Sven Elvestad

Sven Elvestad, who also wrote under the pseudonym Stein Riverton, was one of Norway’s greatest crime writers. A journalist by training, he was the first foreign journalist to interview Adolf Hitler and was famous for stunts such as spending a day in a circus lion’s cage. His first novel was published in 1907 and he went on to write nearly a hundred novels, many featuring detective Asbjørn Krag. Only a few of his works have ever been translated into English, despite enjoying widespread success across Europe. Norway’s yearly Riverton prize for the best crime novel is named after him.