Swedish author triumphs at Palma book show

Organisers of the event, Balearic Fairs and Congresses said yesterday that Larsson's books are selling equally well in both Catalan and Castillian. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” - winner of the prestigious Glass Key award - is reportedly selling the most, followed by “The Girl who Played with Fire,” also by Larsson. In third place is a work by Paolo Giordano, “La Soledad de los Numeros Primos.” Stieg Larsson (1954-2004) was a journalist and writer active in communist politics born outside Skelleftea in Sweden. During 2008, he was the second best selling author of the world, outmustered only by Afghan-American author, Khaled Hosseini. His political convictions, as well as his journalistic experiences, led him to start the Swedish Expo Foundation, similar to the British Searchlight Foundation, established to “expose racist and totalitarian organisations and tendencies.” Larsson quickly became instrumental in documenting and exposing Swedish extreme right racist groups. He died in Stockholm at the age of 50 of a massive heart attack. Rumours that his death was in some way suspicious have been denied.

Fairs and Congresses said that the five percent discount being given to visitors who make purchases at the fair is “going down very well.” A spokesman said the event, which will be running until this coming Sunday, was particularly well attended last weekend. At 7pm today, there will be presentations of translations into Catalan and Castillian of the work by Ibn Amira Al-Mahzumi “The Arab Chronicles of the Conquest of Majorca,” as well as the Balearic University's “Electronic bookshop.”