TIRSDAG HØYDEPUNKTER
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 2
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
WELCOME TO THE FESTIVAL! The Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer is the largest in the Nordic region, and has recently been named by Penguin as one of the 20 best literature festivals in the world. In the month of May Lillehammer is the place to be for everyone interested in what’s currently happening on the literature scene. Central themes in this year’s programme are Indian literature, nationalism and freedom of expression. We are also celebrating the 10th anniversary of the festival’s programme for children and young people’s literature.
Indian literature Indian literature is once again in the spotlight in our part of the world. The authors who, a few years back, generated a wave of translations in Norway have continued to mature and are important participants in the social debates of India. The emergence of nationalistic trends in our own part of the world enables us to view Indian literature in a completely new fashion - as a warning. India is a country in which many different religions, ethnic groups and languages coexist; while the country is also marked by extreme differences between rich and poor, the upper and lower classes, men and women, and majority and minority populations. Literature is an important weapon in the fight against oppression and institutionalized discrimination. Jerry Pinto, Laxmi, Tishani Doshi, Salma, Rana Dasgupta, Sharad Paul, Salil Tripathi and our other Indian guests will elaborate on what this entails and how such activism can find artistic expression. Nationalism Brexit, Trump, and fake news. Both in our immediate, Norwegian reality and in a larger international context we are witnessing how nationalistic trends are becoming more pronounced and the debate climate increasingly harsh. What is
happening in Europe? What is happening in the USA? Or in Norway? Simen Ekern, Kamila Shamsie, Salil Tripathi, Sjòn, Larry Siems, Elisabeth Åsbrink, Andrew McMillan, Margie Orford, and Rana Dasgupta are among the authors who will contribute to enlightenment, debate and critical reflection at this year’s festival. In other words When freedom of expression is threatened, restricted or prohibited, artists and authors are forced to find ever more inventive ways of subverting authoritarian oppression. This resistance acquires new forms, new words, and new means. “In other words”, ICORN and PEN International’s conference, which will take place in conjunction and collaboration with the festival, is an exploration and celebration of art and literature’s resilience in a post-factual world. Over 300 participants from more than 60 nations will contribute to the conference, enriching this year’s festival programme. Marit Borkenhagen F e s t i va l Di r e c t or
Mathias R. Samuelsen A rt i s t ic a dv i s e r
TIRSDAG
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL HØYDEPUNKTER SIDE NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 3 3
Vigdis Hjorth
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
LITERARY STARS IN LILLEHAMMER Karl Ove Knausgård, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Åsne Seierstad, Sjón, Kamila Shamsie, Jerry Pinto and Meg Rosoff are among the headliners this year. When such a large literature festival takes place in a small Norwegian town, it has a wonderful impact on the 27,000 inhabitants. Suddenly the festival’s guests can be spotted everywhere - on the streets, in the cafés and at all the literary venues. Take a stroll down the ancient pedestrian High Street – there’s a good chance you might run into literary stars such as Vigdis Hjorth, Claire-Louise Bennett, Max Porter, Arnar Már Arngrímsson, Hans Herbjørnsrud, James Rebanks, Margie Orford, Meg Rosoff, John Freeman, Yadollah Royaee, Selma Lønning Aarø, Kim Leine, Johan Theorin or Tove Nilsen.
TUESDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 4
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
Trilok Gurtu 7:00–8:30 PM
OPENING PERFORMANCE A MEETING OF INDIAN AND NORWEGIAN CULTURES FINDS REFLECTION IN AN IBSENIAN DILEMMA
MAIHAUGSALEN
Ila Arun “Tell me, then, where was my real self, complete and true, the Peer who bore the stamp of God upon his brow?” This quote comes from Peer Gynt, the play in verse by Henrik Ibsen. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the play’s premiere. During the intervening years, an entire world has come to know the adventurer from Gudbrandsdalen who knocked about from the glacial horn of Jotunheimen to remote destinations in search of his own identity. The questions that Ibsen asks are universal and when the Indian Bollywood star and Festival Director Ila Arun staged Peer Gynt at the Ibsen festival in Mombai, the play proved that it is still relevant today. At Maihaugsalen, Ila Arun meets the Norwegian actor Kåre Conradi in an Ibsenian dialogue in Hindi and Norwegian. In this year’s opening performance, the Indian authors, Jerry Pinto and Tishani Doshi, will also take part, along with their Norwegian colleagues, Ragnar Hovland and Gro Dahle. We will meet the Indian percussionist, Trilok Gurtu, in a duo with Nils Petter Molvær, the dancer, Sudesh Adhana, with excerpts from Sølvi Edvardsen’s “MAN” and UNITY-Crew, a group of young dancers from the X-Ray youth centre in Oslo performing with dancers from the L&G Dansesenter. Awarding of the Dobloug Prize. Official opening with the Norwegian Minister of Culture, Linda Hofstad Helleland. NOK 330 | The performance will be in Hindi, Norwegian an English
WEDNESDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 5
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
11:00–11:50 AM
THE INDIAN RAPES LILLEHAMMER KUNSTMUSEUM, SAL 2
This autumn, Julia Wiræus’ book about sexualized violence in India will be released. She has spoken with the family of Jyoti Singh, the upper secondary school pupil who was studying physiotherapy and who died after the much publicized bus rape committed in December 2012. Wiræus will speak about the project and about her meetings with the bereaved. Afterwards there will be a conversation with the Indian poet Tishani Doshi, who is writing a work of poetry about the same issues and events. This provides an insight into the systematic misogyny and racism that prevails in today’s Hindu-nationalistic India. NOK 120
11:00–11:50 AM
THE PHENOMENON THE MOTH ELEPHANT KUNSTHALL
Joshua Wolf Shenk is one of the creators responsible for the famous story-telling podcast The Moth, on which ordinary people tell their stories. As it turns out, these everyday stories have hit home with many listeners. The programme has 500,000 separate weekly downloads and is syndicated on 400 unique radio stations which, combined, constitute 1,000,000 listeners per broadcast. Gradually, as the programme has evolved, some of the USA’s most well-known authors, comedians, journalists and actors have been featured. Meet Joshua Wolf Shenk in conversation with Askild Matre Aasarød. NOK 120
WEDNESDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 6
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
12:00 noon–13:30 PM
QUEER AND INFLAMMATORY
LILLEHAMMER KINO, SAL 5
When the film Fire was first shown in India in the 1990s, it created something of a commotion, not just because it tells the story of a lesbian relationship, but also because the relationship occurs within an Indian Muslim family. Since that time, the film has become a classic for the queer population of India, in the face of censorship and sabotage. As an introduction to the film, South Asia expert Ida Birkvad explains how this groundbreaking work functions within the queer-art genre in a part of the world where publicly living one’s homosexuality is taboo. NOK 120
