Gyldendal Agency Foreign Rights Guide Spring 2019
Gyldendal Agency Spring 2019
ANNE CATHRINE ENG FOREIGN RIGHTS DIRECTOR CHILDREN & YA AND FICTION ANNE.CATHRINE.ENG@GYLDENDAL.NO
BJARNE BUSET FOREIGN RIGHTS MANAGER CLASSICS AND NON-FICTION BJARNE.BUSET@GYLDENDAL.NO
ALEXANDRA WITTIG FOREIGN RIGHTS ASSISTANT ALEXANDRA.WITTIG@GYLDENDAL.NO
GYLDENDAL AGENCY IS AN IN-HOUSE LITERARY AGENCY
Gyldendal Agency Gyldendal Norsk Forlag AS P.O. Box 6860 St. Olavs plass 0130 Oslo, Norway Tel: +47 22034100 http://eng.gyldendal.no/ foreignrights@gyldendal.no
FICTION
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FICTION NOVELS
Conscience Trude Marstein A novel of the restless yearning after a life filled with passion, purpose and a sense of belonging – but also about the sense that everything slips, that nothing can be held in place, that perhaps people neither wish to nor can bear the thought of actually belonging to someone.
Nominated for: • the Brage Prize 2018 • the Norwegian Booksellers’ Award 2018 • the Literary Critics’ Prize 2018 • the Youth’s Critics’ Prize 2018 • the P2-Listeners’ Prize 2018 “Marstein’s triumph (...)”
Monika is 13 years old and knows that all her experiences will soon belong to a time past. She’s 27, and an older professor’s mistress. She’s 37 years old and lives with Geir; they’ve just had Maiken, who rhythmically sucks upon her pacifier, a strip of bare skin at the back of her head. She’s 46, with a shedfull of quarrelsome chickens, thinking to herself that life is a series of failed attempts at fusing things together. She’s 52, and in the mirror above the fruit and vegetables in the grocery store, she sees her mother’s face.
KLASSEKAMPEN
FOREIGN SALES // SWEDEN, BONNIER / DENMARK, ROSINANTE
About the author Trude Marstein (b. 1973) grew up in the small of town Tønsberg on the coast of the Oslo fjord. She received the Tarjei Vesaas’ Debutant Prize for Strong Hunger, Sudden Nausea (1998) and has written several novels, as well as a book for children and a number of essays.
NOVEL // ORIGINAL TITLE: SÅ MYE HADDE JEG // 432 PAGES
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FICTION NOVELS
All Happy Childhoods Are Alike Tummyegg: that’s what Frøya says instead of tummyache, and innitating when she means irritating. “She is so innitating,” she says whenever Maiken is teasing her. She also says top and no and peak instead of stop, snow, and speak. It’s a quarter past six; if I get up now, I’ll have time for a smoke in the barn after I’ve fed the chickens. Every morning, when I get up from the warm bed and Trond Henrik, it feels like ripping off a plaster, but it’s sweet nevertheless: the certainty of the repetitions, the routines, my life now. Trond Henrik is half-asleep and won’t let me go; I briefly yield, with a moan that’s somewhere between suffering and satisfaction. The first thing I thought of upon waking was the chickens. The white one is harassed by the others; every morning when I come into the henhouse, she is ruffled up and frazzled, often with blood on the back feathers. White as snow, red as blood, Frøya has dubbed her Snow White. In the last two days, the Jæren hen, Sigri, has started to brood, even though the eggs aren’t fertilised. She has a fit whenever I try to take the eggs; I have to reach under with gloves on. The Advent star shines in the window. I pack the lunches and make coffee before pouring fermented milk over muesli in old, mismatched bowls. Frøya isn’t wearing any socks, I put my hand on her foot, it’s cold. Maiken comes slowly down the stairs. Frøya says they’re making Christmas presents in the day care again today, and that Simon broke what she’d made yesterday: a house with an elf in the door. “The elf said: Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas,” she screeches. She is standing on her knees on a chair in a pair of red wool pants, the feet bare. Maiken’s sweatpants have holes in the knees, so I can see she’s not got any tights under. We have to leave home at quarter past seven, at the latest, to be on time for school, day care, work. The girls are six years apart; when we met, Frøya was still wearing diapers at night. That man and the girl in the apartment where there was no cheese slicer or clean handtowels and the kitchen counter was greasy and the toilet grimy: I just wanted to take care of them, give them a family life, and Maiken, I wanted to give Maiken a family life. Play Ludo, watch films, dinner for four around the table, holidays together.
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FICTION NOVELS
Our Street Zeshan Shakar A profoun dly literary and authentic voice, describing s econd-generation immigrant’s position as both insider and outsider in Norwegian society.
• More than 100.000 copies sold • More than one year on the bestseller list • World English rights sold • Stage play in spring 2019 • Winner of Tarjei Vesaas’ Debutant Prize 2018
“It’s not gonna happen. I don’t like writing. At least not writing a journal, man. That’s for cunts, man. I prefer talking, you know. But ok, yeah man, I’m Jamaal. Black, Muslim, from Stovner, T.U.V. – Tante Ulrikkes street, you know, always representing.” It is Norway in the 2000s. Two boys grow up on Tante Ulrikkes street in Stovner, a suburb of Oslo. Their parents had hope. They themselves are in the middle of the transition between suburb and wider society, between car wash and student canteen, exam grades and keef. While growing up, their lives take completely different directions.
• One of the best books of 2017 VG, DAGBLADET, AFTENPOSTEN,
DAGENS NÆRINGSLIV, ADRESSEAVISEN,
KLASSEKAMPEN
FOREIGN SALES // GREAT BRITAIN, (WORLD ENGLISH RIGHTS) WRECKING BALL PRESS
About the author Zeshan Shakar (b. 1982) grew up in Stovner. He is a qualified political scientist and has also studied economics at the Norwegian Business School (BI). Shakar has worked at various government ministries and directorates, and now works at Oslo City Hall. He made his debut in autumn 2017 with the novel Our Street.
NOVEL // ORIGINAL TITLE: TANTE ULRIKKES VEI // 432 PAGES
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FICTION NOVELS
“[A] powerful, important and artistically successful novel about growing up as a second generation immigrant in Oslo- Suburbia.”
“When there’s hardly anything about a debut to put your finger on, you start wondering which name the author has used for his previous novels.” VG
“Our Street isn’t important because it represents something or someone, but because it’s a really great novel.” MORGENBLADET
ADRESSEAVISEN
“The novel offers political awareness on a difficult subject. It offers drugs, unemployment, child neglect, but also care, warmth, humor and a pride over your roots.” TARA
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FICTION NOVELS
Present Tense Machine Gunnhild Øyehaug A novel about life’s irreparable loneliness. And about love. Present Tense Machine introduces us to the mother and daughter Anna and Laura. In one startling second, the world splits into parallel universes at one point in the 1990s. Anna and Laura are pulled into separate universes. Twenty-one years later, life has gone on as if nothing happened, but in each of the women’s lives, something’s not quite right. Nominated for the Youth’s Critics’ Prize 2018 “A novel that expands the mind. Ø yehaug creates a sensible and ambiguous novel universe with parallel worlds.” BERGENS TIDENE
“Øyehaug writes a very original text in which she plays in both narrative form, act and language, without ever becoming artificial.” DAG OG TID
“Gunnhild Øyehaug makes fiction great again. A triumph of the imagination. Luminous and masterful. A beautiful novel about loss, loneliness and c ommunity.” DAGBLADET
FOREIGN SALES // DENMARK, ROSINANTE
About the author Gunnhild Øyehaug (b. 1975) is a highly awarded author, essayist and literary critic. She had her great breakthrough with her first novel, Wait, Blink in 2008. The novel was published to great acclaim in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland, France and the USA. When the short story collection Knots came out in USA (FSG) in 2017, James Wood called her “a Norwegian master of the short story” in the New Yorker. She has received several awards through her authorship. NOVEL // KOLON FORLAG // ORIGINAL TITLE: PRESENS MASKIN // 160 PAGES
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FICTION NOVELS
Knots ‘A near-perfect collection about the knots we tie ourselves into and the countless ways we intertwine in the pursuit of sex, love, compassion, and family.’ KIRKUS REVIEW
Gunnhild Øyehaug was called a Norwegian master of the short story by the influential critic James Wood in The New Yorker in 2017. Her collection of short stories, Knots, published in the USA by Farrar, Straus & Giroux, brought her universal acclaim from the critics.
