NORLA's activities to promote the export of Norwegian literature
Holiday hours at NORLA
At NORLA we will close for the Christmas holiday Friday afternoon, December 17.
The office will reopen on Monday, January 3.
Read our Director Margit Walsø’s Christmas Greetings here!
If you happen to read Norwegian, you will find our personal book tips here.
We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
NORLA at Tehran Virtual Book Fair
On Monday, January 24th, NORLA will join a panel on Tehran’s second Virtual Book Fair to talk about Children Literature Translations Grant Programs.
The panel is held by Blue Circle Agency and The Iran Book and Literature House.
Application deadline: Translation subsidy for Norwegian non-fiction
Read more about the translation subsidy for Norwegian non-fiction here.
Foreign publishers may also apply for production subsidies for the publication of Norwegian non-fiction containing a large number of illustrations or with exceptionally demanding technical production requirements.
Read more about the scheme here.
Bergen LitFest: Translation in the spotlight - Nina Lykke meets Karolina Drozdowska
What is it like for an author to have their own words translated to another language, and how far can we trust the translator to have picked up all the nuances? What is it like to translate the words of others without changing them to your own, but retaining the author’s special character?
Nina Lykke two prize-winning novels No, a Hundred Times No (original title: Nei og atter nei, 2016) and Natural Causes (original title: Full spredning, 2019) have both been translated to Polish by Karolina Drozdowska. The latter has produced a number of Polish translations of Norwegian books, and can say something about what happens when words in one language are converted into another.
Application deadline: Fellowship program to Lillehammer 31 May – 2 June 2022
NORLA invites foreign publishers, editors, sub-agents and scouts to apply for our fellowship program at the Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer, 31 May – 2 June 2022. This year marks the physical opening of the newly established rights centre Lillehammer Rights at Scandic Victoria Hotel, where all fellows will get a table. The rights centre is a collaboration with the Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer. Additionally, we continue with the popular seminar where you will be introduced to New Voices from Norway. This year, participants of all genres and languages are welcome to apply.
Application deadline: Sample translation of Norwegian literature
Publishers, agents and translators abroad and in Norway can apply to NORLA for subsidies for sample translations.
Read more here.
Translators of Norwegian literature may also apply to NORLA for subsidies for sample translations from books of interest. For translators, there are no application deadlines.
Read more (in Norwegian) here.
Application deadline: NORLA's program for translators at The Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer
Norwegian literature at the Jaipur Literature Festival
Jaipur Literature Festival is again taking place this year, from March 5 – March 14., in a combination of physical and digital events. Norway, through the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Delhi, is country partner.
Three Norwegian authors are invited to participate digitally: Jan Grue, Roy Jacobsen and Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson.
Meeting of NORLA’s committee of experts for non-fiction
Meeting of NORLA’s expert committee for non-fiction (for the consideration of applications for translation subsidies with deadline 1 February).
Read more about the translation subsidy here.
Norwegian authors and NORLA to the alternative Book Fair in Leipzig - and Berlin
Authors from Norway and NORLA participate in the alternative book fair in Leipzig: Leipzig reads anyway
On Thursday 17 March, there will be an event with Heidi Sævareid, Ida Lødemel Tvedt and Marie Aubert in the former cinema UT Connewitz.
And on Friday 18 March a similar event with the same authors will take place in Felleshuset at the Norwegian Embassy in Berlin.
NORLA to the Bologna Book Fair
At NORLA, we look foreward to once again taking part participating – physically – at the children’s book fair in Bologna, Italy. The Norwegian book industry is gathered on a shared exhibition stand in Hall 29, stand C53.
Contact us if you would like to arrange a meeting.
Application deadline: Translation subsidy for Norwegian fiction
Read more about the translation subsidy for Norwegian fiction here.
Foreign publishers may also apply for production subsidies for children’s and young adult’s picture books by Norwegian authors and illustrators.
Read more about the scheme here.
NORLA to the London Book Fair
NORLA will be attending the London Book Fair at Olympia April 5-7, and you may find us at table G101, in the International Rights Centre.
We look forward to meeting both established and new contacts.
Please contact us to book meetings!
