2018-09-27

We have had an energetic start to the Autumn book season

See our pictures that prove it here!

August and September have been wonderfully hectic months, where the first event was the book fair in Beijing where NORLA participated for the ninth consecutive year. There is rising interest in Norwegian books among Chinese publishers, and it is always rewarding to meet both familiar contacts and new ones.

From left: Our host and interpreter Tang Zhenni and publisher Svein Størksen from Magikon. NORLA's Dina Roll-Hansen, Hege Langrusten and Halldor Gudmundsson.
Meeting on the stand. Photo: Hege Langrusten
The Forbidden City. Photo: Halldor Gudmundsson

Then it was the Film Festival in Haugesund and their seminar Books at Haugesund which was held for the second time this year. The seminar is a meeting place where the book and film industry get together to discuss books that can be transferred from text to film.

It is always nice to meet colleagues in our Nordic network NordLit, and in mid-August its directors came to Oslo to have their first Autumn meeting.

From left: Tiia Strandén – FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange, Susanne Bergström Larsson – Swedish Literature Exchange, Annette Bach – Danish Arts Foundation, Margit Walsø – NORLA and Hrefna Haraldsdottir – Miðstöð íslenskra bókmennta – Icelandic Literature Center. Not present: our Faroese colleague from FarLit. Photo: Sunniva Adam

At the end of August we had the pleasure of welcoming the fourth group of authors in NORLA’s talent program New Voices; Linn Strømsborg, Alfred Fidjestøl, Thomas Reinertsen Berg, Ingunn Thon and Monica Isakstuen. The first gathering included a workshop on presentation technique from translator and actor Erik Skuggevik.

The participants also received an introduction to the international book market, and NORLA’s Frankfurt initiative, from Director Margit Walsø.
During the Autumn, these five authors will be thrown into meetings with translators, audiences and publishers across much of Europe – some will also go to Japan.

Workshop participants (From the left): Thomas Reinertsen Berg, Monica Isakstuen, Alfred Fidjestøl and Linn Strømsborg. On the right: workshop manager Erik Skuggevik. Not present: Ingunn Thon. Photo: Dina Roll-Hansen
Monica Isakstuens presents herself and her authorship to the group. Photo: Dina Roll-Hansen

Along with Roskva Kortizinsky and Mikkel Bugge, we participated in a Nordic Literature Festival in Moscow, marking the publication of a special issue of the highly reputed magazine Inostrannaja Literatura (International Literature), which focussed on Nordic literature.
Read more.

The Dostoevsky Library. Photo: Dina Roll-Hansen
Mikkel Bugge and the Culture Department at the Norwegian Embassy in Moscow, in front of the MGU. Photo: Dina Roll-Hansen
Mikkel and Roskva on the metro. Photo: Dina Roll-Hansen

In September, we had visits from two enthusiastic groups of German booksellers, who came to Norway to learn more about Norwegian literature ahead of the Guest of Honour initiative in Frankfurt in 2019.
The groups have consisted of a good mix of representatives from large and small bookstores, online bookstore, children’s books, the German Booksellers and Publishers Association Börsenverein and the distribution chain. They have met many authors and Norwegian bookstores, and received an introduction to the Norwegian literary system.
Read more about the visits and see pictures here.

The first group of booksellers at the stairs in front of The National Library of Norway. Photo: Ellen Trautmann Olerud
The second group of booksellers with author Torkil Damhaug at the Cappelen Damm publishing house. Photo: Ellen Trautmann Olerud

Earlier in September we were also in Spain, along with three writers and literary agents from Norway, to participate at a book trade meeting and also a public event in Madrid, in cooperation with among others the Norwegian embassy.
Read more.

NORLA's Oliver Møystad holds his presentation in Spanish. Photo: Trude Kolaas
Erlend Loe and Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold in the panel at the public event in Espacio Fundación Telefónica.

And finally we have been on a short trip to Frankfurt, in preparation for both this year’s and next year’s bookfairs. We are looking forward to it all!

Margit Walsø and Halldor Gudmundsson in front of the Messeturm tower of the bookfair. Photo: Sunniva Adam
The pavilion that will soon be the venue for Georgia's Guest of Honour presentation "Georgia – Made by Characters". Photo: Sunniva Adam

We would like to extend a big thank you to everyone we have met for pleasant cooperation. And we look forward to future events in the autumn!

Clikc here to see our calendar of events.