Wait, Blink
“Øyehaug weaves her characters and their world together into a novel that feels as much like a real picture of inner life as it does an author’s beautiful game.” THE PARIS REVIEW
The novel is both wide-ranging and complex, and paint, warm and hearty portraits of fragile and, at times, desperate characters. It is a humorous and profound novel about desire and dreams, women and men, love and what it means to dare to be yourself. The novel was later published to great acclaim in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland and the USA and a film version premiered in 2015 to great s uccess. FOREIGN SALES // KNOTS: DENMARK, ROSINANTE / THE NETHERLANDS, PODIUM / USA, FARRAR, STRAUS & GIROUX WAIT, BLINK: DENMARK, GYLDENDAL / GERMANY, SUHRKAMP / FRANCE, MERCURE DE FRANCE / POLAND, WYDAWNICTWO PAUZA ANITA MUSIO / SWEDEN, FORUM / USA, FARRAR, STRAUS & GIROUX
SHORT STORIES/NOVELS // KOLON FORLAG // ORIGINAL TITLES: KNUTAR/VENTE, BLINKE 108/272 PAGES
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FICTION NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES
The Deletion of Paul Abel Bjørn Vatne
“Vatne has a linguistic energy and an outstanding sense for realism, faithful character depictions and good dialogue that make the novel work not only as an experiment in ideas, but also in literature” KLASSEKAMPEN
“A disturbing story that connects two of our time’s greatest threats to h umanity: pollution and sur veillance.”
Northwest Norway, mid-21st century: Norway is the only country in the world that has succeeded in building a network of deep, collective consciousness between its citizens. A layer of graphene a single atom thick around the cerebral cortex, also known as the Shell, allows them to experience exotic places, to sense smells, and perceive people who aren’t there. Marine biologist Paul Abel detests this development, still swearing by the old-fashioned, handheld Shell. He soon finds himself in a tiny apartment in Densetown, at the bottom of a hierarchy based on the idea of the Global Universe. His wife, Astrid, transforms into one of the state’s most trusted servants, eternally faithful to Pan. Paul intends to do something about all of this. The Deletion of Paul Abel is a novel about finding your place in the ecosystem, about love, faith and scepticism, and the unbeatable energy of 1980s dance movies.
DAGBLADET
About the author Bjørn Vatne (b. 1976) comes from Ålesund. He debuted in 2015 with his novel This is How We Choose Our Victims, which was selected as Book of the Year by Norwegian book bloggers. He has been published in Vinduet literary magazine and in Granta, has worked for several years as a journalist, and is currently a freelancer.
NOVEL // ORIGINAL TITLE: NULLINGEN AV PAUL ABEL // 320 PAGES
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FICTION NOVELS
Ocean Song Anne Ch. Østby Maraia is almost eighteen. Her name means ”star of the sea”. In Maraia’s own sea, her star is blue, with five arms: depth, silence, song, awe, and courage. In their golden years, Ingrid, Sina, Lisbeth, and Maya left Norway to join their friend Kat on her cocoa farm in Fiji. With warm sand between their toes and flowers tucked behind their ears, they fought, loved, and struggled their way to pieces of happiness. Now Maraia stands to inherit the farm and the chocolate factory. Everything they’ve done was for her. But Maraia has to go where the wind takes her. She hears the song of the sea – the one that can both whisper softly in the moonlight and roar in a wild and wicked storm. In Fiji, the ocean is both friend and foe. When an unexpected invitation brings them to Norway, the stage is set for lively culture clashes and emotionally charged meetings with their past. And for Maraia, the trip offers a window into the forces that will shape her future.
A book about taking charge of your own life, the responsibility of being next in line, and the realization that in order to be there for others, you must first be there for yourself.
FOREIGN SALES // PREVIOUS NOVEL PIECES OF HAPPINESS SOLD TO 14 COUNTRIES
About the author Anne Ch. Østby (b. 1958) has published several novels for youth and adults, before Pieces of Happiness came out in 2016. She has many years’ experience as a journalist in the Norwegian press. Since 1990, Østby has lived with the family abroad, mainly in Asia, and she now lives in Myanmar. A common theme in her books is identity in an international culture. NOVEL // ORIGINAL TITLE: HAVSANG // 300 PAGES
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FICTION NOVELS
No Orders Forthcoming Linda Skomakerstuen On the last day before the holidays, Vilma finds an unaddressed envelope in her mailbox. Inside is a necklace belonging to her mother’s twin sister, who vanished from her village fifty years ago to the day.
Praise for Without Material Errors or Omissions (2017): «Bridget Jones meets Miss Marple... Here is a good plot, rustic storytelling and a willingness to entertain. A good start.» FÆDRELANDSVENNEN
She left behind a family in pieces. Vilma’s life has also been shattered. Her partner has thrown her out and for the last six months she has been living in her old room at her parents’ house. She’s 34 years old and works at a garden furniture factory with no orders forthcoming, and, she thinks, life couldn’t get any sadder than this. But when Vilma wakes up the morning after a party and realises that she has entered into a bet that she can’t get out of, she knows that everything can get worse. Much worse.
«Delightful anti-crime.» ADRESSEAVISEN
«...a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining book.» DAGSAVISEN
About the author Linda Holdø Skomakerstuen (b. 1971) lives in Risør, a small town on the southern coast of Norway. She has a degree in economics and is a state-authorised auditor. When she isn’t writing, she takes care of a family of five. Without Material Errors or Omissions was her debut as a novelist.
NOVEL // ORIGINAL TITLE: UTEN INNKOMMENDE ORDRE // 280 PAGES
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FICTION NOVELS
The Idiot Robert Reed Flatjord The Idiot is a love story about a relationship break-up. Robin Ruud Flatfjord is attempting to live out his dream of being an author at the same time as living an approximately normal life with his partner. But ten years after his last publication and with a partner whose patience Robin has frittered away, the relationship falls apart. At the age of 36, Robin finds himself at a place he had never imagined: single, full of self-hatred and on the lookout for a place to live. The Idiot is a diary novel that follows Robin through the hard, chaotic, alcohol-drenched months after a break-up.
A grippingly narrated novel, holding back on neither the comedy nor the t radegy.
About the author Robert Reed Flatjord (b. 1982) in Sandane, now living in Oslo. He made his debut with the novel Edward Nansen in 2007.
NOVEL // KOLON FORLAG // ORIGINAL TITLE: IDOTEN // 180 PAGES
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FICTION NOVELS
Mermaid Heart Ingvild Lothe After the critically acclaimed poetry Why Am I So Sad When I Am So Cute, Mermaid Heart is Ingvild Lothe’s debut as a novelist Mermaid Heart centres on the sea and its myths – such as mermaids and the darkness in its depths – but also on plastic, migrants drowning in the Mediterranean, being open to the world, loss and violence, wildlife and its importance to us humans. Praise for Why Am I So Sad When I Am So Cute? (2016): ‘Sexuality, death, decay, and then this resting bitch-face. We like it. We like it very much.’
Mermaid Heart is a poetic fragmentary novel that moves through the four seasons; where reality is warped and terrifying, and connection is impossible because the body holds on to grief too tightly; but where with spring, comes hope.
AFTONBLADET
‘Ingvild Lothe is taking over as Norwegian literature’s Houellebecq girl.’ MORGENBLADET
About the author Ingvild Lothe (b. 1990) grew up in Stord in Hordaland and lives in Oslo. She was educated in Author Studies in Bø, and has previously published the booklet ‘Half a mind to fuck, half a mind to die’ with the chapbook publisher AVF Press. Why Am I So Sad When I Am So Cute was her first book and is published in Germany and Sweden.
NOVEL // KOLON FORLAG // ORIGINAL TITLE: HAVFRUHJERTE // 96 PAGES
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FICTION NOVELS
Hotel Montebello Rebecca Wexelsen When Nina gets cancer and has to check in to the hospital as an in-patient, it seems as though the whole world is collapsing around her. But she soon begins to enjoy herself, and on the day that she is declared well again she has no desire to go back to her everyday life. When you’re healthy, nobody looks out for you; it’s expected that you’ll take care of yourself. You’re supposed to perform and be funny and sociable. You’re supposed to go out, never to miss out on a single thing, and to drink too, but not too much. Nobody checks your weight and your blood work or asks if you are tired or perky or afraid or indifferent. When you are healthy, nobody asks you anything at all. You are not in safe hands. You might as well not exist. With black humour and a keen eye for our weaker sides, Rebecca Wexelsen delivers a convincing debut novel about sickness, loneliness and belonging.
“Rebecca Wexelsen writes funny about serious topics. ... Even without the cancer disease, Wexelsen’s wellfunctioning comic rests on a sore sadness. This is a successful debut.” KLASSEKAMPEN BOKMAGASINET
Hotel Montebello is a portrait of a young woman struggling to find her place in life, written with a gallows humour.
