www.norway2019.com #norwegen2019

Press kit Guest of Honour Norway Frankfurter Buchmesse (16-20 October 2019)

Press Guest of Honour Website: www.norway2019.com Krystyna Swiatek, Annika organisation Facebook: @norwegen2019 Grützner, Sabrina Detje NORLA, Norwegian Instagram: @norwegianliterature c/o Literaturtest Literature Abroad Books from Norway: Alte Jakobstraße 87/88 PB 1414 Vika, 0115 Oslo, booksfromnorway.com 10179 Berlin Norway Website NORLA: norla.no Tel. +49 (0) 30 531 40 70-20 Press: #Norwegen2019 Mobil +49 (0) 176 427 256 63 Sunniva Adam Fax: +49 (0) 30 531 40 70-99 [email protected] [email protected] Tel. +47 23 08 41 00

The digital press kit and images can be found in the press section of our website.

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Content

Press release, 15 October 2019 Norway – The dream we carry. The Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2019

Authors from Norway and Sápmi who presents their titles in the Guest of Honour Pavilion

The Guest of Honour Pavilion Concept, Forum, Level 1.

The literary programme at Frankfurter Buchmesee and in autumn 2019: A selection of events

The Cultural Program

About NORLA

The Guest of Honour project

Partners and collaborators

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Norway – The Dream We Carry The Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2019

Press release, 15 October 2019 “The Dream We Carry“ – is the slogan for Norway’s appearance as Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2019. The phrase is based on the poem “It Is That Dream“ by the beloved Norwegian poet Olav H. Hauge (1908–1994). As Guest of Honour, Norway’s dream is to use its literature and art to surprise and bring them to unknown places – as Hauge’s poem puts it: “into a cove we didn’t know”. Sharing this dream means telling stories from Norway, promoting the joy of reading and standing up for freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is a crucial part of Norway’s political culture, and it will also play a key role in the literary and cultural programme at Frankfurter Buchmesse.

Diversity of Norwegian literature in Germany’s bookshops

Roughly 510 books will be published by the end of 2019 by 217 German-language publishers, including Norwegian literature in translation and books about Norway (counted as of autumn 2018). Of these 510 titles, 229 are new translations of Norwegian titles into German. The titles will be presented at libraries, bookshops and houses of literature, as well as at Frankfurter Buchmesse (16–20 October 2019). The literary programme was developed by Norwegian Literature Abroad (NORLA), the organisation that initiated and organises Norway’s presence as Guest of Honour on behalf of the Norwegian Goverment, in cooperation with literary institutions and publishing houses in the German-speaking world.

The programme will showcase the diversity of Norway’s literature, which ranges from contemporary offerings by the country’s “new voices” to classics by writers such as Sigrid Undset and Henrik Ibsen. More than 100 Norwegian authors will present their books at the fair, thereby providing insight into Norwegian literature and society. The authors Erika Fatland and Karl Ove Knausgård will speak at the Frankfurter Buchmesse opening ceremony. The fair’s visitors can also look forward to experiencing acclaimed authors such as Maja Lunde, Jostein Gaarder, Dag Solstad, Linn Ullmann, Tomas Espedal, Åsne Seierstad and Roy Jacobsen. Things will also be suspenseful and entertaining, thanks to renowned Norwegian thriller authors such as Jo Nesbø, Karin Fossum, Unni Lindell and Thomas Enger. The Norwegian literature for children and young adults has a high standing, and at the fair you will meet internationally acclaimed authors such as Maria Parr, Gro Dahle, Svein Nyhus and Lisa Aisato. Many Norwegian authors write for both children and adults, e.g. Maja Lunde and Jørn Lier Horst, who will present both their books for children and adults at the fair. Visitors can also discover many writers who are not yet so well known internationally, including Simon Stranger, Nancy Herz, Anne Fiske, Marta Breen and Helga Flatland.

The focus will be on the topics of freedom of expression, Sami literature and culture, feminism and equal rights, nature and the environment, the North and the poles, modern family life, and diversity and identity in a changing Europe.

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Norway is the first Guest of Honour to centre its campaign on cooperation with the booksellers. As a result, readings with Norwegian authors will take place at over 200 bookshops throughout the German-speaking world.

During the country’s year as Guest of Honour, Norwegian authors, illustrators, musicians and artists will make over 1,000 appearances in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Roughly 185 authors will present their books in more than 100 cities, and 155 cultural events are scheduled to take place by the end of the year as part of the Guest of Honour activities.

