The first book, The Year of Misfortune, was published in May 2024, and the authors are already working on the next installment. The series is planned to span at least three books, and a TV adaptation is also in development.
AUTHOR AND SPEAKER
"WORDS MAKE THE WORLD"GREAT STORIES"CHANGE"
Thomas Rydahl was born in 1974 in Aarhus, Denmark. He is a graduate from the Danish Academy of Creative Writing and has published more than seven novels.
Choosing your own path
Thomas Rydahl cried when he received the Bogforum Debutant Prize. On stage, in front of a packed hall and a few cameras, he was more moved than anyone could have guessed. Of course, he was proud, but above all, he was relieved. Things could have turned out very differently in every possible way.
He was forty years old and on the brink of divorce. There were countless alternate realities where he never finished his book, never got it published, and never won anything at all. Instead, he could have continued his old, secure life—with a steady paycheck and a constant headache.
Over the years, the dream of becoming a writer, which he had nurtured since childhood, had slowly but surely slipped further down his list of priorities. By then, it was sharing the twenty-third spot, far behind picking up the kids, paying bills, cleaning gutters, becoming a better partner, and losing ten kilos. And yet—through some kind of insane persistence—he managed to hold on to himself, to his writing, and to break through all the excuses.
“For me, literature has always been a way to understand the world—and myself. I don’t write to tell the truth, but to find out what it could be.”
Thomas Rydahl
Telling stories since 1979…
At the age of 17, Thomas Rydahl won a short story competition, issued by Politiken and Gyldendal Pusblisher. His short story was titled Forever Young. But it wasn’t the first time the young writer had literary ambitions. In fact, Thomas Rydahl has loved storytelling since childhood and had been working on a novel since kindergarten when he was allowed to get an extra notebook to write stories. Since then, he has always had one or more projects in progress—or tucked away in a drawer.
BØGERNE
7 novels.
Various genres.
Since my debut in 2014, I have written crime novels, a coming-of-age novel, historical fiction, and a special book.
Crime fiction kicked the door in
In the years following Forfatterskolen, The Danish Academy of Creative Writing, Thomas Rydahl’s dream of becoming an author was put on the back burner. He started a family and found work as a copywriter, editor, communications advisor, and strategist at web and advertising agencies in Copenhagen. On weekends and during vacations, he tried to make progress on his grand literary piece, but every time he got close to finishing a manuscript, he would start over—ultimately getting nowhere.
“A story is a gripping, structured expression of human experience. That is why storytelling is so powerful when we seek to change ourselves and society.”
Thomas Rydahl
It wasn’t until 2014 Thomas Rydahl truly broke through with his crime fiction novel The Hermit, published by the small press Bindslev. The crime novel was well received by both readers and critics, winning the Bogforum Debutant Prize that same year, as well as the prestigious awards, harald Mogensen Prisen, for Danish Crime Novel of the Year, and The Glass Key, the Nordic Crime Novel of the Year.
The book has since been published in more than 20 countries, including the USA, the UK (The Hermit), Germany, France, Spain, Japan, Brazil, Russia, and Sweden. The film rights to The Hermit have also been sold multiple times to both Spanish and American production companies.
Images from early career as a writer
A small wall with pictures from my years as a writer – from the beginning in high school to today.
Learning through collaboration
In 2016, the second part of the Erhard Trilogy, The Missing, was published, followed by the third and final installment, The Three Popes, in 2019. That same year, the critically acclaimed crime novel The Murder of a Mermaid, co-written with A.J. Kazinski, was also released. In 2021, The Seducers’ Club was published, and in 2022, Uniform, the first book in a new crime series, followed.
Throughout his career, Thomas Rydahl has actively sought close collaborations—working with fellow authors and editors alike. His background in the communications industry had already taught him that cooperation, dialogue, and multiple perspectives in the creative process strengthen both the final result and individual learning experiences.
Finishing Lasse Holm’s work
This approach led Rydahl to take on a special task in 2023—completing Besættelse (Occupation), a historical crime novel by author Lasse Holm, who sadly passed away in the fall of 2021.
Lasse Holm left behind a first draft of the manuscript, and at his request—along with the support of Politikens Forlag and Holm’s widow—Rydahl finished the novel. It was published in March 2023 to glowing reviews.
Completing a manuscript for an author who could no longer intervene or reject suggestions was a unique challenge—one that required a delicate balance between preserving Holm’s voice and ensuring the book was ready for publication.
A Historical Novel Project with Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis
Thomas Rydahl’s collaborative approach continued with his next project: a historical novel series about Egeskov Castle on the Danish island of Funen, created in partnership with actor, author and film director Anne-Grethe Bjarup Riis and Politikens Forlag.
The two authors have been granted exclusive access to the castle and have received valuable insights from its current residents, Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille and Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. The series is inspired by real events and destinies from the late 19th century.
“Writing historical fiction with Anne-Grethe is a deeply inspiring process. We dive into archives, visit the castle, and bring old stories to life in a way that feels both modern and timeless.”
Thomas Rydahl