NEW WRITER
About the author Rebecca Wexelsen was born in Oslo in 1986. Her background is language and literature studies and she works as a copywriter. This is her first novel.
NOVEL // TIDEN NORSK FORLAG // ORIGINAL TITLE: HOTELL MONTEBELLO // 190 PAGES
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FICTION NOVELS
Wild Grass Michael Rindahl This debut novel is a compact and subtle story about resignation and rebellion. It deals with turmoil and attempts at restoration – and about being a certain person in a certain world Wild Grass is the story of Edvin, a 62-year-old hermit and in many ways one of the last of the North Norwegians. There have been great upheavals from the time his parents grew up and settled in a small, lively island community. Edvin was long one of the last island-dwellers, but now the authorities have paid him to move to the mainland. He has the sense that something is about to slip away, and a dawning realisation that a change must soon come.
NEW WRITER
About the author Michael Rindahl (b. 1991) comes from Vesterålen. Wild Grass is his first novel.
NOVEL // ORIGINAL TITLE: GAMMELGRESSET // 220 PAGES
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FICTION NOVELS
Nada Hanna Stoltenberg A book about meditation retreats and personal shoppers. It deals with introspection and selfdeception, and with how strange the story we tell about ourselves can seem to others. And it deals with putting oneself first and longing for purity in a world of chaos. Her whole life, Karin has fled from everything and everyone who wants to possess her. She has a daughter she rarely contacts, a job she never dreamed of, and she largely socialises only with men she meets on the internet. But when her daughter’s marriage becomes at risk of falling apart, she is forced out into a world that demands something from her.
NEW WRITER
About the author Hanna Stoltenberg (b. 1989) was born and raised in Oslo and has worked as a freelance journalist for Aftenposten K and D2.
NOVEL  // ORIGINAL TITLE: NADA // 220 PAGES
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FICTION CRIME NOVELS
White Armada Ørjan N. Karlsson First we take Crimea, then we take Northern Norway: While Nato is riven by internal strife, cynical Russian propaganda brings Norway to the brink of war. Only a small group of N orwegian special forces can prevent catastrophe.
Highly topical thriller about hot war at the cold frontier between Russia and Norway Chillingly realistic political scenario Female marine on dramatic mission behind enemy lines Author with solid technical knowledge on war and conflict First book in a thriller trilogy
A nuclear accident in the Russian industrial city of Nikel sparks a stampede across the border to Norway. Following the Norwegian population’s hostile reactions, the Russian army invades Finnmark in order to help its own citizens. But the whole thing is staged and broadcast as fake news, the same formula that Putin used when he took Crimea from Ukraine in 2015 and South Ossetia from Georgia in 2008. White Armada is a highly topical and frighteningly realistic thriller from Norway’s frozen northern border with Russia. For the first time since the Cold War, armed conflict between the two neighbouring countries is not just possible, but likely. In a last desperate attempt to avoid conflict, Ida Vinterdal and Frank Halvorsen take on a mission from which they will probably not escape with their lives: a mission that concerns the Russian president Vladimir Putin directly.
About the author Ørjan N. Karlsson (b. 1970) grew up in Bodø. A sociologist by education, he received officer training in the army and has taken part in missions overseas. He has worked at the Ministry of Defence and is now head of department in the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection. He has written a large number of thrillers, sci-fi novels and crime novels for adults. Visit the author’s homepage at www.orjankarlsson.com. CRIME NOVEL // ORIGINAL TITLE: HVIT ARMADA // 350 PAGES
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FICTION CRIME NOVELS
The One Who Loves You Most Kristine Storli Henningsen An eerily psychological thriller set in a tiny, isolated community where everyone knows everyone...and where everyone has dark secrets After a number of grim years, Fie and her young family move to a Spanish mountain village to find peace. While her husband Simon works on ships in the North Sea, Fie and her son Lucas establish a new life in the ‘real’ Spain, an hour’s drive from the tourists on the Costa del Sol. The house to which they move has a history. Throughout her pregnancy an expectant mother heard threatening voices. She was slowly driven mad, and took her own life on the day she was due to give birth. Fie becomes obsessed with finding out more about the woman’s fate, but is met with ominous silence from those around her, even from her close group of female friends.
Praise for In the Shadow of Big Trees (2012): “The scenes in this novel could also have been from TV series. Some of them are unforgettable” TRØNDER-AVISA
“[The book] entertains from beginning to end, and shows a talented debutant who has a real story to tell” DAGBLADET
About the author Kristine Storli Henningsen (b. 1974) lives in Drammen and has worked as a journalist. After learning her storytelling trade as an author of women’s fiction, In the Shadow of Big Trees was her first novel. Her second book, Inland Heat, appeared in 2013.
NOVEL // ORIGINAL TITLE: DEN SOM ELSKER DEG HØYT // 350 PAGES
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FICTION CRIME NOVELS
The Revenge Asle Skredderberget Harald Halvorsen, one of Norway’s richest men, is found murdered in an abandoned nursing home in Oslo. On the same day, a video of a show trial with Halvorsen as the defendant is uploaded to the internet.
Praise for Pain Killer (2013): “Pain Killer comprises a series of mysteries and a good dose of action, mixed with Italian spice in the form of Catholicism, the Mafia and Latin amore.” DAGENS NÆRINGSLIV
“In the current flood of Norwegian crime fiction, types of detectives come in all shapes and sizes, but Asle Skredderberget’s creation must be one of the most original.”
Those behind the video, which ends in torture and execution, are a group inspired by the Norse god Våle. Their purpose is to punish certain members of the elite both in Norway and elsewhere in Europe. These are all people with dark secrets who have amassed enormous fortunes. It soon emerges that the Våle group is highly effective and has significant resources. Financial crime investigator Milo Cavalli joins the Oslo police on the case, but since he himself is the inheritor of a large family fortune, he eventually becomes a target for the Norse avengers. He has to find the masterminds before they find him.
AFTENPOSTEN
About the author Asle Skredderberget (b. 1972) draws on both his journalistic and corporate experience in his writing. His debut crime novel Soft as Metal, about the weapons and finance industries, was shortlisted for the prestigious Riverton Award in 2010 as Norway’s best crime novel. Pain Killer was published in January 2013 to enthusiastic reviews from crime-loving critics and bloggers. CRIME NOVEL // ORIGINAL TITLE: HEVNEN TILHØRER MEG // 300 PAGES
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FICTION FANTACY NOVELS
Earth Age Simen B. Hagerup A road trip, a modern picaresque novel that is both amusing and well written. Earth Age is Simen B. Hagerup’s debut n ovel, a fantasy novel for adults and the first part of a trilogy. Mysterious forces pull the pensioner T atjana into a strange, alien world where people live in a pact with unpredictable spirits while trying to survive in the shadow of a fallen empire. Tatjana joins forces with a local fisherman and sets out on a journey across continents.
Praise for Terrible Void (2009): “Terrible Void is a fearless, intelligent and outstanding collection of texts that, when all is said and done, feels like an apologia – for monsters of every kind, and for their eternal right to disturb us.” FREDRIKSSTAD BLAD
About the author Simen B. Hagerup works as a writer, critic and translator. Since his debut book Absolutely Everything (2004) he has become known as a particularly experimental and inventive writer, with such publications as Terrible Void (2009) and Swarm (2012). He has studied in Bø, Copenhagen, Paris and Stockholm, and lives in Fredrikstad.
NOVEL // KOLON FORLAG // ORIGINAL TITLE: JORDVERV // 192 PAGES
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FICTION ESSAYS
Drafts from The Mariana Trench An Essay in Forty-Three Acts Ida Lødemel Tvedt
An essay on contemporary literature and the spirit of our times
NEW WRITER
Drafts from The Mariana Trench is an essay in forty-three acts, about literature and the spirit of the times, about resentment and desire dressed up as ideology, about enthusiasm, rage and love, about cockroaches, milk and makeup, about culturalcritical poses and the role of confession in public life. The story begins with a choir of Norwegian children longing for transgressive experiences, oceans and whales. From there we travel through a world that is at times cold and disillusioned, at times mild, kind and jolly. The essay moves between Norway and New York, in the company of contemporary writers like Anne Carson, Maggie Nelson, Claire-Louise Bennett and Lars Amund Vaage, while the oeuvre of Dolly Parton and Louis C.K. is explicated as eagerly as the writings of Agnar Mykle and Simone Weil. Chapters shift between differing essayistic modes, from portraits and interviews, to street wanderings and monologues.