Experiencing Norway at the Guest of Honour Pavilion

Norway’s appearance as Guest of Honour will take place at the Guest of Honour Pavilion (Forum, Level 1). An extensive programme of readings, discussions, performances and music can be experienced on two stages. The “Freedom of Expression Series” will feature an event each day at 1.00 pm on a relevant topic; during the “Green Hour” series, visitors can attend events relating to nature and the environment. The programme for Saturday, 19 October, is curated by the Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer.

Organised by Frankfurter Buchmesse, the “Books on Norway” exhibition will present some 600 titles by Norwegian authors which have been translated worldwide, along with books about Norway from a wide range of genres. During the daily happy hour at 5.30 pm, visitors can end the day relaxing to the electronic sounds of DJ Olle Abstract. The programme for the Guest of Honour Pavilion is available at norwegen2019.de, through the Frankfurter Buchmesse app and in its events calendar at buchmesse.de/kalender.

While at the fair, visitors can also discover more about art, culture and culinary delights in the Gourmet Gallery on Visit Norway, Oppland County Council and the Ciy of Oslo’s stand and at Arcus’ stand, at THE ARTS+ on Munchmuseet’s stand and at Arts Council Norway and Visit Norway’s stand and events, at the exhibition stands organised by the citiy Bergen and by ICORN and the city of Stavanger, and at the Norwegian collective stand in Hall 5. At Agora you can visit Oppland County Council’s library bus. In close cooperation with the official Norwegian Guest of Honour programme, the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) will operate its own international stand on the fairgrounds as well as its own stage for freedom of expression.

The Guest of Honour will also be present at Frankfurt Audio and – with Jan Åge Fjørtoft, legendary player for the Eintracht Frankfurt football club – at LITCAM’s Culture Stadium. On Saturday, 19 October 2019, at 1.30 pm, the authors from the German and Norwegian national teams will compete at the Soccer Court in the Events Area (open space between Hall 1 and the Festhalle). The teams will also face off during a literary exchange (Saturday, 19 October 2019, 12.00 noon, and Sunday, 20 October 2019, 11.00 am, in the Culture Stadium, Hall 3.1 B 33).

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During the closing ceremony on Sunday, 20 October 2019, at 3.30 pm, Norway will hand off the Guest Scroll to Canada, Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2020 (14–18 October 2020).

Design, architecture, art, film and music – the programme accompanying the fair

Visitors can also experience Norwegian authors beyond the fairgrounds at numerous readings, discussions and talks – such as the OPEN BOOKS reading festival and BOOKFEST, Frankfurter Buchmesse‘s festival. In addition to the literary programme, Norway will be presenting an extensive cultural programme, which will include the fine arts, performing arts, music, film and architecture.

From 11 October 2019 to 26 January 2020, Museum Angewandte Kunst will dedicate its entire exhibition space to the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2019 Guest of Honour. As the “House of Norway”, it will present outstanding contributions from the country in the areas of art and culture, design, applied crafts, and architecture. From 26 September to 12 January, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt will mount an exhibition of 25 works by textile artist Hannah Ryggen (1894–1970). From 12 October 2019 to 1 March 2020 you can experience the exhibition Edvard Munch – seen by Karl Ove Knausgård at Kunstsammlung NRW in Düsseldorf. Numerous other cultural institutions will also participate in the programme, including Deutsches Architekturmuseum, Fotografie Forum Frankfurt, the Portikus gallery, Schauspiel Frankfurt, Künstlerhaus Mousonturm with NORSK Festival for Norwegian music, literature and performance, Haus am Dom and Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum.

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Authors from Norway and Sápmi who present their titles in the Guest of Honour Pavilion

