Johanna Nilsson wrote her first book while she was still in high school, and when she made her debut a few years later with the novel She goes through the Frame and out of the Picture, she had an immediate breakthrough. The novel was partially autobiographical and scenes of bullying and being an outsider brought her great attention. Since then, she’s written a number of novels as well as novels for young adults.

Her next big breakthrough was winning the Pär Westberg prize in 2005 for Loved ones on the edge. This prize is given by the publisher Walström & Widstrand. The same year, she won the Gustav Fröding scholarship from the student union of Uppsala University, and the Karin Boye prize. She won the Stockholm Reader Prize in 2006 for the best novel set in Stockholm.

2017 her first audiobook about Summer Karlsson was published at Storytel. Genre is her own special existential feelgood. The serie about Summer Karsson became a great success and has been translated to many languages. The same year Johanna’s Young Adult Novel To Awaken the Dreamer was nominated for the August Prize.

In 2020 the first season in the series about The Widow’s Funeral Home was published by Storytel. The book is translated to english and sold to 25 countries. The second season is planned to be published in spring 2023.

In 2022 the novel The Angel at Rival will be published in may. In august the Young Adult Novel I will never abandon me will be published.

On regular basis Johanna Nilsson write short stories, poems and columns in different newspapers. She is also a popular speaker.