Jo Nesbø played football for Norway’s premier league team Modle, but his dream of playing professionally for Spurs was dashed when he tore crucial ligaments in his knee at the age of eighteen. After three years military service he attended business school and formed the band Di derre (Them There). Their second album topped the charts in Norway, but he continued working as a financial analyst, crunching numbers during the day and gigging at night. When commissioned by a publisher to write a memoir about life on the road with his band, he instead came up with the plot for his first Harry Hole crime novel, The Bat. He is regarded as one of Europe’s leading crime writers, with both The Leopard and Phantom topping the UK bestseller charts, and his novels are published in 40 countries.
Jo Nesbø played football for Norway’s premier league team Modle, but his dream of playing professionally for Spurs was dashed when he tore crucial ligaments in his knee at the age of eighteen. After three years military service he attended business school and formed the band Di derre (Them There). Their second album topped the charts in Norway, but he continued working as a financial analyst, crunching numbers during the day and gigging at night. When commissioned by a publisher to write a memoir about life on the road with his band, he instead came up with the plot for his first Harry Hole crime novel, The Bat. He is regarded as one of Europe’s leading crime writers, with both The Leopard and Phantom topping the UK bestseller charts, and his novels are published in 40 countries.
Q&A Session with 2026 Dublin Literary Award shortlisted author Brigitte Giraud, author of Live Fast, exploring the inspirations behind her novel.
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Ali Smith – Gliff Q&A
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