Death is never very pretty.

- Maj Sjowall

We wanted to describe society from our left point of view. Per had written political books, but they'd only sold 300 copies. We realised that people …

- Maj Sjowall

Sweden is a small country, and a Swedish writer can barely make a living as an author. We were able to quit our jobs as journalists only after we had…

- Maj Sjowall

People read more mysteries than they do political pamphlets.

- Maj Sjowall

When I was 11, I realised that I did not have to live the life my mother had: school, marriage, children, apartment, summer house.

- Maj Sjowall

Yes, think what a lot of nonsense one can figure out with plenty of time. Brooding is the mother of ineffectiveness.

- Maj Sjowall

You get tough when you grow up unloved. People described me as a boyish girl - rather shy, but I didn't show it. I had an attitude. I was rather wild…

- Maj Sjowall

We always had money problems. Sometimes I would lie awake at night wondering how to pay the rent.

- Maj Sjowall

I like Jo Nesbo and Hakan Nesser. There are so many good books in the world. I don't want to spend time reading bad crime novels.

- Maj Sjowall