1:00–2:00 PM
WEDNESDAY LUNCH SØNDRE PARK
Enjoy your lunch outdoors while listening to readings by Ivo de Figueiredo, who will read from A Stranger at My Table (En fremmed ved mitt bord), Athena Farrokhzad, who will read from White Blight, Selma Lønning Aarø, who will read from Her Lying Face (Hennes løgnaktige ytre) and the Alma Prize winner Meg Rosoff who will read from Jonathan Unleashed. Introduction by Olav Brostrup Müller. One of the readings will be in English | Free of charge
2:00–2:50 PM
MOTHER AND FATHER IN GOA LILLEHAMMER BIBLIOTEK
The Indian author Jerry Pinto and Norwegian Ivo de Figueiredo both have Goan backgrounds, a region in India that has been heavily influenced by Portugal. These two authors have had different upbringings and different types of families but they both write within the genre known as narrative non-fiction. While their roots maybe Goan, they reside in dramatically different countries how does this influence their memoirs and the way they write about family relationships. Through the conversation between Jerry Pinto and Ivo de Figueiredo the stage is set for a meeting that spans time, place and literature. The conversation will be moderated by Karin Haugen. NOK 120
Jerry Pinto
WEDNESDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 7
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
2:00–2:50 PM
LITERATURE AS A FORCE FOR CHANGE A MEETING WITH NOBEL PRIZE NOMINEE NGUGI WA THIONG’O
TELTET
This year marks 50 years since the important book Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong’o was published, a book made available in Norwegian translation last year, under the title of Hvetekornet. Thiong’o is Africa’s most celebrated author and is often mentioned in association with the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya and the dismantling of the British colonial rule are central themes in his writing, but also heroism and betrayal, lackeys and rebels, and the random events that often determine the side on which many people land. Thiong’o wrote his first published books in English, the language of the authorities, but then began writing in his mother tongue, kikuyu, a decision that led to both imprisonment and corporal punishment. Since his debut in 1962, he has written more than 30 books in different genres and this spring he is making headlines in Norway with the Norwegian translation of The River Between (Elven som skiller). Meet him in conversation with Tonje Vold. NOK 120 | Book sales and signing
3:00–3:50 PM
WHO ARE WE WRITING FOR? LILLEHAMMER KUNSTMUSEUM, SAL 2
Behind every book is an author, and every author usually has a reader in mind. When one is writing in what appears to be an autobiographic style or challenging the genre’s target readership, what impact does this have on the book? Meet two important authors in their respective fields, the British American young adult author Meg Rosoff and the prize-winning Norwegian author Vigdis Hjorth in conversation with Ane Nydal about their books and their readers. NOK 120 | Book sales and signing
Meg Rosoff
WEDNESDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 8
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
3:00–3:50 PM
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION EXHIBITION OPENING WITH ARIFUR RAHMAN, MODDI AND ROAR HAGEN
ELEPHANT KUNSTHALL
When personal freedom and rights are violated, when “alternative facts” run rampant in the public sphere, when information is gagged and violations takes place, satirical artists have a role to play. Their task is to expose, ridicule, disclose and insult. In many places they put their lives at risk in the process. Freedom of expression is under attack in many countries and both journalists and political artists come into the line of fire. For many artists, Internet-based channels are the only opportunity they have for publication. The exhibition has been produced in collaboration with City of Refuge artist Arifur Rahman from Bangladesh, who was personally subjected to torture and imprisoned for his drawings. Through his online magazine, toonsmag.com, artists from all over the world have been invited to this exhibition. In collaboration with Avistegnernes Hus-MiA and Arifur Rahman | Free of charge
4:00–4:50 PM
KEYNOTE SPEECH. SJÓN LILLEHAMMER BIBLIOTEK
“From the perspective of outer space the continents of the earth are blessed with an absence of the visible national borders we know from the ever more challenging geopolitical maps. In a similar fashion, literature has never recognized its nationality, because it only relates to the tiny piece of land on which the author may be standing at any given time.” This is how the Icelandic author, Sjón, sets the tone for this year’s keynote speech for the festival. In the same spirit as the rest of the programme, this lecture will also address nationalism and other disruptive elements that separate people from one another. Luckily, literature can show us the way. NOK 120 | Book sales and signing | Filmed by the Norwegian TV school
Sjón
WEDNESDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 9
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
4:00–4:50 PM
NEW AND NORDIC TELTET
Sølvi is a 15-year-old boy. His parents have built a house that is far too expensive and they are drowning in debt. They argue a lot, but have now decided to go their separate ways for the summer in search of the best paid work they can find. It turns out to be a different kind of summer. Arnar Már Arngrímsson was awarded the Nordic Council’s Children and Young People’s Literature Prize in 2016 for the book “Sølvi, the Tale of a Young Person” (Sölvasaga unglings). Hilde Hagerup invites us to a conversation about the debut book and about connecting with young readers through one’s writing. In collaboration with The Norwegian Institute for Children’s Books | NOK 120 |
4:30–4:50 PM
CARTOONING SYRIA EXHIBITION OPENING
KULTURHUSET BANKEN, EKSPEDISJONEN
Syria has been a war zone for more than five years and was formerly a dictatorship of the worst kind. Political artists have lived with censorship and threats, and for many artists exile has been the only option. The exhibition, Cartooning Syria, explores the artistic boundaries of freedom of expression and presents political comic strips and drawings by more than 20 Syrian artists. The exhibition will be opened by the President of the Norwegian Parliament, Olemic Thommesen. In collaboration with ICORN, PEN International, Norwegian PEN and Lillehammer Municipality | Free of charge
5:00-5:50 PM
SHARP LINES CAFÉ STIFT
Since the ‘Mohammed drawings’ and the attacks on the offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine, political cartoons have become increasingly subject to serious discussion. In this debate, our panel will consider the strengths and weaknesses of caricature, both as social commentary and artistic expression.The panel consists of: Ronald Bos (Netherlands), Arifur Rahman (Bangladesh) and Roar Hagen (Norway). Moderator: Elisabeth Eide. Free of charge
6:00-7:00 PM
CONCERT: TRILOK GURTUBAND
KULTURHUSET BANKEN, FESTSALEN
The Trilok Gurtu band plays a jazz-fusion mix with inspiration from India. For Gurtu, jazz is an attitude which makes it possible for him to not only overcome the boundaries between styles and genres, but to also elaborate the quintessence –in emotional terms – of his music. Jazz is a universal language which, despite all of its different dialects, is spoken and understood all over the world. Trilok Gurtu, a world class, virtuoso percussionist. Jesse Milliner, piano and keyboards. Christian Kappe, trumpet . Jonathan Ihlenfeld Cuniado, bass. NOK 350
WEDNESDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 10
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
6:00–11:00 PM
GARDEN PARTY NANSENSKOLEN
In keeping with tradition there will be a lively and enjoyable garden party – open to all. Readings by Josefine Klougart, Gro Dahle and Asta Olivia Nordenhof. Musical interlude by Madame Nielsen, DJ and open-mic. Food from the barbecue and sale of wine. (In the event of rain, the event will be indoors). In collaboration with The Nansen Academy | NOK 120
6:00–10:00 PM
WELCOME TO BOLLYWOOD! JODHAA AKBAR LILLEHAMMER KINO, SAL 4 INDIAN FILM DAYS
A rare opportunity to experience an authentic Bollywood film in Lillehammer. We will show the critically acclaimed film, Jodhaa Akbar, from 2008, a romantic drama based on actual events from the 16th century. The famous actress Ila Arun plays Akbar’s wet-nurse and foster-mother Maham Anga, the role is said to be one of her very best performances as an actress. The context of the love story is a politically motivated marriage of convenience, arranged to form an alliance between two cultures and religions. Jodhaa Akbar is a monumental, character-driven costume drama. Every scene is a pleasure for the eyes, with a wealth of detail seldom experienced at the cinema. Organizer: Lillehammer kino | NOK 100 | Ticket sales at Lillehammer kino | Introduction in English by Ila Arun, The film will be in Hindi/urdu with English subtitles
6:00–7:00 PM
KNAUSGÅRD MEETS BENNETT
LILLEHAMMER BIBLIOTEK
Claire-Louise Bennett’s debut book, the short story collection Pond (Dam) received a standing ovation from the entire English-speaking world and is now available in a Norwegian language edition. One of many who has been inspired by the Brit’s artful pen is her fellow author and Norwegian publisher Karl Ove Knausgård. Meet them in conversation. NOK 120 | Filmed by the Norwegian TV school
WEDNESDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 11
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
8:00–9:30 PM
IN OTHER WORDS OFFICIAL OPENING EVENT ICORN/PEN INTERNATIONAL
MAIHAUGSALEN “In Other Words” is about art’s need to find new paths to avoid censorship and persecution. This has been the case during every period of history and is also the case today. We will experience artworks from our own time and from distant centuries, in which the common denominator is the search for a language that subverts power in a way that everyone understands, but that is also unassailable. Among the contributing artists we will meet are: Moddi, Mahsa Vahdat, Rolf Lislevand, Khaled Harara, Fatemeh Ekhtesari, Hamid Sakhizada and Juni Dahr. Kapellmeister: Tord Gustavsen. Producer: Erik Hillestad In collaboration with ICORN and PEN International | NOK 330
Mahsa Vahdat 10:00 PM–01:00 AM
THE DEBATE IS OPEN TELTET
In other words, the freedom of expression conference, has just opened and we gather for a literary and musical demonstration of solidarity with the authors Asli Erdoğan, from Turkey, Narges Mohammadi, from Iran and Khadija Ismailova from Azerbaijan. The three authors were invited to Lillehammer by PEN International, ICORN, Norwegian PEN and the Norwegian Festival of Literature, but a festival visit remains an impossible dream because each of them is either in prison, under house arrest or not permitted to leave the country because they expressed their convictions. The evening’s host is the Icelandic author and PEN member Sjòn. Fellow Authors who will take part are: Thorvald Steen (Norway), Asieh Amini (Iran), Anzhelina Polonskaya (Russia), Ali Kalaei (Syria), Birger Emanuelsen (Norway), Gunel Movlud (Azerbaijan), Housam Al-Mosilli (Syria), Basim Mardan (Iraq), and Brit Bildøen (Norway). Musical interlude by Ramy Essam (Egypt). In collaboration with ICORN, PEN International and Norwegian PEN | Free of charge | Readings in the authors’ respective working languages
THURSDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 12
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
9:30-10:15 AM
HUMOROUS AND EXISTENTIAL
LILLEHAMMER BIBLIOTEK
Meg Rosoff is one of the world’s best known young adult authors. More than one million copies of her first novel, How I Live Now, have been sold in 36 different countries. In 2016 Rosoff was honoured with the world’s most important award for children’s literature, the ALMA award, giving her worldwide celebrity status in the field of literature for children and young people. Meet the American author in conversation with Heidi Sævareid. Age group 13-18 years | Free of charge | Filmed by the Norwegian TV school
Kamila Shamsie 10.00-11.00
THE BJØRNSON LECTURE KAMILA SHAMSIE: YOU COULDN’T MAKE THIS UP
MAIHAUGSALEN
In a world in which the phrase ‘you couldn’t make this up’ is increasingly on people’s lips as an expression of despair, what is the role of the imagination? Has the reality in which we find ourselves made the novel irrelevant, outdated or, at best, a form of escapism? And what responsibility do writers bear for their silences, complicity, or unseeing over the course of our increasingly bleak century? In collaboration with PEN International, ICORN, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Nansenskolen and Lillehammer museum | NOK 120 |
THURSDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 13
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
11:30 AM-12:30 PM
WHAT NEXT?
SAFEGUARDING FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN TURKEY:
LILLEHAMMER HOTELL
Freedom of expression and media freedom in Turkey has deteriorated sharply since the failed coup attempt in July 2016. Hundreds of media outlets and publishing houses have been shut down, and over one hundred writers are in jail following an unprecedented crackdown. Join Turkish writers as they discuss prospects for freedom of expression in Turkey following the landmark referendum in April 2017 aimed at changing the political system and granting sweeping powers to the President. In collaboration with PEN International, ICORN and Norsk PEN | NOK 120
11.30-12.30 PM
ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE
LILLEHAMMER HOTELL
During the Presidential election campaign 2017, Larry Siems and Anders Heger crossed the US from east to west and back again, passing through 25 states, meeting and discussing with a wide range of people. The most striking fact was the difference in narratives through which politics was understood, a divide that after the election of Donald Trump had become only more evident. In collaboration with PEN International, ICORN and Norsk PEN | NOK 120
1:00–2:45 PM
SALMA – POETRY AND THE LIBERATION OF WOMEN LILLEHAMMER KINO SAL 1
When she was 13 years old, like many of the young girls in the village where she grew up, Salma was taken out of school and banished to a life within the four walls of her home. After she married, this life of confinement continued in the home of her in-laws. But Salma wrote in secret, had her poems smuggled out and is today India’s most important Tamil-language poet, a distinguished feminist and well-known politician. The documentary film Salma is about the long and difficult struggle for freedom and for the right to self-expression. NOK 120 | Introduction by Salma in English | The film is in Tamil with English subtitles
Salma
THURSDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 14
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
1:00–2:15 PM
THE BJØRNSON DISCUSSION NANSENSKOLEN
