CASSANDRA BRUNSTEDT
Cassandra Brunstedt (b. 1987) is a Swedish journalist and author. Her career has included various roles such as editor, editor-in-chief, and CEO for magazines like ELLE Decoration, ELLE Food & Wine, and Metro Mode.
Cassandra's professional path took an interesting turn during an extended stay in India, where she trained as a yoga teacher and later studied to become a holistic coach – a reflection of her commitment to health, well-being, and personal development.
These themes are reflected in her acclaimed debut novel, One-Way Ticket to India, which quickly gained recognition with a nomination for the Adlibris Prize and a finalist position in the 2022 Feelgood of the Year awards. Her sequel, Round Trip to Happy Street, has also received significant appreciation and a nomination for the 2023 Adlibris Prize.
In the fall of 2023, Cassandra made her non-fiction debut with The Happiness Manual – 11 Steps to a Happier Life, co-authored with Therésia Franklin. Her two latest novels are Between Heaven and Here (2025) and Under the Same Sun (2026), with foreign rights sold to several countries.
Agents: Moa Alfvén &
Martina Österling
WORKS
Under the Same Sun
After her mother’s death, Ronja loses her footing. She sleeps poorly, her daily life blurs, and wine has become more of a habit than a pleasure. But right in the middle of Majlis’ funeral, an unexpected letter arrives — not a farewell, but an invitation Ronja doesn’t feel ready for at all.
Yet there she sits, on the plane heading south. Only to realise upon arrival that she is not alone. Majlis’ outspoken neighbour and friend, Sivan, has received the same invitation. To Italy, and the old stone house nestled among the rolling hills of Tuscany. The journey they were supposed to take together, but which never happened, turns out to be Majlis’ secret legacy.
Together, they begin to suspect that she has left behind not just a void — but also a final story waiting to be experienced.
Under the Same Sun is a standalone sequel to the acclaimed novel Between Heaven and Here, winner of the 2025 Feelgood of the Year award.
PUBLISHED PRINTZ PUBLISHING, 2026
genre FICTION
PAGES 321
RIGHTS SOLD
Danish: Cicero Gyldendal
icelandic: Sogur Utgafa
Norwegian: Gyldendal Norsk
REVIEWS
"Brunstedt skilfully captures, through language and style, how people cope with grief in different ways and just how strong the bond with a mother can be. 5 out of 5, overall rating: Brilliant.”
- Bibliotekstjänst
Between Heaven and Here
PUBLISHED PRINTZ PUBLISHING, 2025
genre FICTION
PAGES 442
RIGHTS SOLD
Danish: Cicero Gyldendal
GERMAN: DROEMER KNAUR
icelandic: Sogur Utgafa
NORWEGIAN: GYLDENDAL NOrsk
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS Feelgoodfestivalen– Årets feelgoodroman 2025
Storytel awards 2026 – best feelgood
MAJLIS HAS EIGHT MONTHS LEFT TO LIVE ...
“Finally” might not be the best word to describe it, because truthfully, she doesn’t want to die — especially now that her daughter Ronja is expecting her first child, making Majlis a grandmother for the first time. She didn’t think her life, nor her retirement, would end like this. But despite it all, she knows this is how it must be.
When Ronja, freshly postpartum, calls to say she’s kicked out her cheating husband, everything changes. After a lifetime in the deep forests of northern Sweden, Majlis finds herself moving south to Ronja’s chaotic home in Stockholm. But how can she convince her daughter to accept her decision? And what happens when the end Majlis envisioned begins to take an unexpected turn?
Between Heaven and Here is a heartfelt novel about the things we can’t control, and the surprises life throws our way when we least expect it. Above all, it’s a story about embracing life in all its unexpected forms — because sometimes, just when we think the story is ending, it’s only just beginning.
The Happiness Manual – 11 Steps to a Happier Life
co-authored with Théresia Franklin
PUBLISHED LB Förlag, 2023
genre NON-FICTION / SELF HELP
PAGES 248
RIGHTS SOLD
ALL RIGHTS AVAILABLE
What does it really mean to be happy? Is it even possible nowadays? And if one is not happy – can one become happy? In a time when choices multiply, stress increases, and it feels like there’s no room for what truly matters in life, the authors have begun to contemplate these questions more and more.
In The Happiness Manual, Cassandra and Théresia — two entirely ordinary, moderately stressed, and at times quite worn-out mothers of small children — delve deep into the mythical concept of happiness. They have ploughed through research reports, absorbed all the advice they could find, interviewed happiness researchers and psychologists, and tested the very latest findings on the subject in their quest for answers. How does one actually become happy?
This book is their very own journey to happiness. A manual for a happier life, where they share the life-changing things they have discovered along the way.
The Ella Frank series
ONE-WAY TICKET TO INDIA