About the author IIda Lødemel Tvedt (b. 1987) is a critic for the Norwegian daily newspaper Klassekampen, and co-editor of Vagant, a Scandinavian literary journal. She has taught classes on the literary essay at The New School and Columbia University. Drafts from the Mariana Trench is her first book.
ESSAYS // ORIGINAL TITLE: MARIANEGROPEN. ET ESSAY I FØRTITRE AKTER // 240 PAGES
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SELECTED BACKLIST
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FICTION SELECTED BACKLIST
Knut Hamsun Acclaimed author Knut Hamsun (1859–1952) is considered by many as the most prominent literary figure in Norway since Ibsen. From his experimental novels of the 1890s to his grand epic novels of the interwar period, his works are still widely read today. FOREIGN SALES TO MORE THAN 40 COUNTRIES MOST PROMINENT TITLES: HUNGER, PAN, MYSTERIES, GROWTH OF THE SOIL. MORE THAN 30 TITLES ALL TOGETHER.
Tarjei Vesaas Tarjei Vesaas (1897–1970) is regarded one of Scandinavia’s foremost fiction authors of the 20th century; as a modernist, he maintained a degree of technical experimentation throughout his career. FOREIGN SALES TO MORE THAN 30 COUNTRIES. MOST PROMINENT TITLES: THE BIRDS, THE ICE PALACE. MORE THAN 30 TITLES ALL TOGETHER.
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FICTION SELECTED BACKLIST
Johan Harstad Johan Harstad (b. 1979), novelist, playwright and writer of short stories and short prose, offers a wholly original voice, and is one of the most striking literary talents of his generation. FOREIGN SALES TO MORE THAN 20 COUNTRIES MAIN TITLE: MAX, MISCHA AND THE TET OFFENSIVE. SOLD TO: DENMARK, HR. FERDINAND GERMANY, ROWOHLT VERLAG THE NETHERLANDS, UITGEVERIJ PODIUM SPAIN, TRES HERMANAS
Ingvild Rishøi Ingvild Rishøi (b. 1978), one of the most admired and acclaimed writers of her generation, writes short stories in a top format. Her latest book, Winter Stories, won the Literary Critics’ Prize for the best adult fiction as well as the Brage Prize for best work of short fiction. SOLD TO: BULGARIA, IZIDA DENMARK, BATZER GERMANY, OPEN HOUSE VERLAG SLOVAKIA, PREMEDIA SWEDEN, BOKFÖRLAGET FLO UK/US/INDIA, SEAGULL BOOKS (WORLD ENGLISH RIGHTS)
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Levi Henriksen Levi Henriksen (b. 1964) is an award-winning author of short stories and novels, with a wide and loyal readership. Many of Henriksen’s books are translated and published in more than 10 countries, most recently in Italy. SNOW WILL FALL ON FALLEN SNOW. AWARDED THE NORWEGIAN BOOKSELLERS’ PRIZE SOLD TO: DENMARK, BATZER & CO. FINNLAND, WSOY ITALY, IPERBOREA GERMANY, DROEMER/KNAUR POLAND, SMAK SLOWA SWEDEN, KABUSA TURKEY, YAPI KREDI
Herbjørg Wassmo Herbjørg Wassmo (b. 1942) has earned her position and popularity in Norway and aboard through her abilities as a powerful storyteller with a special concern for exposed and vulnerable characters. Wassmo’s works have been published in 29 countries. LAST TITLE: THE ONE WHO SEES. SOLD TO: DENMARK, LINDHARDT & RINGHOF FRANCE, ÉDITIONS GAÏA LITHUANIA, ALMA LITTERA POLAND, SMAK SLOWA RUSSIA, PALMYRA
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FICTION SELECTED BACKLIST
Gunnar Staalesen A new crime novel from the pen of Gunnar Staalesen (b. 1947) is always an event in Norway – where he is one of the absolute masters of the genre. His series about Varg Veum, has sold more than 2 million copies, as well as 200,000 DVDs. 12 novels have been filmed. ”A Norwegian Chandler.” JO NESBØ FOREIGN SALES TO MORE THAN 20 COUNTRIES MORE THAN 30 TITLES ALL TOGETHER THE VARG VEUM-SERIES CONSISTS OF 19 TITLES TO DATE
Tor Ulven Tor Ulven (1935-1995) is by many regarded the most original and significant poet of his generation. His works continue to fascinate, and are constantly being discovered by new generation of readers. REPLACEMENT. SOLD TO: USA, DALKEY ARCHIVE PRESS DENMARK, FORLAGET SIDSTE ÅRHUNDREDE AUSTRIA, LITERATURVERLAG DROSCHL SWEDEN, FLO FÖRLAG
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Kjell Ola Dahl Kjell Ola Dahl (b. 1958) is a critically acclaimed writer of crime fiction. He won both the Brage Prize and The Riverton Prize for The Courier in 2015. His crime novels have been published in 14 countries MAIN TITLE: THE COURIER. SOLD TO: DENMARK, MODTRYK ITALY, MARSILIO EDITORI GERMANY, BASTEI LÜBBE SLOVAKIA, PREMEDIA SWEDEN, BOKFABRIKEN UK, ORENDA BOOKS
Tomas Espedal At once deeply personal and meticulously composed, award-winning author Tomas Espedal’s (b. 1961) novels draw on a number of different genres, such as the essay, letter, diary, autobiography and travelogue. Tramp served as his breakthrough, cementing his position as one of our most esteemed novelists, and reaching a wider audience. Espedal’s works have been published in 25 countries.
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Cecilie Enger Cecilie Enger (b. 1963), journalist and author, has made herself noted with her hushed, but brilliant novels, many of them with a biographical or autobiographical point for departure. MAIN TITLE: MOTHER’S GIFTS. AWARDED THE NORWEGIAN BOOKSELLERS’ PRIZE SOLD TO: CZECH REPUBLIC, MOBA DENMARK, JENSEN & DALGAARD GERMANY, DVA HUNGARY, TYPOTEX NETHERLANDS, DUTCH MEDIA ROMANIA, UNIVERS SERBIA, SEZAM
Jørgen Brekke Jørgen Brekke (b. 1968) made his literary debut with the acclaimed crime novel The Realm of Grace in 2011. It is translated into 14 languages and followed-up by the critically acclaimed Dreamless (2012) and The Nature of Man (2013).
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The Battle of the North Ethelred, Cnut and Olaf – The Struggle for Supremacy around the North Sea
Tore Skeie We are in the region surrounding the North Sea at the beginning of the year 1000. Ordinary people are struggling to survive in harsh conditions. Society’s elite – kings, nobles, earls and tribal leaders – are, on the contrary, only concerned with one thing: the pursuit of power. In a society with crude infrastructure and weak institutions, power can only be obtained by one means: the use of force. In the year 1000, Æthelred is king of the AngloSaxons. He has great domestic problems – every region of his recently united kingdom is simmering – but even greater problems threaten him from beyond: the Danes, Vikings from Denmark and Norway, are plundering his land. In The Battle of the North Tore Skeie paints the whole picture and takes the reader along on a tremendous journey through history. It is the rocksolid historical tale of the real Game of Thrones.
“Tore Skeie has established himself as an outstanding mediator of our medieval history. Tore Skeie’s l anguage is at once rich and precise...It is masterfully executed.” STAVANGER AFTENBLAD
“This true story is like The Lord of the Rings, only better...Tore Skeie is a first-rate author, the essence of Peter Englund and Sir Walter Scott... What a wonderful story this is! DAGBLADET
FOREIGN SALES // DENMARK, ROSINATE
About the authors Tore Skeie (b. 1977) is often called Norway’s most important young historian and enjoys a wide readership. His books Alv Erlingsson and The Virgin from Norway, both released by Spartacus Forlag, received rave reviews.
NON-FICTION // ORIGINAL TITLE: HVITEKRIST: OLAV HARALDSSON OG HANS TID // 350 PAGES
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I Live a Life Like Yours Jan Grue Jan Grue suffers from a congenital muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair. He also has a college education, a job and a family. On the surface, he is well off. What had to happen for him to reach this point?
“For Grue’s part it is in many ways a life against all odds. He describes it so beautifully and wisely that it makes one think about the great masters of the genre, like American Joan Didion (...) A literary masterpiece that is highly recommended!” DAGBLADET
I Live a Life Like Yours is a masterpiece memoir about life in a vulnerable body. It is a story about work, about dreams and a longing to live like everyone else. It is a book about life, both common and uncommon. “Into the unknown: we don’t know where we’re going. We are sailing in a leaky boat; we know that we’re dying animals. With dreams of Byzantium, we bail out as much water as we can, sailing on-ward, together. We are Argonauts, astronauts, adventurers, explorers. This is our journey.”