Lisa Aisato Knut Hoem Per Petterson Samuel Bjørk Niillas Holmberg Siri Pettersen Ketil Bjørnstad Jan Erik Holst Juvvá Pittja Marta Breen Jørn Lier Horst Agnes Ravatn Karen Anne Buljo Mona Høvring Kirstine Reffstrup Bjørn Andreas Bull-Hansen Ida Hegazi Høyer Tore Renberg Anne Bårdsgård Roy Jacobsen Øyvind Rimbereid Lars Saabye Christensen Erling Kagge Wenche Roald Kjell Ola Dahl Are Kalvø Helge Rønning Niels Fredrik Dahl Marianne Kaurin Biret Risten Sara Gro Dahle Karl Ove Knausgård Máret Ánne Sara Torkil Damhaug Roskva Koritzinsky Åsne Seierstad Inga Ravna Eira Monica Kristensen Tore Skeie Jan Ove Ekeberg Torolf Kroglund Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold Torbjørn Ekelund Steffen Kverneland Tore Slaatta Lotta Elstad Jon Larsen Dag Solstad Thomas Enger Lars Lenth Bjørn Sortland Martin Ernstsen Ruth Lillegraven Sofia Nesrine Srour Tomas Espedal Unni Lindell Gunnar Staalesen Matias Faldbakken Merethe Lindstrøm Thorvald Steen Erika Fatland Erlend Loe Simon Stranger Anna Fiske Rauni Magga Lukkari Annemor Sundbø Helga Flatland Jeaninne Masika Lukusa Lars Fr. H. Svendsen Maria Kjos Fonn Thure Erik Lund Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson Jon Fosse Maja Lunde Carl Frode Tiller Karin Fossum Cecilie Løveid Andreas Tjernshaugen Jostein Gaarder Reidar Müller Øyvind Torseter Harald Gaski Lars Mytting Linn Ullmann Maria Grøntjernet Jo Nesbø Jan Erik Vold Erik Fosnes Hansen Gert Nygårdshaug Herbjørg Wassmo Johan Harstad Svein Nyhus Long Litt Woon Nancy Herz Bjørn Ousland Knut Ødegård Vigdis Hjorth Maria Parr Hanne Ørstavik Edvard Hoem Anna Kaisa Eriksen Partapuoli Håkon Øvreås Synnøve Persen Gunnhild Øyehaug

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The Guest of Honour Pavilion Concept, Forum, Level 1. The design of the pavilion is the result of a competition entered by more than 60 architects from Norway. The task set for contestants was to develop a spatial concept for the large exhibition hall and to come up with suggestions on how the various activities forming part of Norway’s presence at the book fair might optimally unfold. The winning design by Manthey Kula and LCLA Office depicts literature as a space and as a landscape. It consists of a group of table-like objects representing the ideas, elements and characters of Norwegian literature in material form. The 23 tables, which provide space for books and for readers, are three-dimensional works that are both abstract and playfully narrative. Their design was inspired by poems published over a period of one year on the Guest of Honour website www.norway2019.com under the heading ‘Poem of the Week’. At the same time, the designers took into account the various activities that will take place during the fair. One of the tables in the pavilion is dedicated to smell: a silent biography of a Norwegian in 22 smells. It is created by the smell researcher and artist Sissel Tolaas and author and explorer Erling Kagge. The installation titled Invisible silence - The best things in life have no lasting forms is consisting of 22 objects placed on the table, where the audience is invited to experience, discover and associate a Norwegian life through smell.

The pavilion is divided into two distinctly separate spaces. On one side are the fantastical book tables surrounded by mirrored walls and large photos taken in the far north of the country, the land of the Sámi, by the professional photographer Per Berntsen. In the middle is the main stage where events take place from morning to evening. In front of the large balcony, the pavilion offers space for a second, smaller stage as well as an exhibition put together by the Frankfurter Buchmesse – ‘Books on Norway’ with publications about and from the country – and a café serving Norwegian specialities. Visitors can also see an installation by the artist Marianne Heske. In ‘Wittgenstein’s Boat’, she visualises the periods that the philosopher Wittgenstein spent in a remote location in the Sognefjord in Norway, where he wrote a major part of his oeuvre.

Although the pavilion itself will be open to visitors for only five days, the book table sculptures will live on after the fair: they will be distributed among German bookstores in gratitude for the cordial and valuable cooperation between booksellers and the Guest of Honour.

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The literary programme at Frankfurter Buchmesse and in autumn 2019: A selection of events

The literary programme organised for Norway’s presence at Frankfurter Buchmesse will be staged in the Guest of Honour Pavilion and at various other venues around the fair itself as well as during the OPEN BOOKS reading festival and BOOKFEST in the city of Frankfurt am Main. Here you will find a few examples of events in the city and after Frankfurt Buchmesse. Further information on the literature events outside Frankfurt can be found on our website www.norway2019.com. The events in Frankfurt during the book fair can be found at norway2019.com/en/program.

Powerful voices Zofingen Literature Days Never before has Norwegian literature (25-27 October 2019) enjoyed such great international success As every year, Zofingen Literature Days in all genres. In the context of the literary will take an in-depth look at the Guest of programme, Norway will be presenting Honour. Switzerland will be receiving a powerful voices and stories, mainly on visit from Johan Harstad, Unni Lindell, two stages in the Guest of Honour Helga Flatland, Gunstein Bakke, Ida Pavilion. The three main strands will be Hegazi Hoyer and Bjørn Ousland. stories from Norway, the pure joy of Ousland, who is not only an author of reading and freedom of expression. children’s books but also an illustrator, will visit various Swiss schools The Hour of Freedom throughout the week. Freedom of expression is of central importance for Frankfurter Buchmesse as Crime Fiction Marathon Berlin- well as for the political culture of Norway. Brandenburg Under the title “Freedom of Expression (4-17 November 2019) series” there are daily sessions in the This year’s Crime Fiction Marathon will pavilion focusing on freedom of be featuring some of the stars of expression organised by organisations Norwegian crime literature. Øistein and authors who have been concerning Borge, Unni Lindell und Trude Teige will themselves with the issue for years. be present in Berlin and Brandenburg.

