Brit Bildøen - Selected Title Author
Brit Bildøen writes about a familty gathering that doesn’t quite go as planned. In fact, it goes terribly wrong. – I think it is interesting to put my characters through unexpected things, or to put pressure on them and see what happens, she says.
Yellow Warning is one of NORLA’s Selected Titles for autumn 2023. Here, author Brit Bildøen speaks about the book, who it is written for, what inspired her to write it and where and when she works best.
What is your book about?
In short, the novel is about a family celebration that doesn’t go quite as planned. In fact, it goes terribly wrong. Dorte has convinced the rest of the family to celebrate their parents’ 50th anniversary at a farm hotel high up in the mountains. She soon comes to regret not listening to the others’ objections; it’s late October and rain has been forecasted. Heavy rain. So, people aren’t exactly in the best of moods when the family gathers on Friday night: the parents, older sister Anette with her husband and dog, and twins Karl and Dorte. When they wake up on Saturday morning, they learn there was a landslide that has taken out part of the road. What’s more, two strange men are trapped there along with them. Their rifles are in the hallway. The two men claim they’re going fox hunting, but no one believes them. Soon, things happen that put the family and their fragile bond to the test.
What inspired you to write this book?
I find it interesting to subject my characters to unexpected events or to put pressure on them and see what happens. How does a fairly ordinary family with fairly ordinary conflicts and incompatibilities function in an extreme situation? In this novel, the perspective shifts between the three siblings, allowing the reader to understand both what is said and what remains unspoken.
I’m also interested in exploring our contemporary view of nature: what happens when humans come into contact with it? In this book, I delve into something I’ve wanted to write about for a long time: the increasingly intense conflict around predators in Norway. The hunters in the book are, of course, not going fox hunting, but are going after a wolf family that resides in the area around the farm – and they don’t shy away from illegal methods.
Who is this book for?
I think this is a book that can resonate with many, both those who read for entertainment and those who appreciate books that go a bit deeper. Here’s some feedback from a bookseller: “Hi! I loved this book – took it from sunbed to sunbed on vacation! My good friend, a former police officer (59 years old) said: This is the kind of book I want!”
Where and/or when do you work best?
The best time to write is in the morning and early afternoon, and I can make a lot of progress with a cup of coffee with cream and sugar. I work best in my home office, where I have a direct view of the top of a massive pine tree. The tree is regularly visited by magpies, wood pigeons, and various types of chickadees. I’m fortunate to live quite centrally in Oslo, but in an area with large gardens and lots of trees. This provides me with an atmosphere of tranquility, but also the pulse and energy of the city just around the corner. An ideal combination for me, as I need both aspects. My husband and I are also so lucky to own a house in our home county. Veiholmen is a thriving fishing village in the north west of Norway. In the symmer, we fill the house with guests, and in the winter season, it functions as a quiet writing place. When it storms and rains outside, there is not much else to do than read and write.
Read more
See full presentation of the book here
See all NORLA’s Selected Titles for autumn 2023 here
