Laurie Thompson was a British translator renowned for his translations of Swedish literature and crime fiction into English. Born in 1938, he dedicated much of his life to bringing the works of Swedish authors to a broader audience. He is particularly known for his translations of Henning Mankell's Kurt Wallander series, which played a significant role in popularizing Scandinavian crime fiction around the world. Thompson's translations were not limited to fiction; he also worked on non-fiction, poetry, and other literary forms. His efforts were instrumental in sharing Swedish culture and literature with the English-speaking world until his passing in 2015.