Nature, environment and diversity Nordic Literature Days, Literaturhaus Other key themes of the literary Hamburg programme include nature, the (25-28 November 2019) environment, the polar regions, the High Only a few weeks after the Harbour Front North (in particular Sapmi , the traditional Literature Festival, Norwegian writers homeland of the Sami), Norwegian non- return to the city on the Elbe to join fiction, the bold, imaginative literature for colleagues from other Scandinavian children and teenagers that has been countries in representing the diversity of winning acclaim for many years now, Nordic literature. Lars Saabye ‘reality fiction/autofiction’ and the Christensen will be reading on the relationship of literature to issues such as opening night (25 November). feminism and gender equality, modern families, and diversity and identity in a changing Europe.

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The Cultural Program

Experience arts and culture from Norway before, during and after Frankfurter Buchmesse. We have an extensive cultural program consisting of exhibitions, theatre, concerts etc. Read more at the different venues' websites and at norway2019.com.

In Norwegian Landscapes. Hunting High Norsk Festival and Low 15/10−19/10/19 14/9/19−19/1/20 Norwegian Festival Hub 16-19/10 The DAM – Deutsches Architekturmuseum @ Restaurant & Bar Lokal at Mousonturm Schaumainkai 43 Künstlerhaus Mousonturm dam-online.de Waldschmidtstraße 4 mousonturm.de Hannah Ryggen. Woven Manifestos 26/9/19−12/1/20 FBM19 Closing Party The Schirn Kunsthalle 19/10/2019 Schirn Kunsthalle am Römerberg Atelierfrankfurt schirn.de Schwedlerstraße 1-5 atelierfrankfurt.de Frida Orupabo. The mouth and the truth 28/9−24/11/19 Norwegian playwrights: Performances, Portikus readings and talks for children and young Alte Brücke 2 / Maininsel people portikus.de 16/10−12/11/19 Theaterhaus Ethereal. Photographic Art From Norway Schützenstraße 12 3/10/19−12/1/20 theaterhaus-frankfurt.de Fotografie Forum Frankfurt Braubachstraße 30−32 Filmland Norway fffrankfurt.com 1−30/10/19 11 The DFF − Deutsches Filminstitut Norwegian Drama in the 2019/20 season & Filmmuseum Schauspiel Frankfurt Schaumainkai 41 Neue Mainzer Str. 17 dff.film schauspielfrankfurt.de Midsummer Night. Harald Sohlberg: House of Norway A Norwegian Landscape Painter 11/10/19−26/1/20 12/7−27/10/19 Museum Angewandte Kunst Museum Wiesbaden Schaumainkai 17 Wiesbaden: Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 2 museumangewandtekunst.de museum-wiesbaden.de

Eaten Fish. Drawings by Ali Dorani Edvard Munch seen by Karl Ove Knausgård 1-31/10/19 12/10/19−1/3/20 Haus am Dom Kunstsammlung NordrheinWestfalen Domplatz 3 Düsseldorf: K20 am Grabbeplatz 5 hausamdom-frankfurt.de kunstsammlung.de

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About NORLA

NORLA – Norwegian Literature Abroad is the organisation that initiated and is now organising Norway’s Guest of Honour project on behalf of the Norwegian Government. NORLA is an organisation that promotes the export of Norwegian literature through active promotional work and translation subsidies. The organisation disseminates knowledge about Norwegian books and authors abroad, and is financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. NORLA was founded in 1978, and since 2004 has contributed to translations of close to 5,500 Norwegian books into no fewer than 66 languages. NORLA offers a range of funding schemes, all of which are aimed at promoting the translation of Norwegian books. Please visit NORLA’s website for more information about NORLA and our work: www.norla.no.