NORLA's offices are closed for Easter
NORLA’s offices are closed for Easter as of Monday April 11.
We open again Tuesday April 19.
Wondering what to read during the holidays? At NORLA, we recommend three of our selected titles this spring. Read more
If you happen to read Norwegian, you will find our reading tips for Easter here.
Happy Easter!
Curious to learn more about that peculiar Norwegian custom of “påskekrim”, i.e. reading/watching crime fiction stories at Easter?
Read more here and here.
Deadline: Nominate candidates for NORLA’s Translator's Award 2022
NORLA annually hands out an award to a translator of Norwegian literature. The award is given for translations directly from Norwegian as an encouragement towards continued efforts.
In 2022, the award will be given to a talented emerging translator of non-fiction.
We would very much like to hear from you about deserving candidates!
Book trade meeting during their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess' visit to Sweden
Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit will pay an official visit to Sweden 2-4. May 2022. The program includes a visit to Kulturhuset in Stockholm to meet the authors Anna Fiske, Anne Elvedal and Torun Lian from Norway, as well as Elias Våhlund, Moa Backe Åstot and Charlotte Cederlund from Sweden. On 2 May, there will be a book trade meeting for Norwegian and Swedish editors and agents.
Organizers are Swedish Literature Exchange (the Swedish Art Council), the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Stockholm and NORLA.
Read more about the official program here (in Norwegian only).
Finally back: NORLA's translators hotel
This spring, we finally get the pleasure of welcoming to Oslo the translators who were originally granted a stay at NORLA’s translators hotel, in the spring of 2020. Due to the pandemic, their visits had to be postponed.
We are looking very much forward to seeing them in Oslo!
Victoria Kielland and NORLA to Gdansk
First, there will be a presentation of Victoria Kielland’s novel My Men (original title: Mine menn) in Polish in a bookstore in Sopot, with the author in conversation with translator Karolina Drozdowska.
See the bookstore’s Facebook event.
We will also participate in the Scandinavian Translators’ Day at the University of Gdansk on 11 May – one of 9 universities in Poland where Norwegian is taught!
Meeting for members of ENLIT, the European Network for Literary Translation - in Barcelona
Members of ENLIT, the European Network for Literary Translation, are meeting – physically – in Barcelona, May 12-13.
On the agenda is the exchange of experiences and discussion of future plans, such as priorities, ways to stand with Ukraine and potential new members. In March, the Ukrainian Book Institute was welcomed as member of the network.
NORLA’s Director, Margit Walsø, is chair of the ENLIT board and she is happy to be meeting her colleagues in person, sharing best practices and developing ENLIT further.
After the meeting, the delegates look forward to taking part in the Barcelona Poetry Festival.
Book trade meeting in The Hague
On May 12th the Royal Norwegian Embassy in The Hague has invited Dutch publishers to lunch and a seminar on Norwegian fiction.
Four Dutch translators will present NORLA’s selected titles together with Oliver Møystad from NORLA.
Digital book trade meeting in Japan
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Tokyo is hosting a webinar on modern Norwegian classics for Japanese translators, students and publishers. Norwegian authors participating are Vigdis Hjorth and Roy Jacobsen
NORLA's offices are closed Thursday May 17
NORLA’s offices are closed Friday May 17, due to Norway’s Constitution Day.
We wish everyone a Happy 17th of May!
Norway is Guest of Honour at the Warsaw Book Fair
Norway is the Guest of Honour at the Book Fair in Warsaw on 26 – 29 May 2022. The book fair takes place at the Palace of Culture and Science, and it is the most important book fair in Poland.
The Guest of Honour project is organized by NORLA in close cooperation with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Warsaw.
The book fair is an exciting opportunity to present a wide range of Norwegian literature on the Polish market, and for several Norwegian authors to engage with their Polish audience.
We are offering an exstensive program where 30 authors/illustrators from Norway participate in 50 events in all genres, aimed at both readers and the book industry. There are also meeting places between Norwegian agents and foreign book trade professionals.