“A masterpiece of own life.” STAVANGER AFTENBLAD
Nominated for: • the Literary Critics’ Prize 2018 • the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2019
About the author Jan Grue (b. 1981) has studied film and linguistics and has a PhD in linguistics from the University of Oslo. He has been a columnist and bookreviewer for the Norwegian newspaper Klassekampen and has published articles in various newspapers and periodicals. He made his literary debut in 2010 and has since released short stories, books for children and young adults, and a novel. NON-FICTION // ORIGINAL TITLE: JEG LEVER ET LIV SOM LIGNER DERES // 176 PAGES
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Polar Love Sigri Sandberg and Anders Bache What do cold, harsh conditions and long distances do to the love between two people? This is the first-ever collection of love stories from the polar regions. This book contains nine powerful love stories from the polar ice caps, including the secret letters a young Roald Amundsen received from a smitten girl; the story of the Swede Nils Strindberg, who left his sweetheart behind to take off on a perilous hot air balloon trip in 1897; and the farewell letter the English polar hero Robert Falcon Scott wrote to his wife shortly before he perished in Antarctica in 1912. Not to mention an everyday love story in a hunting lodge at almost 80 degrees north. Infidelity, escape, quarrels over girls on post cards, love letters that never arrived—perhaps even a murder.
Tales of the love life of polar explorerers like Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott and Fridtjof Nansen: Nine stories about hot love under cold conditions.
Through never-before-published letters, diaries and stories, this book is a warm time capsule from cold expanses in the period between 1884 and 1937.
FOREIGN SALES // GERMANY, MARE VERLAG
About the authors Sigri Sandberg (b. 1975) is a journalist and author. She has written nine books by herself and four with the polar explorer Cecilie Skog. Anders Bache (b. 1984) has worked on polar history for over 10 years. His educational back-ground is in archaeology with a focus on polar cultural heritage. NON-FICTION // ORIGINAL TITLE: POLAR KJÆRLIGHET // 256 PAGES
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A Good Norwegian. The Story of Frode Berg Trine Hamran Frode Berg was imprisoned in Russia just b efore Christmas 2017, accused of spying. Some months later one of his best friends, Trine H amran, confirmed that he was working for Norwegian intelligence.
Before his last, fateful assignment Berg was allegedly put under pressure by his Norwegian case officer. Among the questions he was asked: ‘Don’t you want to be a good Norwegian?’
Now Trine Hamran has written a book about her good friend. She tells Frode’s story: where he’s from, his career in the military and as a border inspector, the attitudes and places that have influenced him, why he moved to Finnmark and, not least, why he became a spy. In A Good Norwegian the reader is given new and exciting details about how the field of intelligence really looks and works. The book also takes a close look at the environment on the Russian border in East Finnmark, a strange region characterised by mutual suspicion and respect, and one which has now become the heart of a geopolitical game of superpowers with the United States and Russia in the leading roles.
About the author Trine Hamran is a highly experienced journalist with a career including a good deal of work in Russia. Several years ago she received a series of awards for the series Border Stories. She is also the founder, former online editor of and writer for the web magazine Sett Nordfra.
NON-FICTION // ORIGINAL TITLE: EN GOD NORDMANN. FORTELLINGEN OM FRODE BERG // 300 PAGES
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She’s Got This. The Prejudices You Didn’t Know You Had Isabelle Ringnes and Marie Louise Sunde The Scandinavian countries are presumably among the most advanced in gender equality. But there’s a big difference between formal and real equality. This book is about the prejudices you didn’t know you had – the subtle cultural discrimination that is so integrated in society that you don’t even notice it. What’s really happening in terms of equality in Norway? What forms of unconscious discrimination still occur? These are this book’s main questions. In the book the authors share their own experiences and interview well-known male and female executives. Sunde and Ringnes want to take a fact-based, constructive and not least humorous approach to equality. The objective is to create greater awareness on the strange things we do, say and think, both in our private lives and at the workplace.
The book to explain why equality is worth it and gender balance is good for business
About the authors Marie Louise Sunde and Isabelle Ringnes are the founders of the company #ShesGotThis, which was started in 2015 to address unconscious bias and Gender Stereotypes. Sunde is a medical doctor, working as a surgeon, has a PhD in surgery and has been a voice in the medical #metoo movement. Ringnes is the co-founder of TENK: Technology Network for Women, host of the podcast Future Forecast, and a faculty member at Singularity University Nordic. NON-FICTION // ORIGINAL TITLE: HVEM SPANDERER. FORDOMMENE DU IKKE VISSTE DU HADDE // 264 PAGES
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Help: Teenager in the House. Thought training for parents Line Langaard Solberg Do you worry about your teenager? Are you afraid that he or she isn’t handling schoolwork or making friends? This guide is for those of you who want to be more confident in your role as a parent. The aim of this book is that you, as the mother or father of a teenager, will be clearer and more confident in your role as parent. A parent’s g reatest task is to prepare their children to flee the nest, and gradually letting them take charge of the controls.
Are you anxious about the challenges that adolescence brings, especially when it comes to partying, drink and drugs, and sleep problems? These worries can lead to nagging and arguments, resulting in a loss of trust and poorer communication. With everyday stories you will relate to, this book provides you with tools you can use in specific situations linked to communication, boundary setting, sleep, screen time, schoolwork and friends.
About the author Line Langaard Solberg (b. 1962) trained as a secondary school teacher and coach. Since 2008 she has managed her own practice as a coach for children and youths in Oslo. It is in this that she puts emphasis on the term ‘thought training’. She has extensive experience as a trainer and speaker in secondary schools, colleges and universities. The author is married with three adult children. NON-FICTION // ORIGINAL TITLE: HJELP: TENÅRING I HUSET. TANKETRENING FOR TENÅRINGSFORELDRE // 224 PAGES
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NON-FICTION HOBBY AND FOOD & DRINK
Knitting for Children and Babies from Paelas Frida Farstad Brevik, Siri Hoftun and Trude Melhus Rognstad Two books from the Norwegian knitwear firm Paelas. In Knitting for Children you’ll find around fifty patterns for boys and girls, from new-borns up to eight years old. In Knitting for Babies the little ones are the focus with thirty patterns for babies and toddlers up to three years old. The patterns make use of a range of knitting techniques with varying levels of difficulty, and the authors present knitwear designs with inspiring colours, moods, structures and wool qualities. The books also contain thorough instructions on how to knit.
Tiddelibom Knits Karine Strand Andresen Do you want to knit soft, comfortable clothing for your little ones? Tiddelibom Knits offers thirty cool and trendy patterns for jackets, trousers, full suits, bodies, rompers, smart mittens, neck warmers, woolly hats, knee socks, socks and blankets. The patterns are ordered in size from premature up to five years old. The clothes are snug and easy to put on, even for the tiniest among us.
HOBBY // ORIGINAL TITLE: BABYSTRIKK FRA PAELAS / TIDDELIBOMSTRIKK // 144 / 168 PAGES
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Wiola’s Cardigans Kristin Wiola Ødegård Find your favourite from a selection of beautiful cardigans with wonderful details! In Wiola’s Cardigans knitwear designer Kristin Wiola Ødegård offers up her own greatest creations. The book contains some of the popular designer’s classics, such as the Wiola cardigan, the Røver cardigan and Circle dance, but also a series of new and never-before-published patterns for both cardigans and sweaters, for women, men and children. The patterns are suitable for both beginners and more experienced knitters.
Cool Stitches and Neat Seams Sidsel J. Høivik Every stitch of a handmade garment is filled with love and care. They take time to make, but are guaranteed to last. Lose yourself in beautiful knitting patterns and wonderful photos in this year’s finest knitwear book. Cool Stitches and Neat Seams contains 50 knitting patterns for women’s wear and a few matching outfits for children. You’ll find skirts, dresses, tunics, jackets, boleros, shawls, hats, mittens and bags. Each design is a timeless creation achieved through a variety of techniques, and mixing colours, trends, qualities and traditions.
HOBBY // ORIGINAL TITLE: WIOLAKOFTER / LEKRE MASKER OG LEKNE STING // 224 / 240 PAGES
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Pretty Special: Sew Your Child’s Favourite Clothes Kristin Thorsnes and Ane Sud In this book you’ll find over thirty-five clothing designs for both babies and older children. Sizes range from 50 to 140 cm. Each design is soft and comfortable and suits active kids and tots perfectly. We wouldn’t be surprised if these clothes become your kids’ new favourites! Each design is accompanied by clear and simple instructions. Kristin Thorsnes has also created a helpful illustrated sewing course with step-by-step instructions.
