NORLA is travelling far and wide this autumn
See where and when you can meet us here
Norwegian books in translation published per 30 June 2017
As of 30 June 2017, NORLA has received 248 Norwegian books that have been published in a total of 41 languages through NORLA’s (and in the Nordic region: The Nordic Council of Ministers’) translation subsidies.
There are 192 fiction publications and 56 non-fiction publications.
And a total of 63 are titles for children and young people.
See the list of the books below.
Ben Yu – Translator of the Month for August
Translators are the most important emissaries we have for bringing Norwegian literature out into the world. Their work is of decisive significance and to spotlight this work, we started the interview series entitled “Translator of the month”. Here we will get to know some of those who translate from Norwegian and learn about their challenging work of transmitting Norwegian literature into all the different languages of the world.
The translator of the month for August is Ben Yu, who translates into Chinese. He has translated a number of titles for both children and adults and works as an architect. Together with his wife,
visual designer Yilei Wang, he has founded Northing, a multi-functional organization with a focus on publication, design, cultural events and communication. Northing has initiated the project “China meets Norway in a bookshelf”. This is a cultural exchange project with the purpose of promoting Norwegian art books, picture books, and illustrated books in China through exhibitions, book markets, seminars, workshops and other unofficial activities. The project focuses on young artists and illustrators from or based in Norway and their works that reflect current Norwegian subcultures. As part of “China meets Norway in a bookshelf” an exhibition which will take place in Meridian Space in Beijing during the book fair in August. A selection of artists has been invited to visit China, where they will meet local artists with similar interests and inspire each other. NORLA has provided funding for the project.
Read more about Ben here.
Those of you who understand Norwegian can read the interview here.
NORLA’s Frankfurt 2019 team is complete
Morten A. Strøksnes' "Shark Drunk" making waves in the US and UK
Morten A. Strøksnes’ award-winning book Shark Drunk (original title: Havboka) has been launched in the US and UK to great acclaim and is receiving starred reviews. The author was recently interviewed in National Geographic, and last week Shark Drunk featured as «Book of the week» in BBC Four.
The book is translated from the Norwegian by Tiina Nunnally. It is published in the US by Penguin Randomhouse and in the UK by Jonathan Cape under its full title; Shark Drunk: The Art of Catching a Large Shark From a Tiny Rubber Dingy in a Big Ocean.
Praise:
Upcoming deadline for the translation of Norwegian fiction
We’re back from the holidays, and would like to remind you about tomorrow’s application deadline for the translation of Norwegian fiction.
The autumn batch of New Voices is ready
Last year, NORLA collaborated with Talent Norge and the Norwegian Publishers Association on the New Voices development programme. Recruiting new authors and promoting new literary voices abroad are important aims of the Frankfurt 2019 initiative. New Voices will create a space where parts of Norway’s rich literary undergrowth can be made visible, giving a boost to authors who are on the verge of an international breakthrough. A group of 4-6 new writing voices will take part in the programme every six months.
Summer greetings from our director Margit Walsø and project manager Halldor Gudmundsson
This past spring has been perhaps the most labour-intensive in NORLA’s history. A great deal has happened – particularly when it comes to Norway’s role as guest of honour at Frankfurt 2019:
The Frankfurt team was set up on 1 March, with a project manager, a coordinator for the literary programme and a coordinator for the cultural programme. And the first thing they focused on was presenting a broad range of Norwegian literature for translation to relevant publishers, and setting in motion potential collaborative projects for the cultural programme.
Maike Dörries – Translator of the Month for June and July 2017
The translators are the most important stakeholders we have for bringing Norwegian literature to the world. Their work is of vital importance and to showcase this work in January 2015 we started the interview series «Translator of the Month». Here we become better acquainted with translators from the Norwegian language and their challenging work, which introduces Norwegian literature to all the different languages of the world.
The translator of the month for June and July is Maike Dörries, who translates into German. In June she took part in NORLA’s seminar for translators of literature for children and young people in Lillehammer, and is an extremely experienced translator, with more than 200 titles from Swedish, Danish and Norwegian to her name. In the interview she also mentions that she played a role in the creation of Endre Lund Eriksen’s popular novel for young people Den sommeren pappa ble homo (“That Summer my Dad was Gay”).
First round of New Voices completed
NORLA set up its New Voices programme to help new Norwegian authors reach the international market. The first round is now complete and the first group consisted of Simen Ekern, Roskva Koritzinsky, Nils Henrik Smith and Sigbjørn Mostue.
Letter from Georgia
Georgia has proud literary traditions. Georgian is one of Europe’s oldest written languages and it is said that the country’s national epic, The Knight in the Panther’s Skin, anticipated the European Renaissance by several centuries.
An international book fair takes place in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi every year. In the last week of May, Norway was the fair’s country in focus featuring the four spring-semester participants on NORLA’s New Voices programme.
Miluse Jurickova awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit
Miluše Juřičková was recently awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in the rank of Commander, in recognition of her formidable efforts as both a conveyor of Norwegian literature and culture, as a translator and as a cultural bridge-builder between Norway and the Czech republic.
Juřičková received the order at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Prague from the Norwegian Embassador, Ms Siri Ellen Sletner.
Everyone at NORLA offers her our very warmest congratulations!