See all our information here
Visit the book fair’s website
The Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer - Fellowship program to Lillehammer Rights
NORLA has invited foreign publishers, editors, sub-agents and scouts to apply for our fellowship program at the Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer, 31 May – 2 June 2022. This year marks the physical opening of the newly established rights centre Lillehammer Rights at Scandic Victoria Hotel, where all fellows will get a table. The rights centre is organized a collaboration with the Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer. Additionally, we continue with the popular seminar where you will be introduced to New Voices from Norway. This year, participants of all genres and languages were welcome to apply. (Application deadline was February 18).
Read more about Lillehammer Rights
Visit the festival website
NORLA's program for translators at The Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer
Booksellers to The Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer
Five British and German booksellers are visiting Lillehammer 31 May – 3 June to learn about Norwegian literature. They will meet Norwegian booksellers and authors, follow the festival program and visit Bjerkebæk, home of the Norwegian Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset.
The program is a continuation of the bookseller strategy from our 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair project and it is financially supported by the Norwegian Embassy in London.
Application deadline: Translation subsidy for Norwegian non-fiction
Read more about the translation subsidy for Norwegian non-fiction here.
Foreign publishers may also apply for production subsidies for the publication of Norwegian non-fiction containing a large number of illustrations or with exceptionally demanding technical production requirements.
Read more about the scheme here.
Digital translator workshop for translators of Victoria Kielland's novel "My Men"
Sometimes a whole group of translators are working on the same book at the same time, into many different languages. Then they would greatly benefit from meeting each other and discussing differnt solutions to translation issues they might be struggling with.
Book trade meeting in Vienna
The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Vienna is organizing a book trade meeting for Austrian publishers and translators on 13 June. Author Kjersti Anfinnsen and Andrine Pollen from NORLA participate.
NORLA to meet Nordic colleagues in Stockholm
Representatives from NORLA’s staff will be attending a seminar with our Nordic colleagues, June 15-17.
The employees at the Nordic literary offices meet annually, and this year the meeting will take place in Stockholm.
We look forward to exchanging experiences and future plans with our colleagues!
The Nordic literary offices all administer The Nordic Council of Ministers’ funding scheme for the translation of literature and drama from one Nordic language to another. Read more about the scheme here.
Norwegian Arts Abroad's (NAA) Competence Program to New York
Norwegian Arts Abroad’s (NAA) Competence Program meets for the fourth time in New York on June 23rd and 24th. The first day will give the participants general input on how to brake through in the American market. on day two there’s time for individual meetings with contacts within the different arts fields, and in the evening there will be held a public event where the participants can present the films they have made about their projects during the last months.
Read more about the program and particpants here
Application deadline: NORLA's Translator Hotel
NORLA’s Translator Hotel is for translators from Norwegian only.
Application deadline: Translation subsidy for Norwegian fiction
Read more about the translation subsidy for Norwegian fiction here.
Foreign publishers may also apply for production subsidies for children’s and young adult’s picture books by Norwegian authors and illustrators.
Read more about the scheme here.
Application deadline: Sample translation of Norwegian literature
Publishers, agents and translators abroad and in Norway can apply to NORLA for subsidies for sample translations.
Read more here.
Translators of Norwegian literature may also apply to NORLA for subsidies for sample translations from books of interest. For translators, there are no application deadlines.
Read more (in Norwegian) here.
New season at NORLA’s Translators Hotel
We are looking forward to welcoming four new translators of Norwegian literature to NORLA’s Translators Hotel in Oslo, at Hotell Bondeheimen.
This autumn is the thirteenth season of our popular programme!
Read more about NORLA’s translators hotel and previous guests here.
NORLA at the Gothenburg Book Fair
NORLA will take part in the Gothenburg Book Fair, September 22 – 24. You will find us in the International Rights Centre, table K02.
Please contact Oliver Møystad if you would like to book a meeting.
Visit the book fair’s website
Application deadline: Translation subsidy for Norwegian non-fiction
Read more about the translation subsidy for Norwegian non-fiction here.
Foreign publishers may also apply for production subsidies for the publication of Norwegian non-fiction containing a large number of illustrations or with exceptionally demanding technical production requirements.
Read more about the scheme here.
Norwegian program at Cheltenham Literature Festival 7 – 16 October
Cheltenham Literature Festival is the world’s first literature Festival, leading the way in celebrating the written and spoken word, presenting the best new voices alongside literary greats and high-profile speakers.