Intestinal Medicine Berit Nordstrand In her many years as a doctor, Berit Nordstrand has guided patients and families with children who have struggled with anxiety, concentration problems, ADHD and mental health issues. She has seen how an unbalanced stomach can affect both behaviour and the psyche, and how the condition improves when constipation or a sensitive bowel receives treatment. With Berit’s six-step method you can change your intestinal flora and benefit from significant health gains.
HOBBY // ORIGINAL TITLE: / HEILT SPESIELL. SY BARNAS FAVORITTPLAGG / TARMENS MEDISIN // 160 / 304 PAGES
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Womankind Marianne Gjengedal and Klaudia Pérès
FOREIGN SALES // GERMANY / THE NETHERLANDS / POLAND
Sit down to eat with iconic women! This is a spectacular cookbook about women who have stood out, gone forth and changed the world in very different ways. The book’s authors ‘become’ the women they are presenting: as feminists and foodies, the writers are interested in strong women and have tried to imagine what they ate. Through empathy and commitment they succeed in presenting living portraits of women such as Anna Pavlova, Frida Kahlo, Julia Child, Astrid Lindgren, Sigrid Undset, Oda Krohg, Marie Antoinette, Björk, Jane Austen and many more.
Thai-obsessed Terje Ommundsen Street food from Bangkok to Oslo. Terje Ommundsen has run Plah, one of Norway’s best Thai restaurants, since 2004. Norwegian seafood works very well in the Thai kitchen and Terje travels regularly to Thailand for inspiration. In this book we accompany him as he eats on the streets of Bangkok, and picking up recipes for fantastic appetisers along the way: the best combination of flavours that the Thai kitchen can offer.
FOOD & DRINK // ORIGINAL TITLE: KVINNFOLK / THAI-OBSESSED // 320 / 256 PAGES
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Food and Wine for the People Sara Døscher and Klaus Døscher Food and Wine for the People is a new kind of food and wine pairing book in which the reader not only gets to find out what works well together, but why a certain dish and a particular wine suit each other, together taking the experience to new heights. With the help of photos and symbols, the book shows in an easily comprehensible way just what it is in food and wine that creates the match and the magic. Each recipe is accompanied by a number of wine tips. The book contains recipes for 52 perfect dinners (one for every weekend of the year) with combinations that you’ll never forget!
Wine for the People Sara Døscher Around the world in fifteen grapes. Do you want to know more about wine, pick out the best, and let them show you where they come from? This simple book is filled to the rim with practical, useful knowledge about wine from a passionate promoter of the subject. Wine for the People is for everyone: a celebration of both the wine and the culture, and a shortcut to what you need to know about wine. Through its use of a visual infotainment style, the book demystifies wine as a subject, taking you along on an inspiring wine journey where the grapes lead the way. FOOD & DRINK // ORIGINAL TITLE: MAT & VIN TIL FOLKET / VIN TIL FOLKET // 224/208 PAGES
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Bian Shen Torbjørn Øverland Amundsen Would you live forever, trapped in the body of a child?
“Bian Shen is tough, entertaining and wise in its own way. And it is built on a solid idea... The ending asks more q uestions than it gives answers to. Possibly we’ll get them in the next book. And the well-written Bian Shen has enough suspense and drive to be worth waiting for..” DAGBLADET
Bian Shen is the first book in a trilogy about a group of children that have lived for thousands of years. Given both miracle and a curse, they have been forced to live through history in the bodies of children. Not able to die, not able to grow up. Tomorrow is Arthur’s 14th birthday, but he knows he will die during the night. He also knows that he will wake up in a body, helpless as a newborn infant, but with all his memories and feelings intact. Arthur is one of ‘the Children’. Unable to die and unable to grow up he has lived through history of the world in a child’s body. But even that isn’t sufficient to prepare him for what is about to happen... Nominated for the Ministry of Culture’s Debut Prize 2013 for which the jury called pointed out that ‘the author stretches his canvas far and wide, showing clear ambitions for the text and the genre.’
FOREIGN SALES // DENMARK, TURBINE / HUNGARY, KOLOBRI / ITALY, SALANI / TURKEY, NEMESIS / KOREA, WISDOM PUBLISHING HOUSE
About the authors Torbjørn Øverland Amundsen (b. 1979) is a Norwegian author raised in Ålgård but currently living in Oslo. Amundsen studied civil engineering within the field of communication technology, but has also studied psychology and philosophy. His debut, the youth fantasy novel Bian Shen, was also aimed at adults. Kelestriel is the second book in a trilogy.
FANTASY // ORIGINAL TITLE: BIAN SHEEN // 452 PAGES
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Kelestriel Bian Shen # 2 Torbjørn Øverland Amundsen The follow-up to Bian Shen is finally here! Welcome back to Øverland Amundsen’s enormous universe in this sequel novel that spares nothing as it challenges traditional genre conventions. In Kelestriel, Øverland Amundsen broadens his canvas once again to cover an even bigger world. We meet ‘the Children’ a short while after the dramatic final moments of Bian Shen, and the battle to reveal Paolo’s plans goes on. The stakes are higher than ever before and Arthur, who was the first of the Children to turn older than fourteen, has to use his new powers both to save lives, and to take them. At the same time a new Guardian has awoken in the Network and begins to realise precisely how much is at risk, and how powerful the Network is, and can be.
FANTASY // ORIGINAL TITLE: KELESTRIEL. BIAN SHEN # 2 // 500 PAGES
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The Different Lives of Olivia Heidi Linde When you move house every other week, in a way you live two lives. At least that’s how I see it: as a kind of double life.
First book in a new series
Olivia spends one week with her mother and the other with her father. In her mum’s apartment there are five kids, two adults and six animals, and there’s never a dull moment. Over at the house belonging to her father and Louise, everything is quiet and nobody is in a rush – and it feels nice too. Olivia thinks her life is almost perfect. But then a new girl joins her class, and her dad tells Olivia that she’s going to become a big sister. In a short space of time Olivia goes from thinking that life is great to thinking it is completely confusing.
About the author Heidi Linde (b. 1973) is a genuinely talented writer with warm, vivid prose and characters that will touch your heart. Her big breakthrough came with her third novel, Yes, We Can! (2011). She is also one of few plot-driven women writers to traverse the gender gap; reviewers obviously see her as a writer for both men and women and compare her to giants like Nick Hornby and Jonathan Franzen. MIDDLE GRADE // ORIGINAL TITLE: ANNENHVER UKE // 180 PAGES
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The Only Thing I Owe You is a Beating Arne Svingen «If I’m being perfectly honest, there’s nothing more cathartic than feeling the strike of your own fist against the chin of an idiot. Not because I enjoy hurting others. And not even because I love a brawl. But because someone has to fight back.» Herman has knocked down a boy who turns out to be a friend of the family. When Herman refuses to apologise, he gets reported for assault. But why should he take all the blame? Herman never fights people who aren’t asking for trouble. Then up pops Silje, who has heard that Herman is a badass, and who has a list of names of people who deserve a smack in the mouth. The Only Thing I Owe You is a Beating presents violence in a way we have not seen before in youth literature, and has something to say about what’s behind news headlines about violence and beefs between boys and young men.
“The evidence that Arne Svingen is getting tough this time arrives as early as the first sentence. The Only Thing I Owe You is a Beating is not his first book about frustrated youth, but it’s one of his best.” NRK
“Arne Svingen strikes a blow for vulnerable and aggressive youths.” BERGENS TIDENE
About the author Arne Svingen (b. 1967) is one of our foremost writers for children and young adults. He is deeply committed to encouraging children and adolescents to read, and is a real wizard at using humour and suspense to captivate his readers. A number of Arne Svingen’s books have been sold abroad, and he has been translated into fourteen languages. His last novel, A Sky Full of Clouds (2018), was nominated for the prestigious Brage Prize. CONTEMPORARY // ORIGINAL TITLE: ALT JEG SKYLDER DEG ER JULING // 192 PAGES
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North Sea Elen Betanzo A tough, painful novel about growing up and trying to find yourself in the shadow of an alpha male.
“In the shadow of a complex father figure, Elen Betanzo portrays the struggle for identity with great insight.” DAG OG TID
“Psychologically interesting. As readers, we are held in an emotionally firm grip by the author, while he tightens the plot with increasing intensity.”
