maj Sjöwall. Together, they created a series of ten books about a police detective named Martin Beck. These popular books were published between 1965 and 1975. One of their books, The Laughing Policeman, won a special award called the Edgar Award in 1971 for Best Novel.
Who Was Per Wahlöö?
Per Wahlöö was born in a place called Tölö parish, in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland. After finishing school, he started working as a journalist. He reported on crime stories from 1946 onwards. He traveled a lot around the world. When he came back to Sweden, he continued his work as a journalist.
He worked very closely with his partner, Maj Sjöwall. They wrote many books together.
Early Life and Career
Per Wahlöö's journey in journalism began in 1947. He worked for a newspaper in Malmö called Sydsvenskan. Later, in 1949, he joined a new newspaper, Evening Post, until 1953. After that, he started working as a freelance writer in the 1950s. This meant he wrote for different newspapers. He wrote reviews for plays and movies. He worked for newspapers in Norrköping before moving to Stockholm. By 1964, Per Wahlöö had finished his main work as a journalist.
He also helped with a magazine called Tidsignal (which means "Time Signal"). He was part of the team that put the magazine together.
The Martin Beck Series
Per Wahlöö wrote some early novels by himself. These books often talked about power and fairness. For example, his book A Necessary Action from 1962 was about Spain at that time.
In the mid-1960s, he started writing with his partner, Maj Sjöwall. They created a series of detective novels. The main character in these books was a criminal investigator named Martin Beck. These books became very popular. Many of them have been made into movies. A Swedish TV show about Martin Beck started in 1997. In this show, Peter Haber plays Martin Beck. The BBC bought this TV series in 2015. It was shown in the United Kingdom with English subtitles.
Per Wahlöö passed away in Malmö in 1975. He died after some health problems. He is buried in a special garden in Malmo Sankt Pauli's central cemetery.
His Legacy
Per Wahlöö and Maj Sjöwall are often called "the couple who invented Nordic noir". This is a popular style of crime fiction from Nordic countries. He is also seen as a big inspiration for other famous writers. For example, the Norwegian writer Jo Nesbø has said Wahlöö inspired him.