Meet this year’s Bjørnson speaker, Kamila Shamsie, in conversation with the author and State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Laila Bokhari, on the themes of literature, politics, human rights and freedom of expression. The Pakistani-British author Kamila Shamsie became widely known in Norway following the translation of her novel Burnt Shadows into Norwegian. Since 1998 she has published six prize-winning novels and she is listed by the literary magazine Granta as one of the 20 most important young British authors of our time. In collaboration with Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, The Nansen Academy and Lillehammer Museum | NOK 120
2:00–2:50 PM
SUCCESS ABROAD, THRIVING AT HOME? LILLEHAMMER BIBLIOTEK
Nordic literature is in demand abroad and “things Scandinavian” are more attractive than ever before. Do the world-wide successes of Karl Ove Knausgård, Carsten Jensen, Sara Stridsberg or Jussi Adler-Olsen contribute to spotlighting other Nordic authors? If so, how does success abroad lead to thriving at home? Which literary elements are required to become noteworthy abroad? And how do bestsellers affect the growth of new literature? On the panel: Ane Farsethås (culture editor of Morgenbladet), John Freeman (critic and editor of Freemans Own), Annette Orre (Oslo Literary Agency) and Halldór Gudmundsson (former Icelandic publisher and project manager for Frankfurt 2019). Moderator: Margunn Vikingstad. In collaboration with The Nordic Association | NOK 120 | Filmed by the Norwegian TV school
2:15-3:30 PM
NGUGI WA THIONG’O IN CONVERSATION WITH GRACE MUTANDWA
LILLEHAMMER HOTELL Zimbabwean writer Grace Mutandwa meets with one of Africa’s greatest writers Ngugi wa Thiong’o to explore his journey into exile. How has language, identity and displacement influenced and shaped his creativity and what cultural elements are needed for writers and communities living the reality of asylum, exile, or forced migration to have their voices and stories heard. In collaboration with PEN International, ICORN and Norsk PEN | NOK 120,-
Ngugi wa Thiong’o
THURSDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 15
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
2:15-3:30 PM
THE FUTURE OF PROTECTION
LILLEHAMMER HOTELL
Writers and artists are facing growing restrictions on their activities and increasing risks to their safety and well-being. Unprecedented numbers are fleeing conflict and persecution, and lack legal routes to safety. The United Nations legal framework is largely failing to protect them and the United Nations HRC is overwhelmed and critically under-resourced to adequately meet the growing demands of refugees across the globe. What more can be done by international institutions and governments to strengthen the security of writers, artists and cultural actors to support their work, given the growing humanitarian crisis? Are the protection needs of writers and artists different from that of human rights defenders? This panel will explore what provisions should be put in place. In collaboration with PEN International, ICORN and Norsk PEN | NOK 120
3:00-3:50 PM
ARMED WITH LITERATURE GALLERI ZINK
Anyone who has come out as a homosexual or has lived through the transition of a biological sex change has their own story. Speaking about these types of experiences is often a complex matter, and when they also unfold within a culture of people dramatically categorized according to social, racial and gender-based distinctions, being true to oneself can be life-threatening. Nonetheless, there are people who dare to face these challenges and for many of them literature is an important weapon. Telling one’s story in spite of the danger involved has, historically speaking, proven helpful. On the panel: Iman Al-Ghafari (Syria), Ahmed Mohamed (Somalia), Jude Dibia (Nigeria), Ahmed Mohamed (Somalia), Andrew McMillan (Great Britain). Moderator: Ida Birkvad. NOK 120
Andrew McMillan
THURSDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 16
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
4:00–4:50 PM
FROM ICELAND WITH THE SPANISH FLU SJÒN IN CONVERSATION WITH ROB YOUNG
BJERKEBÆK
Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson, also known as Sjòn, had his literary debut at the age of 16 and has written song lyrics for Bjørk. He has published a number of poetry collections and novels and, in 2005, he won the Nordic Council’s Literature Prize for the novel The Blue Fox (Skugga Baldur). His most recent book, Moonstone – the Boy Who Never Was (Mánasteinn – drengurinn sem aldrei var til), deals with the Spanish flu epedemic in Iceland, in 1918. Sjòn represents Icelandic PEN and is responsible for this year’s contribution to the art project Future Library. Meet him in conversation with the journalist Rob Young! NOK 120
4:00–4:30 PM
THE SHEEP FARMER JAMES REBANKS
GRAVDAHL BOKHANDEL
James Rebanks is the sheep farmer who became a literary star with his international bestseller, The Shepherd’s Life. In the book, the reader follows the work on the farm throughout the course of one year. This is a unique story about life in a village, a life with which most of us have lost contact, and, perhaps precisely for that reason, moves us so deeply. Free of charge | Book sales and signing
4:15-5:00 PM
THE PEN-DEBATE: FREE EXPRESSION IN A POST-TRUTH WORLD LILLEHAMMER HOTELL
Can there be limits to free speech? Does the right to speak mean the right to offend, or an obligation to offend? PEN opposes all forms of suppression of free speech and supports those speaking truth to power. But what happens when falsehood and distortions are expressed in the name of free speech? Should there be restraints? How can lies be countered in the post-truth world? And is it possible to define ‘truth’ and ‘falsehood’ in a world where alternative facts are as accessible as official histories? In collaboration with PEN International, ICORN and Norsk PEN | NOK 120
4:15-5:15 PM
«ONE DAY IN ALEPPO»
LILLEHAMMER HOTELL
Syrian journalist, writer and documentary filmmaker Ali Al-Ibrahim has survived both Assad’s prisons and ISIS captivity. He managed to leave Syria for Turkey, late 2015, documenting the escape with hidden cameras and a cell phone. He is now safe and established as ICORN writer-in-residence in Sweden, and “One day in Aleppo” is his new documentary premiering at a Swiss film festival in April 2017. In Lillehammer, Al-Ibrahim will show his film, and talk with renowned Norwegian writer and journalist Åsne Seierstad about the art of reporting, and the challenges of telling the truth about Syria, from inside and from outside. In collaboration with PEN International, ICORN and Norsk PEN | NOK 120
THURSDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 17
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
5:00–5:50 PM
CRIME FROM A BRUTAL REALITY
LILLEHAMMER BIBLIOTEK How should one write crime fiction in a nation such as South Africa where, on average, 50 people are killed every day and more than 100,000 rapes are reported annually? The Norwegian crime author Eystein Hanssen has a close relationship to this country. He meets Margie Orford, the prominent and highly esteemed South African journalist and author of suspense novels, in a conversation about writing crime fiction in South Africa and Norway, respectively. NOK 120 | Book sales and signing | Filmed by
Margie Orford
6:00–8:00 PM
THE LUNCHBOX
LILLEHAMMER KINO, SAL 1 INDIAN FILM DAY
the Norwegian TV school
