Aina Basso’s historical fiction for YA, Before the Dawn is a White Raven 2026.

A historical novel of alarming relevance: Fifteenyear-old Josefa is sent to work as a maid for a wealthy farmer. The work is hard, she is homesick, but she gets on well with the other servants, especially Sara, who is the same age as her. Yet one day, her employer brutally rapes Josefa. The teen is completely distraught and ashamed and tries to forget the whole thing. She does manage to intimate to Sara what happened, but when Josefa realises she is pregnant, she keeps it a secret. She gives birth to a stillborn child, hides the body, and simply wants to put it all behind her. Yet then the corpse is found and Josefa is put on trial – accused of something she didn’t do and of which she isn’t guilty. Historical themes are a speciality of Aina Basso’s. The author paints a vivid picture of life in the 17th century. At the same time, just like her previous books, the novel has a timeless quality, as it deals with the abuse of power by men.

Basso has been nominated for Uprisen 2026 and won the Ministry of Cultural Affair’s Children’s Book prize for best fiction 2025.