Elin Hansson and Oda Valle - Selected Title Authors
We are happy to present our selected title author Elin Hansson. She has written My Life as a Cat (original title: Mitt liv som katt). The book is illustrated by Oda Valle, and it is one of NORLA’s Selected Titles of the autumn 2025.
Elin Hansson
What inspired you to write this book?
I’ve always been fascinated by cats and loved pretending I was one when I was a little girl. When I got the idea for Katja, whom I was writing about, to trade bodies with Pus, I thought back to my childhood make-believe games. However, I’ve never owned a cat myself, so I decided it was time to get a cat that I could study while writing the book. That’s how Snorkfrøken came into my life. I got pretty close to naming her “Research,” but since her previous owners had already called her Snorkfrøken, I figured that was the perfect name for a cat belonging to a children’s book author. I studied her for hours to figure out the character Pus’s personality in My Life as a Cat. I’ve watched her groom her fur, climb trees, and hunt birds. The rest of her time was spent curled up in my lap, purring away, while I worked on the book.
What sets your book apart from others in the same genre?
I worked hard on creating a world the reader wants to spend time in. I wanted Kolonihagen and Løvebakken to be cozy places that my readers would enjoy reading about and exploring. I’ve spent a lot of time developing some memorable characters, such as Pus and Katja’s neighbors, and I’m proud of having come up with such an original villain – one I believe only I could have imagined. I think it’s the unique characters, combined with the magic, that make our book stand out.
Oda Valle
What inspired you to illustrate this book?
When Elin Hansson and the editors at Cappelen Damm asked if I wanted to illustrate this book, I immediately answered with a resounding YES. I love Elin’s texts – they’re so lively and colorful – but I also really enjoy drawing cats. It makes me so happy! I have extensive experience drawing cats, and I love how they move and behave. They’re so organic and free in the way they play, and they have such fun and quirky personalities. I especially love drawing purebred cats with unusual looks. The most fun to draw in this book was Sherry, a sphynx cat. The stranger they look, the more fun they are to draw.
Who is this book for?
All cat-crazy children and adults who enjoy exciting mysteries.
Read more
See full presentation of the book here
Read more about Elin Hansson here
Read about Oda Valle here
See all NORLA’s Selected Titles for the autumn 2025 here
