Per Hagman, a Swedish writer and playwright, made his literary debut in 1991 with his cult novel Cigarett. It’s a story about Johan, a waiter navigating the vibrant nightlife of Stockholm. It quickly became recognised as a generational book and continues to captivate new readers more than three decades later.

His second novel, Pool (1993), is set on the French Riviera, where Johan makes a living as a lover to a retired film star. The book was adapted into a feature film in 2020.

In 2004, Hagman reached a new milestone with Att komma hem ska vara en schlager, a critically acclaimed autobiographical novel that solidified his reputation as a singular voice in contemporary Swedish literature.

His most recent book, Johannes och du (Johannes and You), was published by Albert Bonniers Förlag in 2024.

In addition to his writing career, Per Hagman has experience of a wide range of professions, having worked in restaurants, as a translator, and as a DJ. These varied experiences are often reflected in his literary work, known for its authenticity.

After extended periods living abroad and time spent on the plains of Västergötland and the island of Marstrand, he is now based in Stockholm.

Agent: Elin Sandström Lundh

Published
September 2024, Albert Bonniers Förlag

Rights sold
All rights available

The Johannes neighbourhood is a place where different worlds meet. Up by the church, people live in affluence; in the other direction, considerably more shady activities take place. A stone’s throw to the west lies the spot where Olof Palme was murdered.

A newly arrived writer moves between these two worlds, and together with his young daughter, he rediscovers the city. Johannes and You is a book about a neighbourhood and a little girl, but also about a father who remembers his own parents and his childhood. It is a novel in which the modern city is viewed through Per Hagman’s unmistakable lens, and the first novel since his literary debut to be set exclusively in Stockholm.