Mathias is 16 years old and his father is one of Stavanger’s richest men. When his dad is accused of serious financial mismanagement at work, Mathias sees sides of his father he has never seen before. At the same time, he also discovers new sides to himself. Why is Mathias becoming more and more cynical and restless? And why does he keep waiting for his father’s approval? In the middle of the driveway are two cars I’ve never seen before. A huge guy in a leather jacket comes out of the door. He’s carrying one of dad’s computers in his arms. A woman with a stiff ponytail and a man with faded jeans are piling things into the boot of one of the cars. Our things. I see hard drives, files and books sticking out of different cardboard boxes. Mum’s camera is there too. What the hell is happening?
VÅRT LAND
About the author Elen Betanzo (b. 1984) comes from Stavanger but lives in Oslo. She has written a range of books for children and teenagers and was nominated for one of the Ministry of Culture’s awards for children and youth literature for her debut novel.
CONTEMPORARY // ORIGINAL TITLE: NORDSJØEN // 112 PAGES
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This Isn’t Us Neda Alaei A painfully realistic novel about young people who have to take care of themselves when their parents aren’t able to be parents. It’s a story about neglect, but one in which for once we see a support system that works. It’s almost a year since mum died. At home, Sanna has to look after dad, but all he wants to do is sleep and write. He almost never eats and he barely even looks at her. Things haven’t been much better at school since her best friend stopped speaking to her. Then Yousef joins the class. He shows her how to take pictures and to see the world in a whole new way. He, too, has more responsibility than a teenager should have, and Sanna has finally found someone who understands her. But can she trust him, or is he just like all the others?
“Alaei writes both originally and credibly about the complicated feelings Sanna experiences when her father confuses her with her dead mother, and about the difficult choices she faces.” BARNEBOKKRITIKK.NO.
NEW WRITER
About the illustrator Neda Alaei (b. 1991) grew up in Moss and lives in Oslo. She graduated in Writing Studies from the Norwegian Institute of Children’s Books in 2017. She is a trained child welfare officer and her day job is as a milieu therapist working with young people. This Isn’t Us is her first novel.
CONTEMPORARY // ORIGINAL TITLE: DETTE ER IKKE OSS // 180 PAGES
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Black Lego Kristin Storrusten “You can’t say you don’t like your grandmother. I know that. But my Grandma is no good at being a grandmother. She’s no good at it at all.” THOMAS, ALMOST 11
Big brother Peter is allergic to everything, and little sister Johanne has a mind like no-one else. Thomas loves them both a lot, but it’s so difficult to make allowances for them all the time. And then there’s Grandma. She’s really helpful – that’s what she says, in any case. Thomas isn’t so sure. If she is, then she helps everyone else but him. More to the point, he’s not sure if he even really likes her. But you can’t say that. And every thing just gets more difficult when he tries to save her by saying something that he doesn’t really mean.
About the author Kristin Storrusten (b. 1986) debuts as an author of children’s books. She has a master’s degree in the dissemination of literature and has published the poetry collection Birth with Tiden Norsk Forlag. She is on a leave of absence from the Norwegian Library Association to write her own books and for the newspaper Aftenposten, and to create courses for the Norwegian Institute of Children’s Books. MIDDLE GRADE // ORIGINAL TITLE: SVART LEGO // 120 PAGES
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The World’s Worst School Camp Marius Horn Molaug and Kristoffer Kjølberg (ill.) In the last year the World’s Worst books have really established themselves in the pre-teen segment and several of the titles have become bestsellers. Now the seventh book is here – and it is the celebrated, despised, typically Norwegian school camp tradition that is next up. The headmaster remembers all too well his ‘week from hell’ from his military training and thinks it’s high time that today’s pampered 11-year-olds get a taste of just how hungry it’s possible to be after three days without food or a sleeping bag. How lucky for the rest of the class that Ruben and Kent have a solid survival plan. The series has gained a faithful fan base, which gets to suggest titles, themes and book covers via social media. Text and images that work well together, combined with masses of humour and a life that rarely goes according to plan make the World’s Worst books an entertaining and fun reading experience for both children and adults.
About the author and the illustrator Marius Molaug (b. 1976) works as editor of the Norwegian edition of Donald Duck. He is a member of the creative community Dongery. Kristoffer Kjølberg (b. 1980) is a prize-winning illustrator and graphic designer. He is a member of the creative community Dongery. MIDDLE GRADE // ORIGINAL TITLE: VERDENS VERSTE LEIRSKOLE // 150 PAGES
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The Newspaper Gang: After Bedtime Kristoffer Kjølberg Meet the pre-teen reader’s new best friend – Sebastian! He’s a journalist at his school news paper The Newspaper and plans on being the greatest crime reporter the school has ever seen.
After Bedtime is the first in a new comic-book series about the Newspaper Gang that we have great hopes for and look forward to seeing more of in the next few years!
In the beginning this doesn’t demand so much from, but it does involve nightly excursions, the procurement of a trench coat, and countless attempts at learning to like coffee. Sebastian’s courage is really put to the test when he actually discovers something mysterious – the unmistakable footprints of what can only be GIANT RATS, or possibly SPACE CREATURES. The school newspaper’s sales figures have never been better, but when it matters does Sebastian really dare to pursue the mysterious creatures? Kristoffer Kjølberg is an expert comic-book artist who, with his great humour and charm, will draw many a reluctant reader into the world of literature.
About the author Kristoffer Kjølberg (b. 1980) is an award-winning illustrator and graphic designer. He is a member of the creative community Dongery.
MIDDLE GRADE // ORIGINAL TITLE: AVISGJENGEN. ETTER LEGGETID // 64 PAGES
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CHILDREN MIDDLE GRADE
Night Shift at the Necropolis Bjørn Ingvaldsen This is one of the author’s darkest and strongest novels. Well-formulated, insistent and powerful on how wrong things can go when adults put themselves first. This is a tale that feels authentic and true. Some children live like this, and it’s important to tell their stories. Some people work in the daytime; others work at night. Max’s mother is a night worker. At night she sits in her office in the cellar; she sleeps during the day. Max is left alone. He goes to school and plays sport, and sometimes he visits his father at the weekends. But when he’s at home, he’s all alone. Out in the garage is Grandad’s old sports car: an MG. It’s not often that anyone drives it, but one day Max and his Grandad find empty wine bottles inside. It’s not only work that Max’s mother is doing. She dreams too. About traveling, about meeting someone, and being recognised for her work. Max’s mother is a death researcher. She works where the dead are: the churchyard, the burial grounds, the necropolis. In the dark. That’s why she works night shifts.
About the author and illustrator Bjørn Ingvaldsen (b. 1962) made his debut in 1995 with a collection of short stories for adults. Since then he has written several books for children and adults. His books for children have been translated into Danish, French, German and Italian.
MIDDLE GRADE // ORIGINAL TITLE: NATTSKIFTET I NEKROPOLIS // 144 PAGES
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CHILDREN READ ALONE
Agent Elvin Griff. Escape to the Ends of the Earth Arne Svingen and Eivind Gulliksen (ill.) Elvin Griff is on the run. He has escaped from a top-secret spy school and now people from the school are after him.
First book in a new series
Using his smart moves, Elvin manages to get away from the agents. But he knows that they won’t give up the chase, and that he will have to travel far. From there Elvin goes to Endevik. He meets Lydia, who also has a secret she needs to hide from the grown-ups – her mother is in prison and she lives home alone. Can Elvin and Lydia trust each other? And can they face a standoff with the school bullies, the mayor and the manager of the shopping centre – at the same time as slipping away from the agents who are hunting Elvin?
About the author and the illustrator Arne Svingen (b. 1967) is one of our foremost writers for children and young adults. He is deeply committed to encouraging children and adolescents to read, and is a real wizard at using humour and suspense to captivate his readers. Eivind Gulliksen (b. 1973) is an illustrator and was trained at Falmouth College of Arts in the UK. READ ALONE // ORIGINAL TITLES: FLUKTEN TIL VERDENS ENDE // 120 PAGES
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CHILDREN READ ALONE
Ruffen – The Great Egg Robbery Tor Åge Bringsværd and Thore Hansen (ill.) Do you remember that Ruffen the sea serpent found his soul mate Hamayoko last year? Now the happiness will never end – Hamayoko is expecting an egg! And inside the egg is not just one, but TWO heirs – a little girl sea serpent and a boy dragon! So there is much drama when the dragon egg is taken to London by cunning kidnappers! There it is placed in a museum and surrounded by strange guards so that the public can take a look at the rare animals in the cage. Luckily Ruffen has good friends and a big family, and both mice and dragons are put into action in the boldest of ways once the rescue attempt is under way. Grand, epic and political – as only Tor Åge Bringsværd and Thore Hansen know how.
