Guide to Fredrik Backman Books In Order (Including His 2025 Release)

We will read anything Fredrik Backman writes, and we enthusiastically encourage everyone else to do the same! We were first introduced to Backman by way of Beartown, and since that time, we’ve read our way through his backlist, eagerly awaited each new release, and discovered his talent for short stories. Recently, we even traveled all the way across the country to hear him speak. We found him just as endearing and emotionally vulnerable in person as we expected based on his characters, and we now love him more than ever.

Table of Contents

• Fredrik Backman – Master Storyteller
• Fredrik Backman Books in Order of Publication
• Printable List of Fredrik Backman Books
• Synopsis of Fredrik Backman Novels
• Fredrik Backman’s New Book 2025
• The Beartown Trilogy
• Short Stories by Fredrik Backman
• Non-Fiction by Fredrik Backman
• Fredrik Backman Movie & TV Series Adaptations
• Does Fredrik Backman Write in Swedish or English?
• Other Author Guides You May Enjoy

Full Table of ContentsShow Less

Whether you are already a fan of Backman’s writing or just discovering his novels for the first time, we think you’ll find this guide helpful! Below, you’ll find a synopsis of each of his books in order of publication, including the new 2025 release.

We cover which books are part of a series, which have connecting characters, and include some interesting insights that we learned directly from Backman himself. At the end of the post, we also answer some common questions, including how his books are translated and which have been adapted for the screen.

Fredrik Backman – Master Storyteller

While Backman sits at the top of our list of favorite authors, he considers himself more of a storyteller. When we attended an event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to hear Backman talk about his newest release, My Friends, he described what he sees as the difference between authors and storytellers, and said that he views himself as the latter. He explained that, while there are authors more proficient at the technical craft of writing, he wants reading one of his books to feel like he’s telling you a story in an airport bar.

When recommending Backman’s books over the years, we have explained that his writing style may initially seem stream of consciousness and, at times, you may even feel like you don’t understand what it’s about or where it’s going. We’ve always advised that once you pick up one of his books, you should be prepared to just keep reading and trust the journey that he’ll take you on. So imagine how hard we laughed when, at the event in Lancaster, he described his writing process as “chaos, chaos, chaos, book.”

Once you join Backman on his storytelling journey, you’ll soon discover his immense talent for crafting characters and stories that will stick with you long after you’ve read the final page. He told the audience in Lancaster that he spends a lot of time observing people and that “it takes 20 real people to build one good character” in his mind. He also explained that once he gives a character a trait from someone he knows, he must then defend that character. That perfectly correlates to the observation we’ve always made that he writes characters in such a way that even when you disagree with their decisions, you’ll still understand what they were thinking.

Fredrik Backman Books in Order of Publication

The years listed reflect the original publication dates of each book. Historically, Backman’s books were published first in Sweden, and then later in the US. The recent release of his latest novel, My Friends, is the first time that one of his books has been released in the US before its Swedish release.

The three books that make up the Beartown trilogy are indicated with asterisks. And Backman’s novellas and non-fiction are noted as such.

• A Man Called Ove (2012) – Full-Length Novel
• Things My Son Needs to Know About the World (2012) – Non-Fiction
• My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry (2013) – Full-Length Novel
• Britt-Marie Was Here (2014) – Full-Length Novel
• And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer (2015) – Novella
• Beartown* (2016) – Full-Length Novel / Trilogy
• Us Against You* (2017) – Full-Length Novel / Trilogy
• The Deal of a Lifetime (2017) – Novella
• Anxious People (2019) – Full-Length Novel
• The Winners* (2022) – Full-Length Novel / Trilogy
• The Answer is No (2024) – Novella
• My Friends (2025) – Full-Length Novel

Printable List of Fredrik Backman Books

Looking for a printable version of this chronological book list? Our Buy Me a Coffee members have access to a cute printable book tracker featuring the covers of all his books, including his 2025 release, My Friends. Join our membership site today for instant access to your copy, along with some other fun perks!

Synopsis of Fredrik Backman Novels

Below is a full synopsis of each of Backman’s novels in order of publication, beginning with his 2012 debut, A Man Called Ove. Be sure to read the “Book Girls Say” section below each synopsis for interesting insights that we learned when we heard Backman speak.

Contemporary Fiction

A Man Called Ove

Publication Date:

08/27/2012

Setting:

Sweden

Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book

4.5 out of 5
100% Would Recommend to a Friend

Book Summary

Ove (pronounced Oo-veh) is a nearly 60-year-old Swedish man. He’s an ill-tempered, cynical protagonist who doesn’t like change… or anything or anyone, for that matter. He’s living a solitary life until a boisterous young family moves in next door. Not only do they break all the residents’ association rules (something Ove can not tolerate), but their chatty young daughters disrupt his strict routines.