As part of this this year’s festival program, you can meet eight authors and one illustrator from Norway, as well as translator of Norwegian, Rosie Hedger. NORLA will also be present.
NORLA at Frankfurter Buchmesse
NORLA will be present at this year’s Frankfurter Buchmesse. You are invited to come by and visit us at the Norwegian common stand at 4.0 A82.
We are very much looking forward to meeting contacts both old and new!
Please contact us should you like to book an appointment.
Meeting of NORLA’s committee of experts for non-fiction
Meeting of NORLA’s expert committee for non-fiction (for the consideration of applications for translation subsidies with deadline 1 February).
Read more about the translation subsidy here.
Application deadline: Translation subsidy for Norwegian fiction
Read more about the translation subsidy for Norwegian fiction here.
Foreign publishers may also apply for production subsidies for children’s and young adult’s picture books by Norwegian authors and illustrators.
Read more about the scheme here.
Translation seminar in Milan
17 -18 November, a translation seminar will be held at the University of Milan. Invited participants are Norwegian students from educational institutions in Italy. The topic is Norwegian children’s literature.
Author Marit Kaldhol will participate, and the students will work with texts from her book On a Staircase in the Universe (original title: På ei trapp i universet), which is illustrated by Susanna Kajermo.
The students will work in groups led by translators Eva Valvo and Maria Valeria D’Avino.
The seminar is organized in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Rome.
Shanghai and Beijing - Book trade meeting
On Wednesday 23 November, the Norwegian Embassy in Beijing and the Consulate General in Shanghai will host a hybrid event for Chinese translators and the publishing trade.
The event includes three Norwegian participants (digitally): Children’s book author Hanne Gjerde Buch, as well as NORLA’s Director, Margit Walsø. In addition, author Erika Fatland will present her non-fiction book Sovietistan, which is available in Chinese translation.
There will also be a presentation of NORLA’s Selected Titles, both for adults and for children’s and young adults. The children’s books will be exhibited at the Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair on the Consulate General’s stand, December 2 – 4.
See our Chinese language presentations of NORLA’s Selected Titles in all genres here
Norwegian authors, agents and NORLA at Féria de Libros in Guadalajara, Mexico
Feria de Libros in Guadalajara, Mexico is the world’s largest Spanish-speaking international book fair. Here, publishers from all over Latin America and Spain meet the international book industry on home soil. The fair is a unique arena for making contacts with publishers in the Spanish-speaking world.
The fair a giant reading party with countless events for a large and enthusiastic audience.
Norwegian literature in Paris: Seminar for students
On Saturday 3 December, a seminar will be organized for Scandinavian studies students in France. The seminar is organized by NORLA and the Sorbonne University, in cooperation with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Paris.
The seminar will offer practical and interesting language challenges related to translating literature from Norwegian into French. Hélène Hervieu will lead a workshop on Ingeborg Arvola’s novel The Knife in the Fire, while Jean-Baptiste Coursaud will lead a workshop on Lars Petter Sveen’s book The Art of Stuttering.
In the afternoon, the Musée d’Orsay hosts a Norwegian literary program where the public can meet
Karl Ove Knausgård in conversation with film director Joakim Trier.
The event takes place in connection with the the Musée d’Orsay’s current Munch exhibition, which is organized in cooperation with the Munch Museum in Oslo, the Kode Art Museums and Composer Homes (Bergen), and with the National Museum of Norway, among others.
New York - Book trade meeting on children's and young adult literature
NORLA and the Norwegian Consulate General in New York are hosting a book trade meeting in the Members Lounge, Center for Fiction, Thursday 8 December 10:30-14:00.
Here American editors and scouts get to meet Norwegian authors and literary agents.
There will be author presentations by:
- Cha Sandmæl: The Eye of the Dragon (original title: Dragens øye) – series
- Hans Jørgen Sandnes: Crypto (original title: Krypto) – series
- Kirsti Kristoffersen: Celebrity Crush (original: Kjendis-crush) – series
The presentations will be followed by speed-dating between Norwegian literary agents and American editors.