Praise for Ruffen Gets Married (2017): “Although many of the parents who buy Ruffen Gets Married will do so for purely nostalgic reasons, what they’re getting is not nostalgic in the slightest. On the contrary, this is a series that has managed to stay fresh and fantastic and relatively unchanging for almost half a century. It deserves to be discovered by yet another generation.” BARNEBOKKRITIKK.NO
About the author and the illustrator Tor Åge Bringsværd (b. 1939) is an award-winning author and playwright who writes for all ages. Thore Hansen (b. 1942) is an award-winning artist who illustrates for his own books and others.
READ ALONE 8 YEARS // ORIGINAL TITLE: RUFFEN: DET STORE EGGRØVERIET // 64 PAGES
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CHILDREN READ ALOUD
Mia Can Fly Anneli Klepp and Camilla Billett (ill.) Tor has found a trophy. Mia is jealous. She wants one too! But how is she going to get one? Mia comes up with a plan. Then she starts practising...and gets closer and closer to her goal... The eleventh book in the Tor and Mia series is about working to be the best at something. But it’s also about the nice things that can happen when everything goes wrong. Anneli Klepp has written a new, exciting and authentic tale that is easy for both girls and boys who have just started reading to see themselves in. On the website www.torogmia.no you can find out even more about the characters – read about Tor and Mia, learn to draw them, find recipes and lots of other fun stuff.
FOREIGN SALES // MIA BECOMES A SPY / THE FAROE ISLANDS
About the author and the illustrator Anneli Klepp (b. 1966) was born and raised in Kirkenes and lives on the outskirts of Oslo. She was first published in 2005 with What Do You Think?. Since then she has published several children’s books. Camilla Freng Billett (b. 1966) is a trained graphic d esigner and illustrator. She has worked for many years as designer, and now works independently. READ ALOUD // ORIGINAL TITLE: MIA KAN FLY // 36 PAGES
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CHILDREN READ ALOUD
The Birthday Wish Linn T. Sunne and Åshild Irgens (ill.) When there is one thing that means more than anything else. In three days Eva turns eight years old. She’s wishing just one thing for her birthday. A hamster. This is a book that many children will see themselves in – especially those who love animals.
About the author and the illustrator Linn T. Sunne (b. 1971) published her first book in 2000 and since then has written many books for children and adolescents. In 2007 she received the Brage Prize for Best Youth Novel. Åshild Irgens (b. 1976) is an artist and illustrator with a background from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. READ ALOUD // ORIGINAL TITLE: BURSDAGSØNSKET // 36 PAGES
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CHILDREN READ ALONE
Svingen’s Dark World: Twins Arne Svingen and Torstein Nordstrand (ill.) The 20th book in the series! Jakob and Kristian are two peas in a pod. They take advantage of this to win bets for extra pocket money. One day their father’s jewellery shop is robbed. Will the twins special powers be a match for deadly criminals?
About the author and the illustrator Arne Svingen (b. 1967) is one of our foremost writers for children and young adults. Torstein Nordstrand (b. 1977) is an illustrator and visual designer. In the US his illustrations have been featured in gaming for many years, and he helped design the visual concept of Funcom’s award-winning Age of Conan. READ ALONE // ORIGINAL TITLE: SVINGENS MØRKE V ERDEN. TVILLINGENE // 48 PAGES
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CHILDREN READ ALONE
Svingen’s Crazy World: Thingamajig Arne Svingen and Henry Bronken (ill.) Edgar is finally going on a trip with Gusty, his grandfather’s horse. Edgar is excited about driving the horse and cart, but he’s also a little worried because Grandad speaks in a very strange way, with a lot of weird words. Before they set off, Grandad says there are two things they have to look out for: Gusty doesn’t like lozenge boxes that schwuzzle, and Gusty hates people with red eggshells on their conks. But is it really lozenge boxes and eggshells that Grandad is talking about?
The 7th book in the series!
About the author and the illustrator Arne Svingen (b.1967) is one of our foremost writers for children and young adults. Henry Bronken (b. 1975) is a Norwegian cartoonist. His first comic was published in the Norwegian anthology Forresten in 2001. Several of his comic books have been published since. READ ALONE // ORIGINAL TITLE: SVINGENS GALE VERDEN. DINGSEBOMSEN // 48 PAGES
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CHILDREN NON-FICTION
A Place for Millennia Jan Christopher Næss and Jens Kristensen (ill.) What did your hometown look like a hundred years ago? A thousand years ago? Ten thousand years ago? A hundred thousand years ago? The story of one place that could be anywhere. It could be where you live, too.
This is a non-fiction book with a smart text and sensational illustrations. Although it is written for children, its fresh take on history will be of interest to readers of any age.
Each time we turn a page, we see the same place, seen from the same angle, but with hundreds or thousands of years in-between. We see how ice formed the landscape into a river valley. On the next spread a landslide has filled the valley, providing the fertile soil for the first farmers. People gradually inhabit the area, building farms in the Bronze Age and establishing a trading post in the era of the Vikings. In the Middle Ages the trading post becomes a Hanseatic town, then a modern city with suburbs in our time. It’s the same place, but almost unrecognisable.
About the author and the illustrator Jan Christopher Næss (b. 1964, England). He trained as a teacher of Norwegian. Næss also works as a translator and has been an instructor, actor and playwright for the amateur theatre. Jens Kristensen (b. 1975) works as an illustrator and visual artist in Oslo. He trained at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry. NON-FICTION // ORIGINAL TITLE: ET STED I TUSENVIS AV ÅR // 48 PAGES
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CHILDREN NON-FICTION
Sonja Henie Ine Marie Wilmann and Ingebjørg F. Mæland (ill.) The story of the girl from Oslo who became an Olympic champion and a Hollywood star. Exciting reading for young and old. Sonja Henie is a mini-biography for the 3–6 years age group. With exquisite illustrations and inspirational events, it tells The book is written by Ine Marie Wilmann, who is currently in the lead role in the film about Sonja Henie.
NEW WRITER
About the author and the illustrator Ine Marie Wilmann (b. 1985) is an actor and debuts as an author with this book. Ingebjørg F. Mæland (b. 1981) is an experienced illustrator and animator who has always dreamed of illustrating children’s books.
NON-FICTION // ORIGINAL TITLE: SONJA HENIE // 32 PAGES
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CHILDREN PICTURE BOOKS
Ida Jackson and Jens A. Larsen Aas (ill.) Bo Bear is Sick Bo Bear has quickly become a well-known and well-loved character for an entire generation of children. This brilliant teddy bear is a phenomenon beloved by the target group, at the same time as parents appreciate his calm and intimate nature. Children are drawn into his world, dancing along with the movie, wishing for the teddy bear in the toyshop and, of course, reading the books. In Bo Bear is Sick we can only reveal that Bo Bear does become ill, with all the nursing and care that that implies. Since his mother is a nurse, Bo Bear also gets to play with real equipment!
About the author and illustrator Ida Jackson has published books for children, young adults and adults. She has been nominated for the Brage Prize, the Literary Critics’ Prize and the Book Blogger’s Award for her previous titles. Jens A. Larsen Aas has a degree from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and made his debut as an illustrator of children’s books in 2016. PICTURE BOOKS // ORIGINAL TITLE: BRILLEBJØRN ER SYK // 32 PAGES
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CHILDREN READ ALONE
Mari Kanstad Johnsen 3-2-1 Now Anna and Grandma are on the go again, and this time they’re not learning the alphabet, but numbers! Anna is flummoxed because she doesn’t get to keep the gold ring that fell on her head in the last book—but wouldn’t you know it, they find a real 20-kroner coin on the ground outside their building. What should she use it for, what can she afford, what costs too much?
ABC Anna and her grandma are on the way home from nursery school when Anna is hit on the head by a ring. Where can it have come from? They ring doors at the nearest high-rise building to inquire, but neither the Architect, Baker or Cellist have lost one. And outside door D there is a smell of smoke... but it can hardly be a fire-belching Dragon that lives there? Or can it? A magnificent ABC book from one of the most original and critical acclaimed picture book authors in Norway, nominated for Norway’s prestigious Brage Prize in 2017. A book where the kids can really explore the letters of the alphabet.
“ABC is tradition and renewal, learn-ing and fun, and it’s safe to say it is one of the year’s best picture books”
DAGBLADET
About the author Mari Kanstad Johnsen (b. 1981) works as an illustrator and artist. She made her debut as a children book’s illustrator with Barbiedoll and the Pistol Problem in 2011. Her debut as an author came with Scary Holiday in 2013. She received a Special Mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Award 2017 for I’m Out of Here. Her books are translated into French, Korean, Spanish and Swedish. READ ALONE 8 YEARS // ORIGINAL TITLES: 3-2-1/ABC // 76/96 PAGES
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