It’s hard to say too much more about this book without giving anything away. But know that this novel is at equal turns frustrating, charming, insightful, touching, and hilarious.

The Book Girls Say…

Like many of Backman’s books, this novel starts out a bit slower, and it takes time for him to develop the characters and draw you in. But we promise that it’s so worth it to stick with this book. Despite Ove’s curmudgeonly nature, you’ll find yourself falling in love with this grumpy man as you get to know him better. By the end, it’s a heartwarming story that will stick with you for years to come.

Note that this book includes Ove’s thoughts of suicide, which could be difficult for some people to read. Some readers also take issue with Ove’s treatment of the neighborhood cat early in the book.

This book was adapted into a 2016 Swedish film of the same name, and a 2023 American film, starring Tom Hanks, called A Man Called Otto.

Kindle Unlimited as of: 05/22/2025

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Heart-Warming Fiction

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry

Publication Date:

08/30/2013

Setting:

Sweden

Book Girls’ Readers Rate This Book

4.1 out of 5
95% Would Recommend to a Friend

Book Summary

Seven-year-old Elsa and her 77-year-old grandmother are both a bit different. But Elsa is safe and happy when she’s able to retreat into her grandmother’s stories where the characters don’t have to be “normal.”

When Elsa’s grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa’s greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother’s instructions lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and old crones, but also to the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.

The Book Girls Say…

Unlike the author’s other works, this novel contains fantasy elements through the fairytale stories.

Reading Order Tip: Elsa runs into a character from one of Backman’s other books, Britt-Marie! Some readers suggest reading this novel before Britt-Marie was Here because, while the stories read as stand-alones, Britt-Marie’s story picks up where this story leaves off.

Kindle Unlimited as of: 05/22/2025

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Also Featured on These Book Lists:

Books with a Child Protagonist (Bildungsroman Novels)

Fredrik Backman’s New Book: 2025

Literary Fiction

My Friends

Publication Date:

05/06/2025

Setting:

Sweden

Book Summary

When looking at one of the most famous paintings in the world, it’s easy to miss the three tiny figures in the corner at the far end of the pier. You might even think they’re just part of the sea. But 18-year-old Louisa, an artist herself, noticed them. The painting has unexpectedly been bequeathed to her, and she’s determined to find out the story behind the enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years ago, a group of teenagers spent their days hanging out and laughing on the pier to escape their difficult lives at home. Joar never backs down from a fight. Bookish Ted is mourning his father. Ali’s dad never stays in place for long. And then there is the boy who hoards sleeping pills and doesn’t want too much attention, but who has an extraordinary talent for art.

Louisa sets out on a cross-country journey to learn more about the work of art. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more she feels compelled to unleash her artistic spirit.

The Book Girls Say…

While attending Backman’s book tour for My Friends, we learned that he nearly retired before completing this novel. His first draft was deemed too dark, but his wife encouraged him to push through and find hope and redemption in the story, not for the sake of publishing the book, but for himself. He then wrote a second, lighter story that he layered on top, creating a story within a story.

Backman says, “If you’re crying when you read it, it’s because I was crying when I wrote it.”

He describes this as a book about the last summer of childhood – that last summer of innocence before you know too much about the world. He also knew early on that he wanted art to be a theme in the book. He confessed that he doesn’t know much about art, but he loves the way his wife sees art, so he chose to step back and tell the story from the perspective of a person watching a person look at art.

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The Beartown Trilogy

As noted above, three of Backman’s books were written as a trilogy – Beartown, Us Against You, and The Winners. These books are meant to be read in order, and because of the complexity of the characters and the events, we highly recommend reading each subsequent book while the prior books are fresh in your mind.

We’ve always wondered whether Backman intended to write a three-book series or whether he decided to continue the story following the popularity of the first Beartown book. When we attended his author event in Lancaster, we got the answer. Backman revealed that not only did he set out to write three books, but he also knew from the very start how the final book would end.

Short Stories by Fredrik Backman

In addition to his highly-rated novels, Backman has also published several novella-length stories.

Literary Novella

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

Publication Date:

08/24/2015

Setting:

Sweden

Book Summary

This novella paints a portrait of an elderly man whose memory is slipping away, and of his family who is caring for him while also preparing to let go.

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Epistolary Novella

The Deal of a Lifetime

Publication Date:

10/31/2017

Setting:

Sweden

Book Summary

This short novella is written in the form of a letter from a successful but emotionally distant businessman to the son he hasn’t seen in years. As he lies in his hospital room, he writes about the five-year-old girl in the room next door who is also suffering from cancer.