Contact the team

Everyone in NORLA is working on the Guest of Honour project and some of the employees in NORLA are working exclusively on the project:

Margit Walsø Ellen Trautmann Olerud Director of NORLA Project Coordinator [email protected] [email protected]

Halldór Guðmundsson Sunniva Adam Project Manager PR Officer halldor.gudmundsson @norla.no [email protected]

Andrine Pollen Janicken von der Fehr Coordinator, Literary Programme Project Coordinator [email protected] janicken.vonderfehr @norla.no

Marit Ingvill Sande Thomas Böhm Coordinator, Cultural Programme Project Coordinator [email protected] [email protected]

Oliver Møystad Anna Schüller Coordinator, Literary Programme in the city Project Assistant PR of Frankfurt [email protected] [email protected]

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The Guest of Honour project

NORLA is organizing the Guest of Honour project on behalf of the Norwegian government. The Norwegian government is contributing to the project through three ministries: The Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Norwegian Publishers Association is the largest private sponsor of the project.

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit has u ndertaken the task of promoting Norwegian literature internationally. As ambassador for Norwegian literature abroad Her Royal Highness is an important supporter of the Guest of Honour project. She travelled through Germany in a literature train by Deutsche Bahn AG from 14 to 15 October, accompanied by German schoolchildren and around 20 Norwegian authors.

Main sponsors

Oppland County Council, the City of Oslo, and Thon Hotels are the project’s main sponsors. They are contributing to the project as a whole and will be visible throughout the project period.

Oppland, the Literature County Oppland, a region with rich literary traditions that holds a leading position nationally, is home to the Norwegian Festival of Literature, the largest of its kind in the Nordic region. Here, surrounded by outstanding natural beauty, you will find the homes of two of Norway’s Nobel laureates in Literature: Sigrid Undset and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. Lillehammer, in the heart of Oppland, was recently chosen to be a UNESCO City of Literature, as the first city in Scandinavia.

The City of Oslo Surrounded by nature and growing fast, the City of Oslo is showcasing innovative solutions to become an even greener city throughout 2019. The aim is a compact and accessible urban environment for everyone, while reducing the carbon footprint. And in 2020 Oslo will add to its vibrant cultural life as the new Munch Museum, new public library, and new National Museum on the waterfront are opened. The City of Oslo proudly supports Norway as Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2019.

Thon Hotels By offering a high level of service, good food, and colourful design, Thon Hotels welcome every guest with our knowledgeable employees. Staying with us will make a difference and guests have a positive hotel experience every time they stay with us. Thon Hotels has 70 hotels in Norway. Additionally, Thon Hotels has five hotels in Brussels and one in Rotterdam. Thon Hotels is a member of Global Hotel Alliance

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(GHA), and by joining our loyalty programme – Thon Discovery – guests will receive benefits for stays at all Thon hotels, as well as 450 other hotels worldwide.

Event sponsors

Visit Norway and Vestre are sponsors of the ‘House of Norway’ exhibition at Museum Angewandte Kunst, autumn 2019.

Visit Norway Visit Norway is the tourism branch of Innovation Norway. Visit Norway has been given a special mandate to promote and inform about Norway as a travel destination, including in the German-speaking market. We love to think of ourselves as a hub for all the great stories about Norway that need and should be told to potential visitors, so please visit our website for inspiration. We would love to tell you the story about why you should Visit Norway – and hope you to see you soon! We are proud to support Norway as Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2019.

Vestre Vestre is a leading producer of furniture for public spaces. Over the past 70 years, we have helped to create social meeting places for millions of people.

From Scandinavia with Love. Towns are growing and urbanisation is on the increase. It is our ambition to develop innovative, aesthetic solutions which will make a difference for people. Places to sit down, meet friends, park your bike or throw away your rubbish. We believe that good design creates good spaces. That is why Vestre is collaborating with well-known designers from Scandinavia. It is equally important for our products to have both a beautiful, unique design and be functional for their users; have a long life and have a minimum impact on the environment.

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Other collaborators

(Not a complete list)  Fritt Ord Foundation  The Savings Bank Foundation DNB  Norwegian Publishers Association  Bergesenstiftelsen  Sálas – The Sámi Publishers’ and Newspaper Association  Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association  Norwegian Authors’ Union  Norwegian Writers for Children  Norwegian Association of Literary Translators  Norwegian Crafts  Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA)  Design and Architecture Norway (DOGA)  Performing Arts Hub Norway (PAHN)  Music Norway  Norwegian Film Institute (NFI)  Munchmuseet  Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum - National Museum of Decorative Arts and Design  Innovation Norway  National Library of Norway  Norwegian PEN  ICORN  Talent Norway  The Sámi Parliament of Norway  Norwegian Writer's Center  City of Bergen  The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO)  The Sámi national theatre Beaivvàš  The National Theatre in Oslo  Det Norske Teatret  Fotogalleriet

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