Jack Werner’s book follows the true story of the replica Viking ship The Ormen Friske and its crew of inexperienced but enthusiastic young men, non-drinking vegetarians and fresh air enthusiasts. She set sail from Sweden to Rotterdam in June 1950 but which was lost in rough seas near the German island of Helgoland. All of the 15 crew members on board died.

The ship was much celebrated in the press at the time, and much vilified after the disaster but is now largely forgotten - until Jack Werner’s fascinating and thoroughly researched investigation into the world immediately after World War II, the personalities behind The Ormen Friske, the disaster itself and its aftermath.

My cover illustration was made with acrylic paint on board, and it gave me an opportunity to lay the paint on nice and thick to capture the rough waves of the North Sea. I also had to learn about how Viking ships were constructed so I could illustrate it from above!

Published by Albert Bonniers Förlag.
Graphic Design by Eva Wilsson.