Sigbjørn Skåden - Selected Title Author

What is your book about?

The novel follows criminal investigator Huuva on his journey from Oslo to the small Sámi village of Planterhaug, where he will be investigating the death of the old drunkard Nilsen. He calls on Nilsen’s widow, but the investigation soon goes off track, leading him in an entirely different direction. Planterhaug turns out to be the hometown of Huuva’s long-deceased father, and as he digs deeper, Huuva finds himself entangled in a painful family incident from the past, trying to understand why that side of the family fell apart. Several things start to suggest that a tykje—a malevolent spirit—is on the loose in Planterhaug, and Huuva becomes convinced that the tykje holds the key to everything. But first, he must figure out what, or who, the tykje really is. During his search, he encounters the six-fingered girl, the pig-farmer siblings Jenny and Josva, the ancient frog Čuoppomáddu, the wiseman who guards the river, the soul-seer Kvernhaug, the preacher from Pihtipudas, and an impressive number of offal-based meals—none of which bring him any closer to the truth. That is until he suddenly finds himself face-to-face with a hidden dark force while playing an ancient Sámi board game.

What inspired you to write this book?

I wrote this book out of love. Planterhaug is my hometown, and in many ways, this novel is a love letter to the village and my childhood there. My mother, who also grew up in Planterhaug, passed away nearly five years ago. That loss made it important for me to engage directly with our Sámi family history and the village’s Sámi past on an emotional level. While the Planterhaug in the novel may not be entirely recognizable to those who know the real place, it is built upon the landscape and cultural history of the region. Many elements of the area’s rich Sámi storytelling tradition and historical roots are woven into the book. At its core, this novel explores what it means to be Indigenous Sámi in changing times. Who were we? Who are we? Who will we become? These weighty questions linger over the book, even though the writing itself is infused with humor and playfulness. At the same time, the story also touches on universal themes such as grief over what has been lost and caring for the ones closest to us.

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See full presentation of the book here
The book is also available in Torne Sámi, titled Láŋtdievvá.

Read more about the author here

See all NORLA’s Selected Titles for the spring 2025 here