Cassandra Brunstedt (b. 1987) is a Swedish journalist and author. Her media career has included various roles such as editor, editor-in-chief, and CEO for magazines like ELLE Decoration, ELLE Food & Wine, and Metro Mode.

Cassandra's professional path took an interesting turn during an extended stay in India, where she trained as a yoga teacher and later studied to become a holistic coach – a reflection of her commitment to health, well-being, and personal development.

These themes are reflected in her acclaimed debut novel, One-Way Ticket to India, which quickly gained recognition with a nomination for the Adlibris Prize and a finalist position in the 2022 Feelgood of the Year awards. Her sequel, Happy Street Round Trip, which continues the story of Ella Frank, has also received significant appreciation and a nomination for the Adlibris Prize 2023.

In the fall of 2023, Cassandra made her non-fiction debut with The Happiness Manual – 11 Steps to a Happier Life, co-authored with Theresia Franklin. She is currently writing a new series, set to premiere in 2025. Brunstedt, known for her engaging storytelling, promises a suite of stories that touch and provoke thoughts in the reader.

Agent: Martina Österling

PUBLISHED LB Förlag, 2023
genre NON-FICTION / SELF HELP
PAGES 248

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What does it really mean to be happy? Is it even possible nowadays? And if one is not happy – can one become happy? In a time when choices multiply, stress increases, and the feeling that there’s no room for what truly matters in life, the authors have begun to contemplate these questions more and more.

In The Happiness Manual, they delve deep—two entirely ordinary, moderately stressed, and at times quite worn-out mothers of small children—into the mythical concept of happiness. They have plowed through research reports, absorbed all the advice they could find, interviewed happiness researchers and psychologists, and tested the very latest findings on the subject in the quest for answers: How does one actually become happy?

This book is their very own journey to happiness. A manual for a happier life, where they share the life-changing things that they have discovered along the way.

PUBLISHED LB Förlag, 2022
genre Feelgood
PAGES 343

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dANISH: palatium books (1–2)
FILM/TV: Under option

Part one in the ‘Ella Frank’-series

Finalist in the 2022 Feelgood of the Year awards
Nominated to the 2022 Adlibris Prize

Fashion journalist Ella Frank's wildest dream comes true when she accepts the position as editor-in-chief of the world's largest fashion magazine, set to launch in Scandinavia. However, in the midst of the dream, Ella realizes that she should have been careful about what she wished for. The offer, which seems too good to be true with influence, money, and luxurious champagne events, soon proves to be just that. And misfortunes seldom come alone. As Ella's life falls apart, she no longer knows what to do.

Exhausted and disappointed, she books a one-way ticket to India and checks into an ashram. There, she meets meditation teacher Amit, who opens her eyes in more ways than she thought possible.

One-Way Ticket to India is a novel about reaching a dead end and learning to find new paths forward. It's about life-changing insights and the magic that can only arise when one slows down and creates space for it.

PUBLISHED LB Förlag, 2023
genre Feelgood
PAGES 319

RIGHTS SOLD
dANISH: palatium books (1–2)
film/TV: under option

Part two in the acclaimed ‘Ella Frank’-series

Nominated to the 2023 Adlibris Prize

Amit's arrival in Sweden is approaching. The farmhouse is almost completely renovated, Shirin has rented out her apartment in the city, and the archipelago retreat is fully booked for the entire summer. Ella can hardly believe how well everything turned out in the end!

But when Amit arrives, they don't have the ecstatic reunion that Ella had envisioned. She struggles to interpret his signals while being busy planning the days on the farm. Additionally, Ella increasingly encounters the handsome journalist Ruben. Not only is he recently separated and seeking connection, but he is also very attractive. Why does she care about him now when Amit is finally here?

One thing is certain. This is not how Ella's new harmonious archipelago life was supposed to be.

Round Trip to Happy Street is the sequel to the acclaimed debut A Ticket to India and is about the noble art of embracing the present and learning to live in the midst of the chaos that we sometimes call life. It's about the healing powers of nature and how all roads, sooner or later, lead us home.