Hilde Gunn Slottemo - Selected Title Author
We are happy to present our selected title author Hilde Gunn Slottemo. she has written Private Lives. A History (original title: Privatlivets historie. Slikkepotten, skjermen, soverommet og andre fortellinger). The book is one of NORLA’s Selected Titles of the spring 2025.
What is your book about?
My book is an exploration of the history of private life and the shifting boundaries between what is private and what is public. It is structured around 13 different objects, events, or people: for example, the cobbler’s workshop, the divan, the spatula, urban planning, and the selfie stick, to name a few. These serve as lenses through which I examine different aspects of social development.
Private life is not a fixed or constant concept; it has changed over time, shaped by new ways of thinking and evolving interpretations, as well as changes in the way people live together, organize work, manage finances, and structure daily life.
Moreover, private life is not just about houses, homes, living rooms, friendships, and close relationships. External forces also have an effect on private life and vice versa. The distinction between private and public does not hold the same meaning across different parts of society. There are social and economic differences, as well as variations in gender, class, and age. Additionally, there are geographical disparities, both within a country and between countries.
What inspired you to write this book?
When Humanist Forlag approached me about writing this book, I was immediately drawn to the idea. The project gave me the opportunity to build on previous research—both my own and that of others—to explore the relationship between private and public life, and how our understanding of what is “private” has evolved over the past 150 years.
My approach has been to examine the broader picture through the small and specific: namely, concrete objects. This method is often referred to as “microhistory”—where seemingly minor objects and elements are placed at the center, serving as prisms through which we can study a larger historical reality.
In recent years, social and cultural history—including everyday history, history from below, and microhistory—have received little attention, despite their prominence during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. My hope is that this book will inspire others to recognize how microhistorical perspectives can shed light on larger societal changes.
Read more
See full presentation of the book here
Read more about the author here
See all NORLA’s Selected Titles for the spring 2025 here
