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The Frankfurt Book Fair is the world’s largest book fair and this year all the Norwegian participants were gathered at a large joint stand, in a reinforced collaboration between the Norwegian Publishers Association, Norwegian agents, NORLA and Norwegian publishers. The stand was a hub of extensive activity and vibrant energy, and it was of course also decorated with many good, beautiful books in all genres.
All seven of NORLA’s staff members took part in the book fair this year for the very first time! This was also NORLA’s 25th anniversary in Frankfurt, an event that was commemorated by a friendly gesture of appreciation from the book fair in the form of a delicious cake delivered to the stand.

Norwegian and international publishers, agents, translators and authors gathered at the annual seminar in Lillehammer.

Between 30 May and 4 June, Norway’s biggest literature festival took place in Lillehammer. During the festival, NORLA arranged a seminar for German translators of children’s and YA literature. In collaboration with the Norwegian Publishers Association and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NORLA also invited 18 international children’s book publishers to Oslo and Lillehammer. This is the first time the annual publishers seminar has been entirely devoted to children’s and YA literature.

NORLA and the Norwegian Embassy in Turkey recently arranged, for the first time, a seminar for translators and publishers in Istanbul!
Read the report by NORLA’s Senior Adviser, Oliver Møystad, below.

The Chinese are crazy about Norwegian books. That is the impression we were left with after having visited the book fair in Beijing. Ever since 2010 NORLA has travelled to the book fair in Beijing, Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF), which takes place every year in the end of August. This year we were accompanied by four Norwegians: Even Råkil from Oslo Literary Agency, Hans Petter Bakketeig from Stilton Agency, Gina Winje from Winje Agency and Svein Størksen, Magikon Forlag. At the fair energetic work was carried out to present Norwegian books and meet with Chinese publishers to promote the translation of more Norwegian titles into Chinese.

March’s Translator of the Month is the Norwegian-Scot Kari Dickson. She has been put forward by – and has received a question from – her translator colleague Anne Bruce. Kari translates fiction, crime, children and youth literature, drama and non-fiction. And her translations receive international attention:
The children’s book Brown (original title: Brune), by Håkon Øvreås and Øyvind Torseter, recently won the American Library Association’s Mildred L. Batchelder Award 2020. And in addition, her translation of the picture book Vanishing Colours is listed on USBBY’s list of Oustanding International Books 2020. The book is written by Constance Ørbeck-Nilssen and illustrated by Akin Duzakin.
Congratulations from us!

September is World Kid Lit Month, an initiative focusing on disseminating literature for young readers written in languages other than English, and books that are available in English translation.

In Norway, we are very proud of our brave literature for children and young adults, and many titles are available in English translation. And we are of course happy to present a small selection.

September is World Kid Lit Month, an initiative focusing on disseminating literature for young readers written in languages other than English, and books that are available in English translation.

After a whirlwind of abortive study and career choices (medicine, fashion, publishing), Nichola Smalley finally settled on literary translation in 2022. She has translated almost twenty fiction and non-fiction books for adults and a few children’s books from Norwegian and Swedish, and has been nominated for numerous awards. Her translation of Oliver Lovrenski’s Da vi var yngre / Back in the Day was shortlisted for the 2026 Oxford-Weidenfeld Translation Prize, a prize she won in 2021 with her translation from Swedish of Andrzej Tichý’s Eländet / Wretchedness. She has a PhD in the use of slang in Swedish and English literature and lives in London.

Clara Sondermann translates into German from Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. She has translated books by Jenny Hval, Eivind Hofstad Evjemo, Athena Farrokhzad, Olga Ravn and Ursula Andkjær Olsen. Clara studied Scandinavian languages and literature in Greifswald, Reykjavík and Berlin, and has worked as a publishing editor in Hamburg. For several years she was on the editorial board of the literary journal Edit in Leipzig. Besides being a translator and freelance editor, she works with children on literature and Creative Writing.

When Norway was Guest of Honour at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in April 2026, Norwegian children’s and YA literature was given a unique opportunity to shine before an international audience. The result was a great success.

In 2025, NORLA awarded a total of 478 translation grants for books translated into 53 languages, with overall funding exceeding NOK 10.3 million. Altogether, NORLA received 502 applications for translation support. The highest number of grants went to German and the Scandinavian languages.

December’s translator of the month is Martin Aitken, from England. His very first literary translation from the Norwegian was “My Struggle” by Karl Ove Knausgård, together with Don Bartlett!
Martin was recently shortlisted for the coveted National Book Awards in the US for his translation of Hanne Ørstavik’s novel Love. And now they are long-listed in the PEN America Literary Awards 2019 for best translation!
His most recent translation is the children’s book Estragon’s Stories. The Rat Catcher of Sorø, written by Gaute Heivoll and illustrated by John Kenn Mortensen, which he has translated into Danish(!). Martin has also translated an impressive number of Danish novelists.

Publishers from the entire world, including from the Nordic region, can apply for NORLA’s subsidies for translations of Norwegian literature.
Below you will find information on translation subsidies granted the last couple of years.

More information about NORLA’s translation subsidies – and how to apply – is available here.

NORLA works to bring Norwegian books and authors to readers around the world. Twice a year, we present a curated list of  Selected Titles, highlighting some of the most exciting new books from Norway.

This spring we are proud to present 27 outstanding titles, spanning fiction and non-fiction for adults, children, and young readers.