The Lunchbox is a precious gem of a film that has been received with great enthusiasm by a large international audience due to its originality and warmth. Just one out of a million lunch boxes in Mumbai’s 120-year-old lunch box system is delivered to the wrong address. The Lunchbox is the story of this single mistaken delivery. Saajan, played by Irrfan Kahn, known from critically acclaimed films such as Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi, is ready to leave Mumbai, the city that has turned his hair white and crushed his dreams, when he receives the lunchbox with a note from Ila, a young housewife from the conservative middle class. Through the delicious food and notes in the lunchboxes, they develop a relationship and an imaginary world as a shelter from their own everyday prisons, and the busy streets of Mumbai – an imaginary world so seductive that it threatens to take over their actual lives. The Lunchbox won the prestigious Critics Week Viewers Choice Awards in Cannes 2013. Organizer: Lillehammer kino | NOK 100 | Ticket sales at Lillehammer kino
THURSDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 18
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
7:00–9:00 PM
LITERARY GALA MAIHAUGSALEN
Karl Ove Knausgård
Max Porter
In the short story “Without Borders” (“Grenseløst”) from 2006, Hans Herbjørnsrud writes about a border dispute that intensifies and escalates. This concrete example of literature’s threatening resilience also says something about its strength. There is a lot of talk about who is affected by literature, but we have a tendency to forget that not all autobiographical fiction is driven by pain, grief or anger; the genre is just as often about identity, self-deprecation and experience, lending it seriousness and weight. It can bring people together and it can shed light upon important themes. That is what will happen when we have the queen of American short prose, Lydia Davis, with us on the screen from New York, in a conversation that starts with the subject of Herbjørnsrud’s short story. The conversation is moderated by Ane Farsethås, and literature’s boundlessness sets the tone for the evening’s star-studded programme. If there is one Norwegian author in particular who, in recent years, has contributed to giving Norwegian literature a prominent position in the world, it is Karl Ove Knausgård. He has developed and challenged the definition of reality-based fiction through the six volume work My Struggle (Min kamp). We are proud to have him on stage along with the internationally renowned magazine editor John Freeman. They will speak about Knausgård’s literary production and his work on the current exhibition and book about Edvard Munch. As if this were not enough, we will be treated to readings by Max Porter, Andrew McMillan and Claire-Louise Bennett, the créme de la créme of young British literature, accompanied by the prize-winning Norwegian jazz musician Ellen Andrea Wang. We are certain that this will be a memorable evening. Hosted by Selma Lønning Aarø! NOK 350 | Book sales and signing | Portions of the programme event will be in English | Awarding of the Fiction Translator Fund’s Prize
Claire-Louise Bennett
THURSDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 19
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
John Freeman
10:00–11:00 PM
LATE NIGHT LITERATURE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND POETRY FROM THE USA/GREAT BRITAIN/INDIA
TELTET Writing in English is not just writing in English. In all its incarnations, language is shaped by disposition, culture and tradition. In spite of a shared literary history, there is no consensus regarding what constitutes poetic language. Due to its enormous promulgation in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, the English language has functioned very differently for many people and the use of language invokes different symbolic values. We have arranged an Indian-British-American poetry meeting with readings by and conversation between Andrew McMillan, Tishani Doshi, Jerry Pinto and John Freeman. NOK 120
Tishani Doshi 11:00 PM–12:00 midnight
EVENING CONCERT TELTET
Because it migrates back and forth between the notes of “the people” and “the gods”, Amrit Kaur Lohia’s music has been described as being without borders. Kaur Lohias plays the sarangi (an Indian string instrument) and sings jazz, along with a mixture of Punjabi-folk music, Indian classical music and soul. By combining jazz standards, revolutionary poetry and religious ballads from all over the world with the Indian instrument, she takes the listener along on a journey that can best be described as a meditation. Kaur Lohias is accompanied by Pratab Singh Lohia, who plays the tabla. He has studied under Harkirat Singh Rayatt, and played throughout Great Britain, India and the USA. NOK 120
FRIDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 20
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
11:00–11:50 AM
THE IRANIAN NEW WAVE POETRY’S FATHER CAFÉ STIFT
Yadollah Royaee is an Iranian author of great significance living in exile in Paris. His texts have played a key role in the evolution of Iranian poetry in recent decades. As one of the pioneers within Iranian new wave poetry, he has had a strong influence on the poetic practice of Iran and far beyond the country’s borders. His poems are influenced by French symbolism and Persian mysticism. Royaee in conversation with translator and poet Erling Kittelsen. NOK 120 | The conversation will be interpreted between Norwegian and Persian
11:00–11:50 AM
GRIEF IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS
ELEPHANT KUNSTHALL
Yadollah Royaee
When editor and bookseller Max Porter’s debut novel Grief is the Thing with Feathers was published in 2015, the reviewers were uncertain what they had before them, but they agreed that it was smashing. The book, now available in Norwegian, is about grief and about being left behind. By mixing genres and voices, and borrowing from other literary sources on the subject, Porter has tailored a work that in a wholly unique fashion succeeds in describing the painful, frightening and absurd dimensions of the experience of losing a loved one. Max Porter meets Ellen Sofie Lauritzen in conversation. NOK 120 | Book sales and signing
12:00 noon–12:50 PM
HOW THE CITY WAS WRITTEN LILLEHAMMER KUNSTMUSEUM, SAL 2
Rana Dasgupta in conversation with Kim Leine about writing the city: Nuuk and New Delhi. Through interviews with different individuals in New Delhi, Dasgupta’s book Capital demonstrates how the city has grown into what it is today and how it currently appears, both as an image of Indian progress and as a capital that does not resemble the rest of the country. New Delhi is a city of the future and a requisite consequence of the development of South Asia over the past 20 years. With this as a starting point he meets Kim Leine, writer of a future dystopian Greenland. How can these two literary urban developments find a dialogue? Can the history of colonialism help explain Leine’s vision of the future or Dasgupta’s description of the present? Mira Beckstrøm Laurantzon will moderate the conversation. NOK 120
Rana Dasgupta
FRIDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 21
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
1:00–1:50 PM
HUMAN BEINGS AND NATURE CAFÉ STIFT
The Raisin King by the Swedish author Fredrik Sjöberg is about the life of the Swedish zoologist and earthworm scientist Gustav Eisen. In the intersection of scientific dissemination and literary biography, he has won both readers and awards. The English sheep farmer James Rebanks has written The Shepherd’s Life. The book is about Rebank’s work managing a farm and upholding a 600-year-old family tradition in the English Lake District. Meet them in conversation with Morten Strøksnes, who, with Shark Drunk (Havboka), served up a Norwegian success in the vital field of non-fiction where human beings meet nature and science meets art. The conversation will be moderated by Hilde Østby. NOK 120 | Book sales and signing
