Fun Facts Friday: Stieg Larsson

On t his day, Swedish author Karl Stig-Erland “Stieg” Larsson (15 August, 1954 – 9 November, 2004) passed away before he could witness his books becoming an international phenomena.

Books by Stieg Larsson

1) Larsson lived with his grandparents Skelleftehamm in N. Sweden while his parents moved to Stockholm to pursue better job opportunities. Larsson joined his parents and brother in the early 60s.

2) According to Gabrielsson, Larsson set most of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in northern Sweden because that’s where he spend his childhood (Gabrielsson calls the area the “godforsaken places at the back of beyond”).

3) Larsson worked as a graphic designer and an investigative journalist focusing on right-wing extremists.

4) While on vacation with his companion, Eva Gabrielsson, Larsson started writing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He completed the manuscripts for what would eventually become the Millennium Trilogy over the next 3 years later.

5) The original title for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was Men Who Hate Women (Man Som Hatar Kvinnor).

6) A month after he submitted the manuscripts to a Swedish publisher Stieg Larsson – age 50 – a notorious junk food fanatic and heavy smoker, died of a massive heart attack climbing the stairs to his office when an elevator broke.

7) The collaboration, if any, of Gabrielsson and Larsson on the books is unknown.

8) Larsson did not make out a will and his estate, including the copyrights of his books, went to his father and younger brother instead of Gabrielsson, his partner for 30 years. A legal battle is still ensuing.

9) Gabrielsson does have Larsson’s laptop which supposedly contains hundreds of page for a fourth novel.

10) In 2008 Larsson was the second best-selling author in the world (right behind Khaled Hosseini).

Books by Stieg Larsson

Zohar – Man of la Book