Maria Hernius

Award-winning Maria Hernius as Guest of Honour

Swedish author Maria Hernius has Danish roots, and in 2026 she will visit her great-grandmother’s homeland to take the stage at this year’s Fantasy Festival.

Maria debuted with the series Dark Paradise in 2020, and the first volume was named Debut of the Year by Fantasykammaren, the Swedish equivalent of the Danish Fantasy Awards. The series has become a sensation in Sweden, receiving fantastic reviews and selling out its first print run. The first volume was published in Danish in 2024, and the second will be released in March 2026.

Dystopia and fantasy

Dark Paradise is dystopian science fiction infused with fantasy. The series is set in a not-so-distant future where society has collapsed. A new, unknown species has conquered Europe, and the few surviving humans are held captive on farms. Environmental catastrophe, human and animal rights are woven together with elements reminiscent of Planet of the Apes and The Last of Us, creating a dark, fear-stricken Europe where two young girls fight for a chance at a better life.

Maria is a trained schoolteacher with a passion for Swedish, English, and history. She studied marketing at Santa Barbara City College and wrote Fantasykammaren while training to become a teacher. Maria was originally scheduled to visit us in 2025, but due to happy circumstances, we postponed the visit by a year.

We look forward to finally welcoming Maria and hearing her talk about the dark universe of her series.