1:00–2:00 PM
THE NEW NATIONALISM TELTET
How should one live with and write about the new nationalism? What kind of role can literature play? Can exemplification through the telling of stories serve to soften the political debate? What does the new development of indirect censorship entail? Who owns the truth when it is no longer possible to discuss without speaking about feelings? Panel: Elisabeth Åsbrink (Sweden), Kamila Shamsie (Great Britain/ Pakistan), Salil Tripathi (Great Britain/India). Moderator: Simen Ekern. NOK 120
2:00–2:50 PM
LITERATURE AND INDIAN FEMINISM KULTURHUSET BANKEN, FESTSALEN
The novel has been an important weapon for South Asian feminism; a form of feminism that, for all appearances, is quite different from the form we are familiar with in the West. When it is no longer possible to employ the Western women’s movement as a model, it is necessary to stake out one’s own course, but this course requires stories, both biographical and functional in nature. “Reality Literature” means something quite different to these authors, from what it means to Scandinavians. For them, reality literature is a deadly serious matter. Panel: Laxmi, Salma, Tishani Doshi and Jerry Pinto in conversation with Mira Beckstrøm Laurantzon. NOK 120
FRIDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 22
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
2:00–2:50 PM
IRANIAN POETRY SALON GALLERI ZINK
Take your seat in the salon as Yadollah Royaee, Asieh Amini, Seyed Mehdi Mousavi and Fatemeh Ekhtesari step up to the podium. Yadollah Royaee lives in France and is considered the father of Iranian new wave poetry. Asieh Amini has lived in Norway since 2010 and two of her poetry collections have been published in Norwegian. Seyed Mehdi Mousavi and Fatemeh Ekhtesari are Lillehammer’s new City of Refuge authors and we look forward to getting to know these two widely recognized authors better. The four authors represent different traditions and will read their own poetry, written in Persian, known for its suitability as a poetic language. Introduction by Fatemeh Ekhtesari. NOK 120 | Readings in Persian
2:00–2:50 PM
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION UNDER PRESSURE BJERKEBÆK
When the Norwegian film maker Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen was working on a documentary about Ubaydullah Hussain and the Islamist community in Norway, portions of the film footage were confiscated by the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) and the film maker’s work was impeded. The Supreme Court later upheld Rolfsen’s claim that PST had broken the law. The documentary The Magnitsky Act, by the Russian film maker Andrei Nekrasov and the Norwegian film company Piraya Film concerns the circumstances surrounding the death of the lawyer Sergej Magnitskij, who died while in Russian police custody in 2009. The film was removed from the programme of the Short Film Festival in Grimstad following threats of a lawsuit from one of the key individuals in the film, the American businessman William Browder. The world premiere of the film later took place in Oslo. Are these two examples evidence that freedom of expression is also under pressure in Norway? And what was it that actually happened? Meet Imtiaz Rolfsen and Nekrasov in conversation with Norwegian PEN’s Anders Heger. NOK 120
2:00–2:50 PM
Would you like to give a reading of a text you’ve written? Author, writer, anyone wishing to have a go – you have the floor…
ELEPHANT KUNSTHALL
In collaboration with The Nansen Academy | Free of charge
OPEN MIC
FRIDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 23
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
3:00–3:50 PM
WRITING LITERATURE FOR A SOCIAL GROUP CAFÉ STIFT
Andrew McMillan is a young British homosexual man. He writes about this reality and is part of a tradition that in the past century has been an important mouthpiece for the male segment of the queer movement. Tishani Doshi is writing a work about gender-based violence in India. Her poem Girls are coming out of the woods is read as a manifesto for the voiceless women who are subjected to sexual assault. Salma, who is a Tamil poet and prose author, depicts women from the Tamil minority in southern India. All these authors write for a group to which they personally belong. For a community. Meet them in conversation with host Ane Dorte Lunås. NOK 120
4:00–4:50 PM
THE POTENTIAL OF PROSE LILLEHAMMER BIBLIOTEK
Rana Dasgupta and Kamila Shamsie are two key figures within new South Asian literature. Both have one foot in England and the other in India and Pakistan, respectively. At the same time, they also represent two different writing styles. As authors they have made their marks as particularly sharp observers of the in-between position of being European in Asia and Asian in Europe, and each of them in their particular genre: the novel and narrative non-fiction. Meet them in conversation with former Granta editor John Freeman, who in his capacity as editor came to know them both and has followed their work from the beginning. NOK 120 | Filmed by the Norwegian TV school
5:00–6:00 PM
FREEMAN`S CAFÉ STIFT
John Freeman, former editor of Granta, started his own magazine in 2015: Freeman’s Own. Here he publishes work from many of the world’s most prominent authors. This is a project worth following and during this hour you will experience a presentation that will make you want to take part in the journey. Book sales and signing | Free of charge
8:30–10:30 PM
LION
LILLEHAMMER KINO, SAL 1 INDIAN FILM DAYS
A film impossible not to be moved by. A five-year-old Indian boy is separated from his big brother on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometres from home. It is a tough reality for the five-year-old lost boy, but against all odds he survives and is finally adopted by a couple in Australia. 25 years later he returns to India to find his family. The film is based on Saroo Brierley’s true story and his autobiography, A long way home, about how he found his family once more with the help of Google Earth. The film received 4 Golden Globe and 6 Oscar nominations in 2017, including Best Picture. Organizer: Lillehammer kino | NOK 100 | Ticket sales at Lillehammer kino
TIRSDAG FRIDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 24
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
7:00 PM-1:00 AM
THE BANK NIGHT
KULTURHUSET BANKEN
FESTSALEN: 19:00 Liv Gulbrandsen tells the story of Mahabharata 20:00 Nordic poetry slam contest 22:30 Dei nye kapellanane 23:30 DJ Audun Vinger CAFÉ STIFT: 20:00 Steffen Kverneland and Nils Nordberg about Vampyr HOLBØSALEN: 19:30 Kurt Johannessen 20:30 Dag Solstad and Vigdis Hjorth 21:30 Lars Fiske 22:00 Bonus performance with Morten and Marie NOK 380
During Banknatta the atmosphere is sizzling inside and out at the Bank Culture House. Listen to Liv Gulbrandsen recite from the Indian epic Mahabharata – the world’s longest book. Join us in welcoming the best slam poets from Norway, Sweden and Demark in the festival hall. In the Holbøsalen enjoy a performance lecture from Kurt Johannesen and conversation between Dag Solstad and Vigdis Hjorth. As if this is not enough, the night continues with a talk from Lars Fiske about his new bio-comic which addresses the Dadaist master Georg Grosz. Meanwhile, downstairs in Café Stift, we kick off with vampires and continue into the night with a concert from Dei nye kapellanane, before rounding off the night with dancing, DJ Audun Vingers providing the music. The programme will be in Norwegiain but the atmosphere is universal.
SATURDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 25
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
11:00 AM–12:30 PM
MORNING CONCERT SØNDRE PARK
Because it migrates back and forth between the notes of “the people” and “the gods”, Amrit Kaur Lohia’s music has been described as being without borders. Kaur Lohias plays the sarangi (an Indian string instrument) and sings jazz, along with a mixture of Punjabi-folk music, Indian classical music and soul. By combining jazz standards, revolutionary poetry and religious ballads from all over the world with the Indian instrument, she takes the listener along on a journey that can best be described as a meditation. Kaur Lohias is accompanied by Pratab Singh Lohia, who plays the tabla. He has studied under Harkirat Singh Rayatt, and played throughout Great Britain, India and the USA. Free of charge
Amrit Kaur Lohia
12:00 noon–12:50 PM
CREATURES AND STRANGE OLD WOMEN TELTET
Folk singer Camilla Granlien and bass player Jo Skaansar invite us to a playful meeting of two traditions and genres. In this concert folk songs and fragments that Camilla has taken from the song tradition of Gudbrandsdalen are presented. There are songs about ants, foxes, a large pig, about a horsefly and a fly that get married, some small fishes and of course many strange old women! Camilla and Jo have in recent years been on tour in kindergartens and at festivals with their show. There will also be a CD release and the launch of a brand new activity booklet! For families with young children | Free of charge
12:00 noon–12:50 PM
FORMS OF GRIEF CAFÉ STIFT
Tomas Espedal has spent large portions of his literary career writing about dealing with grief. In several books and forms, (biography, epistolic, the diary and the novel), he has worked to formulate a connection between literature and bereavement. Espedal meets British Max Porter in a conversation about how literature, through its various sub-genres and styles, can find a way to communicate grief and loss. The authors are in conversation with Ellen Sofie Lauritzen. NOK 120
SATURDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 26
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
2:00–2:50 PM
THE MAN BEHIND THE GENES CAFÉ STIFT
Dr. Sharad Paul is an Indian author and a world-famous oncologist, based in New Zealand. He has written three novels, a collection of poetry and a number of works of non-fiction. His narrative non-fiction book Skin, a biography, received significant attention. Paul works in the zone where medicine and literature meet. “Medicine as a discipline cares as much about mankind as it cares about individuals. Medical history dissolves into individual stories.” Meet him in conversation with Evolutionary Biologist Dag O. Hessen. NOK 120
4:00–4:50 PM
LAXMI
GALLERI ZINK Laxminarayen Tripathi, or Laxmi as she also goes by, was born in Mumbai in 1979, but she was born in the wrong body. In her autobiography Me Laxmi, Me Hijra, she tells the story of how she became a hijra, part of an ancient Indian tradition in which men who identify as women live together. She is today an author and an activist, but the road there has not been an easy one. Meet her in conversation with Mira Beckstrøm Laurantzon. NOK 120
Laxmi 8:00 PM–01:00 AM
DYLAN, COHEN AND GOD PUB TO PUB
Haakons, BBLydverket, Elephant Kunsthall, Teltet
The trio Rem & Rem have toured with the concert Cohen, Dylan and God from cultural centres to churches, but never from pub to pub. Since we saw them last, one of the three subjects has received the Nobel Prize in literature and another has passed away; while God, the songs and the poems survive. With Håvard Rem (text, vocals, harmonica), Simen Rem (vocals, guitar), Freddy Holm (mandolin, fiddle, lap steel etc.). The programme is in Norwegian | Free of charge
SATURDAY
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL DAGSPROGRAM SIDE 27
30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
12:00 noon–3:00 PM
ANIMALS AND MONSTERS
FAMILY DAY AT MAIHAUGEN
MAIHAUGEN
Bring along the entire family and experience a day full of performances, dance, workshops and a proper rock concert at Dansarvollen. There will also be be a hobby horse race, face painting and the chance to meet with Maihaugen’s own animals. In collaboration with Maihaugen and Teater Leven | The programme will be in Norwegain | For the entire family | Standard ticket to Maihaugen | Free of charge with festival pass
6:00–7:00 PM
SKRIBLE COMMISSIONED WORK BY AND WITH MAJORSTUEN
KULTURHUSET BANKEN, FESTSALEN It’s not often that Morgan Kane, Kristin Lavransdatter, Per Waglen and Lensmann Geissler are mentioned in the same sentence,but when the five musicians and the composers of Majorstuen were challenged to use literature as inspiration for creating new music, they decided to employ the entire range, from modern pulp fiction to classical works, as a starting point. Majorstuen has played close to 300 concerts in 30 countries and, through its exploratory and playful stage expression, has set a new standard for how folk music can be shared with a broad audience. In SKRIBLE Majorstuen takes the audience on a literary jaunt with highly musical stops along the way! Contributing artists: Synnøve S. Bjørset, Tove Hagen, Jorun Marie Kvernberg, Anders Löfberg and Bjørn Kåre Odde. NOK 300
Majorstuen
EXHIBITIONS
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL SIDE 28
Illustration by Svein Nyhus
WITHOUT BORDERS PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS BY SVEIN NYHUS
GALLERI ZINK
Svein Nyhus is one of Norway’s foremost picture book illustrators. He is also this year’s Boklek author and, this spring, has been travelling around Oppland county meeting primary school children. At Galleri Zink he is exhibiting digital art prints from The Greedy Child (Den grådige ungen), What a Girl! (Snill), Mum’s Hair (Håret til mamma), Aquarium (Akvarium) and other well-known books for all ages by Gro Dahle. Also on exhibit will be drawings from his own picture books The World Has No Corners (Verden har ingen hjørner), Daddy! (Pappa!) and Me! (Jeg!), from Andre Bjerke’s Funny Verses (Moro-vers), Ylvis’ What Does the Fox Say? (Hva sier reven?) and several others. Visitors will also have the chance to see some original pencil drawings and paper collage illustrations. In collaboration with Galleri Zink | Free of charge | Sales exhibition
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
ELEPHANT KUNSTHALL
An exhibition based on submissions to an international drawing competition on the theme of freedom of expression. The exhibition was made possible through a collaboration between the Norwegian newspaper illustrators’ house Avistegnernes Hus, City of Refuge artist Arifur Rahman and the Norwegian Festival of Literature and will be exhibited in the Avistegnernes Hus in Drøbak, at the Elephant Kunsthall in Lillehammer, the Indian Institute of Cartoonists in India and in Slovakia. In collaboration with Avistegnernes hus | Free of charge
EXHIBITIONS
CARTOONING SYRIA
KULTURHUSET BANKEN, EKSPEDISJONEN
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL SIDE 29
Syria has been a war zone for more than five years and in the years preceding was a dictatorship of the worst kind. Political illustrators have lived with censorship and threats and for many of them exile has been their only option. The exhibition explores the artistic boundaries of freedom of expression, and features political comic strips and drawings by more than 20 Syrian artists. The exhibition is curated by the prize-winning Syrian artist Mwafaq Katt. Before 2011 he taught at the University of Damascus; today he lives in exile in Toronto. In collaboration with Lillehammer Municipality, ICORN and PEN International | Free of charge
