New and Old Voices to Japan

NORLA will be hosting several events in Japan, in cooperation with the Norwegian embassy in Tokyo, and the universities of Osaka.
Two participants from our New Voices program, Linn Strømsborg and Monica Isakstuen, will be taking part in addition to translators Anne Lande Peters and NORLA’s co-workers Oliver Møystad and Dina Roll-Hansen. The events in Japan are following up NORLA’s activities in Tokyo in 2016.

Friday, November 9:
We will visit the University of Osaka and hold presentations for about 60 students of Scandinavian wanting to learn about Norwegian concepts of colour – and about Norwegian literature.

Saturday and Sunday, November 10-11:
We are holding a day-long seminar for Japanese translators of Norwegian, which 15 translators have signed up for.
The low birth rate in Japan makes Scandinavian gender-equality politics of great interest, and on Sunday, November 11, we will attend a seminar on gender equality and Norwegian family policy at the University of Kyoto. The seminar will use Ibsen’s Little Eyolf, and the books of Monica Isakstuen and Linn Strømsborg as a starting point.

Tuesday, November 13:
We will meet publishers and other contacts at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo. For this event there are 23 publishers and editors signed up! Later in the day NORLA will participate in a seminar about Ibsen, where Norwegian to Japanese-translator Anne Lande Peters will also talk about Lille Eyolf.

Read more
Linn Strømsborg, presentation at the Cappelen Damm Agency’s website
Monica Isakstuen, presentation at the Oslo Literary Agency’s website
Anne Lande Peters, who is NORLA’s Translator of the Month for November

See the covers of Norwegian books recently published in Japanese through NORLA’s translation subsidies on our Flickr-profile.

Photos, from the left:
Anne Lande Peters, Linn Strømsborg (photo: Heidi Furre) og Monica Isakstuen (photo: Paal Audestad).

Upcoming activities

October 31

Meeting of NORLA’s expert committee for non-fiction

Meeting of NORLA’s expert committee for non-fiction, for the consideration of applications for translation subsidies with deadline 1 October.

November 14-November 16

Shanghai, China

Norwegian Participation at the Shanghai Children’s Book Fair

NORLA is taking part in the Shanghai Children’s Book Fair with a stand designed for meetings and professional networking. The two illustrators/authors Øyvind Torseter and Marianne Gretteberg Engedal (Skinkeape) will participate in the fair’s professional program and panel discussions. Both also serve on the jury for the Norwegian illustration exhibition at Bologna 2026.
In addition, several Norwegian publishers/agents will take part.

The initiative is carried out in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Consulate in Shanghai.

December 2-December 5

Rome, Italy

Networking Event and Launch of the Guest of Honour Program during the Rome Book Fair Più libri più liberi

The book fair Più libri più liberi is dedicated to small and medium-sized publishers, and NORLA is looking forward to participating for the second time – focusing on Norway’s Guest of Honour initiative at Bologna 2026 and on Norwegian children’s literature in general.

And just like last year, we are hosting a networking event and gearing up for Bologna 2026 by launching the Guest of Honour concept and program. Also, Norwegian agents will take part in the fair’s fellowship and/or be present in the rights centre.

The program is organized in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Rome.