Jon Ewo

The Game of the South Pole

Spillet om sydpolen

A well-renowned novelist, Jon Ewo has also given his personal touch to non-fiction for young people, practically creating a genre of his own in Norway. Together with illustrator Bjørn Ousland, he has produced a number of award-winning titles, of which The Game of The South Pole is the latest. Innumerable volumes are written about the two polar heroes, Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen. This book is a double biography, exploring why the one succeeded, the other one failed in their incredibly strenuous quest for the South Pole in 1911. It is a wellknown fact that the differences in equipment were fatal. But might personal and cultural differences between the two men have been even more important? Ewo presents the two competitors as players in a game, searching out the stronger and weaker qualities of the two.

In doing so, he applies his original method of writing: While critically studying all pertinent information, he himself enters into the story, and becomes a role player in the narrative, thus adding life and vast amounts of humour into the factual presentation.

Illustrated by Bjørn Ousland.

Bok 315
Forfatter 315
Photo: June Witzøe

Made his debut in 1986. Since 1993, he has mainly dedicated himself to writing for children and YA, in all genres and formats. His novels for young adults are translated into 7 languages, and have earned him awards both in Norway and abroad. He is a candidate to both the H.C.Andersen Award and the Alma Award.