Maj Sjöwall

Swedish journalist and author

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July 13, 2026

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Maj Sjöwall was a Swedish journalist and author, best known for her collaboration with her husband, Per Wahlöö. Together, they wrote a series of 10 detective novels featuring Martin Beck and his colleagues in Stockholm.1

Their works, such as Roseanna (1965) and The Terrorists (1975), were translated into many languages. While bearing similarities to authors like Georges Simenon and Ed McBain in their psychological characterization and focus on a police collective, Sjöwall and Wahlöö distinguished themselves by using the detective genre for social criticism. They explored the Swedish welfare state, highlighting abuses of power and propaganda. Following Wahlöö's death in 1975, Sjöwall did not publish further stories in the series.1

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Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
…Per Wahlöö and his wife, Maj Sjöwall (married in 1962), wrote a series of detective stories in which Martin Beck and his colleagues at the Central Bureau of Investigation in Stockholm were the main characters. From Roseanna (1965) to Terroristerna (1975; “The Terrorists”), the series consists of 10 novels, all…
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…Per Wahlöö and his wife, Maj Sjöwall (married in 1962), wrote a series of detective stories in which Martin Beck and his colleagues at the Central Bureau of Investigation in Stockholm were the main characters. From Roseanna (1965) to Terroristerna (1975; “The Terrorists”), the series consists of 10 novels, all…
Read More