Mats Strandberg is one of Sweden’s most acclaimed suspense and horror writers, often dubbed “Sweden’s Stephen King”. He writes for adults and children in all formats: books, film, TV, stage and musical.
He is published internationally in many genres. His children’s series Frank the Monster is sold in eighteen territories, his YA fantasy trilogy Engelfors sold to thirty countries, and three of his adult horror novels are published throughout Europe, in the USA and Japan. He has numerous projects developed into film and TV
Frank the Monster
Seven years into his career as a YA and adult writer, Mats Strandberg turned to younger readers with the Frank the Monster trilogy. This just-scary-enough illustrated chapter book series pits a town terrorized by monsters against a warm-hearted boy-turned-werewolf trying to find his pack. Exciting page turners that connect with readers, the books have a burning hot topic embedded—the fear of those who are not like yourself.
• More than 60,000 copies sold in Sweden of Frank the Monster series
• Focus title in all the children’s books clubs in Sweden
• Handed out as a reading gift to all 4th graders in Gothenburg
• Rights sold to 18 territories
• Theater rights sold to Junibacken, the Astrid Lindgren Museum in Stockholm
• Also released in Swedish as a three-book collectors’ edition and with a spin-off novel
The werewolf is the only classic monster I’m not so fond of. Often the beast is a symbol of unbridled and brutish masculinity that breaks out of the veneer of civilization. Instead, in my book, inside a lonely
boy like Frank is a creature who longs for togetherness—and the monster allows that side out. In this story, it is the humans and their fear of the unknown that become the threat. — Mats Strandberg
Mats has been praised for his sharp eye for character and dialogue. His novels are carefully plotted and precisely woven with strong world building. His characters are created with psychological insight;
never purely good or evil but always relatable and believable. He also loves the underdog: often the seemingly week character proves the bravest.
Watch Mats Strandberg introduce the Frank the Monster series.
Mats Strandberg’s background
Mats always loved horror. As a child, he preferred Grimm’s fairytales to the Disney versions. When he was ten years old, he discovered Stephen King and left children’s books to explore vampires, evil clowns and rabid dogs. He devoured these terrifying stories (while breaking out in stress-related hives).
Mats grew up in Fagersta, a small industrial town in Sweden. When he was sixteen, he moved by himself to Stockholm to become a journalist working in newspapers, magazines, television and early social media. He wrote weekly columns for Aftonbladet, Sweden’s largest newspaper, and received Columnist of the Year.
Mats Strandberg’s writing for YA
Mats Strandberg’s first book was published in 2006, and his commercial breakthrough came in 2011 with the YA novel The Circle written with Sara B. Elfgren. Part of the Engelsfors Trilogy, this is an epic story of teenage witches in a small industrial town, chosen to save the world from the apocalypse. An instant critical and commercial success, the series sold to thirty territories. The film version, produced by the father-son team of Benny Andersson (of ABBA fame) and Ludvig Andersson, premiered In 2015. His first YA novel The End (2018) was on the list of best books of the year of 3 newspapers, is sold to 17 territories, and the film rights are on option.
Mats Strandberg’s writing for adults
In 2015, Mats wrote his first horror novel Blood Cruise, set on a cruise ship: in the middle of the cold Baltic Sea, in the middle of the night, there is nowhere to run. His second horror novel, The Home, secured his spot as the master of horror, and his 2021 novel The Conference became a best seller. It is a love letter to the slasher films that Mats grew up with in the 1980s and 1990s, but with characters that are deep and lovingly portrayed.
Awards & Nominations
Night Violets – Winner of the Swedish Storytel Awards 2025 and Enskilda Gymnasiets Litteraturpris 2024
The End – Winner of Storytel Awards 2020, IBBY Honour List
Fire – Winner of the Book Jury Prize and Great Reader’s Prize 2012
The Circle – Winner of the Book Blogger’s Literary Prize, Book Jury Prize, Great Reader’s Prize 2011,
and Icelandic Book Seller’s Award 2012
Half Lives – Winner of Book of the Year, QX 2009
Books published in English
Mats Strandberg has written 16 books for adults, YA and children. The books below are published in English.
2026 The Monster and the Library, children’s horror (Lerner USA)
2026 The Monster and the Clown, children’s horror (Lerner USA)
2026 Frank the Monster, children’s horror (Lerner USA)
2018 The End, YA pre apocalyptic (Arctis USA)
2017 The Home, horror (Jo Fletcher Books UK)
2015 Blood Cruise, horror (Quecrus USA, Jo Fletcher Books UK)
2013 The Key, YA fantasy with Sara B. Elfgren (Random House UK / The Overlook Press USA)
2012 Fire, YA fantasy with Sara B. Elfgren (Random House UK / The Overlook Press USA)
2011 The Circle, YA fantasy with Sara B. Elfgren (Random House UK / The Overlook Press USA)
Film
The Circle (RMV film) directed by Levan Akin, three Guldbagge awards
The Conference (SF Studios and Netflix ) the most streamed film on Netflix worldwide for four days after release (according to Flixpatrol), winner of Guldbagge award
The Home ([sic films]) feature film that premiered on SWSX 2025
Blood Cruise (Imaginarium UK and Northern Fable) TV-series to be broadcasted on CBS and SVT in Sweden 2025
In development for screen adaptations: The End and Salaligan