Make no mistake, Scandinavian literature is booming. Whether it's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's meteoric rise to the Hollywood silver screen, international bestselling wood pile guide Norwegian Wood or the Jo Nesbo's award-winning Harry Hole saga, it's safe to say we can't get enough of it.
Because Of You
Their global reach has placed the spotlight on the region's traditional genres such 'Scandi' and Denmark's 'hygee' as eager bookworms continually root out undiscovered treasures.
However, while these terms are perhaps relatively new to many UK readers, the popularity of Scandinavian authors has been steadily growing for decades.
We have an impressive cultural heritage. Legends such as Ingmar Bergman, Wilhelm Moberg and the poet Karin Boye, whose poems I refer to in my novels, are combined with new authors and artists being discovered by new generations looking to expand their repertoire.
The internet has played a huge role in this success. It has enabled readers from across the world to have even the most obscure and rare literature at their fingertips within minutes, while also making it easier to instantly translate text from one language to another. Many Scandinavian authors have been discovered by readers who seek something a little of different from their books.
Rather than following trends, Scandi authors write in their own unique voice and style to a greater extent. We typically avoid the superficial attributed that are so common nowadays. Perhaps it's the long dark winter months that inspire to deep thoughts and a morally complex narrative and plot.
Growing up in Sweden, I love to curl up with a good book and feel cosy in front of a fireplace or with close family and friends - and it seems I am not alone.
Hygee - or as Swedes refer to it 'mysig' - means 'cosy'. Swedes love 'fika' - meaning coffee break - in much the same way as British people enjoy visiting the pub.
I wrote Because of You because I've yet to discover in a bookseller. I'm inspired by a variety of authors, mainly Scandinavian such as Kristina Ohlsson and Maria Scherer, but I am very much my own woman. To me, everything I write has to connect with the characters and plot.
It's perhaps this dogged determination to be creatively unique and avoid the pitfalls of the latest fads that ultimately sets Scandinavian authors apart from other regions.
Scandinavia might be a newcomer on the UK literary scene, but it's growing popularity with readers looks set to continue for many years to come.
Because Of You by Hélene Fermont (Fridhem Publishing) is released on August 15, priced £9.99 in paperback and £3.99 as an eBook. Visit www.HeleneFermont.com.