Camilla Läckberg: Queen of everything

Camilla Läckberg: Queen of everything

by marlies|dekkers

With over 24 million copies of her crime novels sold in more than 60 countries (outselling even Stieg Larsson in her native Sweden), Camilla Läckberg is often hailed as ‘the New Queen of Crime’. But with her sexy, bold and unapologetic lifestyle, she also reminds me of another Swedish icon who doesn’t live by anyone’s rules but her own: Pipi Longstocking. “I’m not afraid to dream big.”

Marlies: Camilla, it’s so good to speak with you; I just love your work.

Camilla: Oh, it makes me so happy to hear that! And you already know I love your work, so…

Marlies: Yes, I have the picture to prove it! But more about that later. My muse for this season reminds me a lot of you: Agatha Christie.

Camilla: Thank you! What a lovely, lovely choice. I was about seven when I first found Death on the Nile on my father’s bookshelves and I instantly became addicted! There’s something about Agatha’s writing style; she keeps you wondering until the very last page. On top of that, she was this very cool, independent woman.

Marlies: You are often called ‘the Swedish Agatha Christie’. In what ways has Agatha influenced you?

Camilla: She basically created her own genre of crime story, in which she introduces you to a set number of characters, then makes a murder happen which voilá! – turns each of the characters into a suspect. I think the key to my success has been combining this classical crime setup with modern elements. Agatha also used a lot of ‘red herrings’, or false clues, and I love doing that as well!

Marlies:[Laughs] I know you do; I fell for it a few times! I grew up with a mother who loved detectives, I myself binge watch Scandinavian crime series and now my daughter is obsessed with anything serial killer related. Why are women so attracted to stories about crime?

Camilla: I think for women, it’s not so much about the murders themselves as it is about the relationships that led to these killings: why do people kill each other? In real life, nine out of ten murders are committed by someone in your close proximity. Going by that statistic, the most dangerous place to be is in your own home! That surely sharpens women’s interest in relationships.

Marlies: It makes us feel prepared for the worst, somehow. But I think our fascination with crime goes deeper than that.

Camilla: Yes, it’s an important way for us to deal with our fears. During the Stone Age we already sat around the campfire telling stories about monsters and ghosts. Crime stories are our modern-day ghost stories. They help us cope with the uncertainties of the world we live in today. Plus, what scares us, often attracts us. Like when you drive past a car accident, you really don’t want to look, but you end up looking anyway.

Marlies: So true! You trained and worked as an economist. What made you fall in love with writing?

Camilla: Becoming a writer has actually been my dream ever since I was a little girl. As an economist, I was doing a great job but I felt like dying inside. Because it wasn’t what I was supposed to do. Then, at 25, I took a writing course and finally believed that yes! – I could write a book.

Marlies: Do you have any special writing rituals?

Camilla: Sorry, no special pen or lucky underwear. [Laughs] Instead, I treat writing like going to the office. People who don’t have a creative job seem to think I just sit there all day, staring out of my window, drinking tea. But this is a real job. A wonderful job, but just like a bus driver, I can’t decide in the morning that I just don’t feel like going to work. I have to show up every day. Then again, I’m a great procrastinator. When I have a deadline, my house suddenly looks neat and tidy because I’m very good at finding excuses!

Marlies: With four children, I assume you have to be extra organized.

Camilla: Yes, with four children and three dads it does get complicated, so while one part is being organized, the other part is knowing what to let go. Believe me, my household is far from perfect. I’m the type of mother who sometimes forgets to go to parent meetings or pack my kids’ gym clothes, but you know what? I’m great at other stuff: loving them and giving them attention. So, I forgive myself for the things that I don’t do.

Marlies: I can relate 100%. All the recent fantastic TV series with strong female leads have played a huge part in the latest feminist wave. I have been watching them obsessively, but in preparation for this interview, I decided to check out Swedish police series Beck. Well, it happened to feature a male main character, and let me tell you: I was so bored!

Camilla: I know; it’s all guns, no subtleties! Don’t tell my husband I said this, but I think that women, in general, are far more interesting than men. And by now, most of us have gotten bored of the white middle-aged man taking up so much space in TV, literature, life. They had their time and it’s our turn now. It’s like: “Get back in line!”.

Marlies: Absolutely! In traditional detective novels, female characters used to be very one dimensional; a woman was either a vamp or a victim. One thing I love about Agatha Christie is that she gave her women complexity and realness and even a certain amount of darkness.

Camilla: I think we can only achieve equality if we stop forcing this saint-like status on women. We’re not Madonnas, but we’re not whores either. We’re human; we have a bit of both in us. I love this quote by a famous Swedish CEO: “We won’ reach true equality until there are as many incompetent women as incompetent men in our board rooms”.

Marlies: When I received the Dutch ‘Businesswoman of the Year’ award, someone said in a speech: “We are so proud of the fact that none of the Businesswomen of the Year have gone bankrupt”. To which I replied: “That’s actually quite limiting. Because how can we be equal to men, if we are not allowed to fail?”. Speaking of taking risks, you are not afraid to see yourself as a brand, and you have done a lot of things that go against the stereotype of the introverted writer, locked in their study. Dancing with the Stars, for example. How was that?

Camilla: Oh my god, that was the most fun thing I have ever done in my entire life! It was crazy! And the outfits; they just kept getting smaller and smaller every week!

Marlies: And then there was that amazing picture of you, heavily pregnant, wearing my Dame de Paris bra.

Camilla: Oh, I love that bra, it’s absolutely amazing! I think the female body is so beautiful, especially when it’s pregnant. I really wanted to celebrate that. However, the photographer, who is a friend of mine, is very gay so he kept saying things like: “Could you move to the side a bit, I can’t see your husband properly!”. [both laugh] Recently, I posed for a special calendar in a leather corset and fishnet stockings, while sitting in a Game of Thrones-type chair, surrounded by two wolfdogs. I’m sure that will spark another controversy! With my background in marketing it is natural for me to be thinking in terms of marketing and PR; it has never conflicted with my creative side.

Marlies: What role does social media play in your work and life? Do you believe it can bring out a very dark side in people and how do you deal with that?

Camilla: Social media in itself isn’t good or bad, it’s a tool that depends on the person handling it. Take a knife, for instance. In the hand of one person it could be used to kill someone, in the hand of another it could be used to save a life, during surgery for example. It’s not the knife that is good or bad, it’s the person holding the knife. And the same goes for social media. We can use it for good things or bad things; it’s a choice.

Marlies: Such a beautiful, philosophical way to look at it. Ultimately, what is your main drive in life?

Camilla: I believe that anything is possible if you work hard enough. Sometimes, I get a crazy idea. At some level, I think: “Oh, that sounds really difficult and hard. Can I really do that?”. But another part of me tells me: “If I work hard enough it is possible!”. And if I don’t go for it, I will have given up before I even started, so I’m dreaming big and working hard for those dreams. That is my main drive.

Marlies: The perfect ending to an incredibly fun and inspiring conversation. Thank you, Camilla!

Go to www.camillalackberg.com to read more about the New Queen of Crime and her books.

 

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