Stieg Larsson brother publishes ‘last letter’

Larsson on Wednesday hit back at allegations in a new book by Eva Gabrielsson, Stieg Larsson’s partner of over 30 years, that they were not close. He also disputed a raft of other points contained in her memoir “Millennium, Stieg and I” (Millennium, Stieg och jag) published in mid-January in Sweden, Norway and France.

“Eva came out with her book and it has a bunch of stuff which just isn’t true. This is my way to give my version of things…This isn’t an attack on Eva, this is a defence,” Joakim Larsson told The Local on Thursday.

The Swedish Expressen daily on Thursday published the email, sent by Stieg Larsson to his brother on October 20th 2004, 20 days before his untimely death at the age of 50-years-old.

“This shows that Stieg had nothing against me. It is sent 20 days before he died. I think it speaks for itself,” Larsson told the newspaper.

“Expressen said they wanted the letter so I said, here you go. I’ve got nothing to be afraid of. It doesn’t really make a difference to me,” he told The Local.

In the email, Stieg Larsson jokes about the early success in selling the rights to his novel and plans to spend his anticipated riches, together with Gabrielsson, on a summer house and a new apartment.

He furthermore promised to send Joakim a signed copy of the book, and invited his brother to visit him in Stockholm as it was unlikely that his busy schedule would allow a visit to his family in Umeå.

Larsson furthermore indicated that a fourth novel, the text of which is thought to be in Gabrielsson’s possession and which has not been published to date, was almost completed.

Joakim Larsson said that Thursday’s publication of the email is the final salvo from the family in its very public war of words with Eva Gabrielsson.

“I don’t want to keep up with all this bickering. It takes too much energy. I’m more concerned with administering Stieg’s inheritance,” he told The Local.