As the man confronts the choices that shaped his own life – including his pursuit of happiness at the expense of personal relationships – he is given a chance at redemption.

The Book Girls Say…

This novella is sometimes categorized as a holiday story because the letter is written to his son on Christmas Eve, but readers say it does not have holiday vibes. While Christmas Eve provides a backdrop for the narrative, the letter reflects on past events that did not occur during the holidays.

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Contemporary Novella

The Answer is No

Publication Date:

12/01/2024

Setting:

Apartment building in Sweden

Book Summary

Lucas is very happy living his solitary life. In fact, he very much prefers it that way. His life is perfect with just his video games and his favorite pad thai delivery. He is certain that the key to his happiness is the lack of other people, and he’s perfected his ability to say “no” to anything that might disrupt his peaceful existence.

That is why he knows that nothing good can come of it when three people from the apartment board show up at his door one day. Despite his best efforts to stay uninvolved in the drama unfolding in his building, people just keep showing up.

The Book Girls Say…

This short novella had us hooked from the first page. We love Backman’s writing style, his humor, and most of all his ability to draw such vivid characters even in a short 68 pages.

Any reader who follows Fredrik Backman on social media (or who has watched the viral speech he gave at Simon & Schuster’s 100-Year Celebration) will immediately see a reflection of the very introverted author in his main character, Lucas. For us, this made the story that much more endearing.

Kindle Unlimited as of: 05/22/2025

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Non-Fiction by Fredrik Backman

Memoir

Things My Son Needs to Know About the World

Publication Date:

08/27/2012

Setting:

Sweden

Book Summary

In this humorous non-fiction, published the same year as his debut novel, Fredrik Backman reflects on the daunting experience of fatherhood. He shares stories from the front lines, from wonderful highs to sleep-deprived lows.

In true Backman style, he never shies away from admitting his own missteps and flaws, while beautifully conveying the awe that comes with experiencing all the “firsts” that fill parents with wonder.

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Fredrik Backman Movie & TV Series Adaptations

Backman’s debut novel, A Man Called Ove, was adapted into a 2016 Swedish film of the same name, and a 2023 American film, starring Tom Hanks, called A Man Called Otto. While some loyal Backman readers were upset that Ove’s name was changed to Otto, and that the story was reset in Pennsylvania for the in the American film adaptation, these changes were made in collaboration with Backman and his wife with the aim of making the film more accessible to American audiences.

Britt-Marie Was Here was adapted into a 2019 Swedish film of the same name, which had a limited, subtitled release in US theaters, and is now available for streaming.

Backman’s popular Beartown was developed into a five-episode television series that premiered in 2020 on HBO Nordic. The Swedish tv series was made available to American audiences on HBO Max in 2021, but was later removed due to licensing agreement changes. In the past, it was also available via Apple TV and Prime Video, but at present, we are unable to find anywhere that it can be streamed in the US.

Finally, Anxious People was adapted into a six-part Swedish television series in 2021, which is available for streaming on Netflix. An American movie adaptation is also in the works, which will star Angelina Jolie in the role of Zara. This movie is being written and directed by the same team that collaborated on A Man Called Otto, and is slated to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival where domestic and international distributors will be sought. Fingers crossed that it will make its way to US theaters or streaming services soon.

Does Fredrik Backman Write in Swedish or English?

One of our favorite things about Backman’s writing is his lyric phrasing and gift for language, which is especially noteworthy given that he writes in Swedish and his books are later translated into English. “I always write in Swedish because I think in Swedish,” he explained at the event we attended. But he also acknowledged the challenge: “Language is melody and song, and the melody in English is different from the melody in Swedish.”

While many translated books seem to lose some nuance, this is not the case with Backman’s novels because he takes such a hands-on approach to ensure that the stories we read in English have the same “feeling” as the original Swedish version. “Language is a rhythm,” he says. “A joke works in a certain way because there is a certain rhythm, so if you move one word, the joke doesn’t work anymore.” To preserve that rhythm, he collaborates closely with his American editor on everything from word choice to syntax and grammar, ensuring that the English versions reflect his original voice.

Typically, Backman’s books are fully edited in Swedish before being translated into English, and then he works with his American team on making necessary adjustments to the flow of the language. With My Friends, however, he completed a draft in Swedish, then that draft was translated and the full editing process was completed in English. Backman jokes that this may have been a bad idea that caused his American editor to age twenty years, but it also means that we American readers get the chance to enjoy the book before anyone else.