Leif G.W. Persson

Biography

Leif G.W. Persson, born on March 12, 1945, in Stockholm, is a Swedish criminologist and author, best known for his crime novels and media appearances.

He grew up in Gärdet, Stockholm, and later moved to Valhallavägen. After graduating from Norra Real, he studied at Stockholm University from 1965 and earned his Ph.D. in sociology in 1980, focusing on statistical measurement problems in criminology. In 1982, he became an associate professor and, in 1991, a professor of criminology specializing in police methods.

Between 1967 and 1977, he worked as an expert for the National Police Board. He was involved in revealing that National Police Commissioner Carl Persson had sent a memo to Prime Minister Olof Palme about Justice Minister Lennart Geijer’s involvement with prostitutes, which became the "Geijeraffären." As a result, Persson lost his job at the National Police Board. His experiences inspired his debut novel, Grisfesten.

He taught at Stockholm University and was a full professor in criminology from 1991 to 2012. He also served as an expert for the Ministry of Justice, focusing on smuggling crimes. He supported journalist Per Lindeberg in research that led to the 1999 book Döden är en man, about the 1984 styckmordet i Solna. Persson also created an offender profile for the case.

In 2007, he was criticized for not publishing academic research or supervising doctoral students, though he argued that his work had been presented in reports and investigations. In 2008, he announced his resignation from the National Police Board, criticizing the appointment of Bengt Svenson as Rikspolischef. Despite initial resistance, he was later asked to stay on.

Persson co-created the TV show Grabbarna på Fagerhult with Jan Guillou and published related cookbooks like Grabbarnas Kokbok. From 1998 to 2010, he appeared as a criminology expert on Efterlyst. He briefly left the show in 2006 but returned the following season. In 2010, he left Efterlyst to co-host Veckans brott on SVT with Camilla Kvartoft.

His crime novels, often referred to as En roman om ett brott, feature characters like Evert Bäckström, Bo Jarnebring, and Lars Martin Johansson. In 2012, 20th Century Fox acquired the rights to his books about Evert Bäckström, including Linda – som i Lindamordet and Den som dödar draken. After CBS rejected the pilot, Fox produced Backstrom in 2015, starring Rainn Wilson as a Portland, Oregon, detective.

Persson was married to Birgitta Liedstrand (1968–1980), Margareta Jönsson (1987–2002), and since 2003 to Kim Olsson. He lives in Solna and rents a hunting estate near Gnesta. He had his first son at 20, followed by three daughters, including author Malin Persson Giolito.