In The Shadows is the first part of a trilogy.
Last week, I skied through the forest in my quiet village, something I often do to get away from the computer screen. The stillness of the trees usually calms me, but this time, something felt different. Behind me, I heard a sound—perhaps a branch snapping or snow falling from a tree. I turned around but saw nothing. My heart pounded, my nerves were on edge, and my imagination ran wild.
Why was I so nervous? I had just finished reading In The Shadows, a psychological horror novel by Skellefteå author Björn Högdal.
The novel takes readers on a thrilling journey deep into the forests of southern Alaska, where a mysterious and terrifying hunter lurks—something neither human nor animal, but relentless in its pursuit.
In The Shadows is the first novel in Björn’s trilogy. By day, he works as a chef at Köket Söder, and by night, he writes horror stories. As an added twist, Björn chose to write his debut novel in English.
Growing up in a small village in northern Skåne, Björn loved reading Stephen King’s novels and preferred to read them in English rather than Swedish.
Book two will be published in the summer.
–There are so many more words in English to describe something, and depending on the scene or the emotion that needs to be conveyed, it’s often easier to use an English expression. For me, it's much easier to find the right word in English so that it fits better, says Björn.
It’s the details in Björn’s book that make it so captivating to read—while also being utterly terrifying. He wrote the first book in just six months, but the idea had been in his head for years.
Björn's day job is as a chef at Köket Söder.
In fifth grade, Björn had a school project where he was supposed to write a short story, and that was the first time he wrote a chapter in Swedish about the character Logan. (See an excerpt from the book below.)
– I didn’t include the most horrific parts, and my teacher thought it was very impressive. But she was a bit worried about the content it might contain. So she was a little hesitant about talking to my mom about it. But she was really impressed with how it turned out, and since then, she has followed my writing with quite a lot of interest.
I ask Björn what his family thinks now that he has published his first book.
During his childhood in a village in northern Skåne, Björn loved reading Stephen King's novels.
– It felt like my parents didn’t really believe I would get it published, but when they saw it on Amazon, my mom was both impressed and proud. Since the book has a strong psychological horror element, my partner unfortunately can’t handle it, but she’s really happy that people are enjoying it.
Those who read English and love psychological horror can already dive into Björn’s book, but those waiting for a Swedish translation will have to be patient. The second book is planned for release in late summer, and the final part of the trilogy will follow shortly after.
– I’d love to translate the book into Swedish if there’s interest, but translation takes time, and I want to preserve the story’s feeling. Swedish and English express emotions differently, which can affect the tone. But a Swedish version is definitely possible in the future.
Björn Högdal and his daughter, Nova.
The book is set in the forests of southern Alaska.