Anne Holt is thrilled to have won the Riverton Prize for the best crime book in 2023 with “Twelve Untamed Horses”. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB
Anne Holt (65) won the Riverton Prize for her second crime book “Blessed are those who thirst” in 1994. It would be 30 years before she was honored with the prestigious crime prize again.
Thursday 14 March at 15:07
The short version
- Anne Holt (65) wins the Riverton prize for the second time, 30 years after the first time
- Her 12th Hanne Wilhelmsen novel “Twelve untamed horses” has been named best crime book in 2023
- Holt becomes the seventh author to have won two “golden revolvers” since the prize began in 1972
- Holt is one of Scandinavia’s best-selling crime writers with over 10 million books sold
Sea view
– I have my theories about why, but I don’t say that publicly, laughs Anne Holt.
– This time I didn’t sacrifice a thought that I could win, I was absolutely sure that it wouldn’t be me in any case.
But the Riverton jury believes that the author is now at her best – and on Thursday named her 12th Hanne Wilhelmsen novel “Twelve untamed horses” last year’s best crime book.
Read VG’s review of the book here: Masterful!
The jury Sarah Natasha Melbye, Tom Stalsberg and Cis-Doris Andreassen write that it is a “crime novel that oozes linguistic and creative excess” and that has “surprises and twists that can take your breath away”.
– It’s really nice! I must honestly admit that it is a great honor that a qualified jury has named my book the best of last year. There were several very strong nominees this time, so this is a great honour, says Holt
Look who she competed with!
– Getting older is unpleasant
Now she joins the somewhat exclusive company of crime writers who have won the Riverton Prize twice:
Anne Holt made her debut as a writer in 1993 with “Blind gudinne”. She is a qualified lawyer and has worked as a police deputy, lawyer and politician – and was also minister of justice in 1996 to 1997. Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT / TT Nyhetsbyrån / NTB
Unni Lindell, Gunnar Staalesen, Jon Michelet, Karin Fossum, Kjell Ola Dahl and Jo Nesbø are the authors who have brought home two “golden revolvers”. The prize itself is a revolver with a concealed stock – specifically a Smith & Wesson .38 Special. since the prize was awarded for the first time in 1972. In addition, we have Torkild Damhaug who made history last year when he won for the third time.
– I take a kind of record: Whoever has won the prize with the longest possible interval, says Anne Holt.
She is one of Scandinavia’s best-selling crime writers with over 10 million books sold in total and several awards on her CV, but the Riverton Prize should certainly be celebrated in a big way:
– At my age, I see how important it is to use every opportunity to celebrate, says Holt – who made his debut as a writer at the age of 34 31 years ago.
– I am much less afraid now, she says about how life has changed since then.
– I don’t like getting older. It’s uncomfortable. My body is ailing, and there is much that is too late for me now. BUT: The fact that I know that there is much less left of life than what is behind me, in a way makes me appreciate things more, she says and adds with extra emphasis:
– Much more price for things! I am generally more satisfied, more grateful, more happy now.
She says that she benefited from separating from her wife – purely professionally: Tine Kjær is publishing director at Holt’s former publishing house Cappelen Damm – and the two also started a publishing house together in their time.
– I really enjoyed coming to Gyldendal. I see now that it was better for me not to be at the same publishing house as Tine. We are much more comfortable at home now.
When Holt published “The eleventh script” in 2021, she unleashed the crime hero Hanne Wilhelmsen again after an eight-year hiatus. The book received a roll of the dice 6 in VG – and was also nominated for the Riverton prize.
– It has been absolutely fantastic to write about Hanne Wilhelmsen again. And I wouldn’t have done that without the pandemic. Three weeks into the pandemic, I started enjoying myself a lot. It was wonderful to be home with the family. And when Tine said she knew of someone else who had liked this, namely Hanne Wilhelmsen, then it was done.
– It was a welcome meeting for me. I’ve gotten under her skin more, and she under my skin. I let the characters live more of their own lives now, I’m not so anxious that things won’t go well.
New Hanne Wilhelmsen series
Pål Sverre Hagen and Ida Engvoll play the main roles in the new TV series “Blindspor”, which is based on Anne Holt’s novel “1222 over the sea”. Photo: Johan Paulin
And now Hanne Wilhelmsen gets a new life on the TV screen: In February, VG wrote that the Swedish “Love and Anarchy” star Ida Engvoll (38) will play the crime hero in a new major Amazon Prime investment – in which also Norwegian Pål Sverre Hagen ( 43) has a major role.
At the time, there was a lot of secrecy – and Holt couldn’t comment. She can now:
– It is very liberating to finally be able to talk about this. I am extremely happy with what is happening.
– I have to admit that I got tears in my eyes when I met Hanne Wilhelmsen, i.e. Ida Engvoll. It was a touching moment. Engvoll is simply fantastic in the role, says Anne Holt.
The new series is entitled “Blindspor” and is based on the book “1222 over the sea” – and will be on Amazon Prime in 2025.