Steve Sem-Sandberg

A Swedish writer, journalist and literary critic. One of the most interesting Scandinavian writers of recent years. A winner of numerous literary prizes, in 2009 he was granted De Nios Stora Pris. Hi latest novel, The Emperor of Lies: A Novel, was awarded the prestigious August Prize, founded by the Swedish Publishers’ Association. The book was one of the most popular titles at last-year’s Book Fair in Frankfurt. Sem-Sandberg dedicated it to the controversial person of Chaim Mordechaj Rumkowski – “the emperor” of the Lódź ghetto, described as a master of life and death who, as legend has it, allegedly travelled to Auschwitz to be burned alive in a crematory, by saloon car. Critics have underlined that Sanberg's The Emperor of Lies: A Novel is “...an immense book yet polished to a shine in any regard – it is also a majestic portrait in which documented facts make up the groundwork for a literary exploration of historical fates.” (Mikael van Ries, Svenska Dagbladet).