Johan Ehn

Stories that touch and stay for a long time

Fiction

THE SLEEPER

Not Dead Yet

Children & YA fiction

12 DAYS OF SUMMER

THE HORSE BOYS

Down Under

Rights

Belgium/The Netherlands
Finland
Italy
Norway
Sweden

AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

2024 – The Sleeper – Nominated for the Prisma Literary Prize in the category “Novel of the Year”
2024 – The Horse Boys – Nominated for the Belgian Youth Jury Award
2020 – The Horse Boys – Winner of the Nils Holgersson Plaque
2020 – The Horse Boys – Nominated for the Swedish Audio Award
2020 – The Horse Boys – Nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize
2017 – Down Under – Nominated for the Swedish Audio Award

Storytelling is something Johan Ehn has worked with for a long time. But in a different form than in books. He is an actor, director, play writer and artistic director at the theatre group Teater Barbara.

Johan Ehn made his literary debut with the YA title Down Under. He finds similarities in the two art forms, with both books and plays being about conveying feelings and to touch the reader/viewer. But in completely different ways. The story in Down Under first took form as an autobiographical play, but for various reasons it did not make it to stage. Instead he rewrote the story into a book.

In 2019 Ehn´s novel The Horse Boys was published. It is a love story and takes place alternately in Stockholm today and in 1930’s Berlin, where it follows different generations of boys who like horses. The Horse Boys was nominated to the 2020 Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literary Prize and winner of the Nils Holgersson Plaque 2020.

In 2021 Johan Ehn first literary fiction novel for adults was published, Not Dead Yet.

In 2024 his first novel for children (11+) is published, 12 Days of Summer, almost simultaneously as his second and much anticipted novel for adults, The Sleeper.

Bibliography fiction

2024 – The Sleeper (Den sovande), novel
2021 – Not Dead Yet (Inte död än), novel

Bibliography children & YA fiction

2024 – 12 Days of Summer (Kollokillen), children’s novel (9-12)
2019 – The Horse Boys (Hästpojkarna), YA novel
2017 – Down Under (Down Under), YA novel

Reader’s comments

“I listened to this book last week and it stirred up a lot of emotions! I love how Jim dares to go his own way, I hate that he is so badly treated and, above all, I get a lump in my stomach to know the book is largely autobiographical. I really recommend the book, which is also very well read by the author himself.”

“I almost read the book in a one go, with great enjoyment. You’ve really found a nice tone and good structure on the story, and the book is captivating, touching and brave. I especially like that you let it have such a light basic tone, despite all that Jim is going through. A very strong debut, so just to keep going!”

“Well-written and personal, dramaturgy that increases the interest and keeps you in a grip until the end of the book. A novel as important for adults as for young people. One of the year’s literary highlights!”

“So strong and touching! I’m extraordinary touched after reading, taken by the whole story. Very well written too. The book is a ‘must’ read! Thanks Johan!”