Sigri Sandberg - Selected Title Author
We are happy to present our selected title author Sigri Sandberg. She has written The Year of My Awakening (original title: Det året eg våkna. Kva skjer med naturen – og oss?). The book is one of NORLA’s Selected Titles of the spring 2025.
What is your book about?
It’s about the fact that I have been far too cowardly. I’ve spent most of my adult life writing about nature and the outdoors while ignoring the biggest crisis of all: the fact that we are on the brink of destroying the foundation of our own existence. It’s always been lurking at the edges of my awareness—the burning forests, the rising seas, the violent storms, my own climate anxiety. But I’ve been terrified that the fear will paralyze me, so I’ve pushed it all away. I didn’t have the strength to face it. I’ve been too cowardly, busy, conflict-averse. This book is about finally confronting what is happening in the world—and my own fear.
I write my way through a full year—from winter in the north to spring by the fjord, summer by the sea, and autumn in the mountains. Alongside my personal story, the reader will also find geological, biological, philosophical, and psychological perspectives on what is unfolding. Why do climate and nature so often disappear from the news when war, pandemics, or other immediate crises seem more threatening? And is it possible to fully take in what is happening—without being completely consumed by it? That is what this book tries to answer.
Who is the intended audience for this book?
It’s for everyone who has ever experienced any of these feelings. For those who are afraid of what is happening to our planet—our home—but can’t bear to take it all in. For those who feel too scared, cowardly, busy, helpless, exhausted, numb. For those who have felt that their individual actions make no difference.
This book is also for those who have a deep love for nature—for the mountains, the wilderness, the sea, and the forests—and who feel a sense of connection when they are outside. It is for those who want to know what it’s like to live with polar bears walking around outside their door or how a snowflake is formed. For those who want to come along to plant potatoes, paddle a kayak in the sea, or search for lost sheep in the mountains. It is for those who need comfort, facts, or new reflections on climate, nature, and hope—from the perspectives of various experts. And it is for anyone who simply wants a story about what it means to be human, here and now. A story about someone who nearly loses themselves—but then tries to look up and really open their eyes.
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