ARMED WITH DRAWINGS — CARICATURES AND IDENTITY AULESTAD
Through the works of newspaper illustrators, Aulestad presents a story about Norway – a story about Norwegian history and Norwegian identity. Opening: Saturday 3 June at 12:00 noon. Organizer: Aulestad |Entrance: Standard museum ticket
Illustration by Roar Hagen
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2017 LILLEHAMMER BIBLIOTEK
Here you can see the winners of The Most Beautiful Books of the Year competition. This competition is a Grafill initiative and stems from a desire to encourage publishers, authors, designers and illustrators to create books of a high visual calibre in all genres. This year 307 books were submitted to the competition and the jury has awarded prizes to 46 deserving winners. The Most Beautiful Books of the Year is Norway’s only competition honouring the visual dimension of the book trade. Organizer Lillehammer library in collaboration with Grafill | Free of charge | 30 May–0 4 June
EXHIBITIONS
PERIPHERAL ZONES LILLEHAMMER KUNSTMUSEUM, SAL ØST
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL SIDE 30
Hedevig Anker (1969) is known for poetic photographs of empty and abandoned rooms from both private homes and public museums. She studied painting at the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Art but has throughout her entire career used analogue photography. Her ability to abstract a motif and simultaneously bring out the memories and perceptions lodged in a building, acquire an added dimension in her new series from Sigrid Undset’s home, Bjerkebæk. She tries to disclose what we cannot immediately see, but which lies there like an experience without language. Undset’s significant literary works give the motifs a unique resonance. Curator: Janeke Meyer Utne. Guided tours on 3 and 4 June, 2 PM. Organizer: Lillehammer Art Museum | 30 May–0 4 June | Free of charge with annual ticket and festival pass
IN THE LIGHT OF ITALY – A DANISH-NORWEGIAN ARTISTS COLLECTIVE 1879-1886
LILLEHAMMER KUNSTMUSEUM
The exhibition tells the story of a group of Danish and Norwegian artists who travelled to villages near the mountains of Abruzzo southeast of Rome and made the dream of Italy come true. They developed a stronger form of Realism inspired by the Italian light, the monumental landscape and, not least, the richness of daily life. The exhibition is a collaboration between Den Hirschsprungske Samling in Copenhagen, Skovgaard Museet in Viborg and Lillehammer Kunstmuseum, and contains some 100 artworks communicating the exotic daily life and the varied landscape around Sora and Civita d’Antino. Guided tours on 3 and 4 June at 2 PM. Organizer: Lillehammer Art Museum | 04 March –04 June | Free of charge with annual ticket and festival pass
TOM GUNDERSEN AUTHOR PORTRAITS GALLERI ZINK
Tom Gundersen’s main project for many years has been graphic art portraiture. This has resulted in an extensive series of likenesses of authors, painters, composers and other individuals from Norwegian cultural life. These portraits, which have not been commissioned, have often involved playing with the conventions of the genre. They do not testify to a direct encounter with the model, but have come about through long detours through the history of art and culture. In this exhibition, a series of author portraits are presented in a small format. The portraits are otherwise found on the walls of the Norwegian Parliament, Gyldendal and Aschehoug publishing houses and in many Norwegian embassies. They have been purchased by the Norwegian National Gallery and National Museum of Norway. Organizer: Galleri Zink | 30 May–0 4 June | Free of charge
CONFERENCE
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL SIDE 31
31 MAY – 2 JUNE
IN OTHER WORDS THE INTERNATIONAL CITY OF REFUGE NETWORK ICORN’S NETWORK MEETING AND PEN INTERNATIONAL’S CONFERENCE FOR WRITERS IN PRISON – IN LILLEHAMMER
LILLEHAMMER HOTELL
When freedom of speech is threatened, restricted or forbidden, artists and writers are obliged to find ever more inventive ways of avoiding authoritarian oppression. This resistance finds new forms, new words, new methods. “In other words” at Lillehammer is an investigation and celebration of art and literature’s resistance in a post-factual world. More than 300 authors, artists, activists, City of Refuge representatives and other guests from 60 nations will take part in the conference and many will also participate in panel discussions, readings, concerts or other events. Themes such as “Freedom of expression in Turkey” and “A Day in Aleppo” are on the agenda along with recent eyewitness accounts from areas where authors, artists and human rights advocates are under the greatest threat. In collaboration with Norwegian PEN, Lillehammer Municipality, The Nansen Academy, ICORN and PEN International
June 2–4
THE ART BOOK – THE BOOK FAIR’S BASTARD OPPLAND KUNSSENTER AND OTHER VENUES
An art book fair for art books, small presses and journals. The art book as a space for artistic and critical reflection is the project’s fulcrum, and an exclusive selection of both local and national publications will be on exhibit. Presses and journals such as House of Foundation, Zeth, Teknisk Industri, Bergen Art Book Fair, Grafters’ Quarterly, Vagant, Audiatur, Harpefoss Hotell, Trippelpunkt, Delta Press and others are represented. In the art centre’s own premises art books by Per Jonas Lindstrøm and films by Thomas Østby will be shown. Organizer: Oppland Kunstsenter | Free of charge | Book sales
PRACTICAL INFO
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL SIDE 32
FESTIVAL OFFICE The festival and press office is located at the library (Lillehammer bibliotek), Wiesgate 2b. Open 29 May 2.00-5.00 PM, 30 May-2 June 9.00 AM−8.00 PM, 3 June 10.00-6.00PM and 4 June 12.00 noon -3.00 PM. TEL: 970 11 516 TICKETS Tickets can be purchased from our website, at Gravdahl Bokhandel or at the festival office. Ticket sales close one hour before an event, and open 20min prior to the event at the door.
PASS* Festival pass NOK 1600 (students NOK 800. ) Day pass NOK 600. IMPORTANT FOR PASSHOLDERS * Passes must be traded in for a wristband at the festival office. *The pass entitles the bearer to admission to all programme events, capacity permitting and unless otherwise specified. *We advise you to secure a ticket (garantibillett) for NOK 10. You must show your wristband along with the discount ticket at the door. CERTIFIED COMPANIONS Entrance is free of charge for certified companions upon presentation of an approved companion certificate, but you may also send an email to post@litteraturfestival.no. The accompanied individual purchases an ordinary ticket. PEGASUS − FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE All programmes for children and young people are free of charge. The events are open to the general public, but registration is necessary for school classes and groups. Registration at Pegasus@litteraturfestival. no. CONTACT 61 24 71 66 | post@litteraturfestival.no | PO Box 4, NO-2601 Lillehammer | www.litteraturfestival.no DIVERSE The programme may be subject to change. The organisers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions in the programme information. Our website pages and our app are updated on a regular basis.
NORSK LITTERATURFESTIVAL SIDE 33
BOOK SIGNING AND SALES The festival bookstore Gravdahl will offer the sale of books for signing where indicated. OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODIATION We are a big festival in a small city, so book your hotel room early! First Hotel Breiseth 61 24 77 77 Scandic Victoria Hotel 61 27 17 00 Mølla Hotell 61 05 70 80 Clarion Collection Hammer Hotel 61 26 73 73 Lillehammer Hotel 61 28 60 00 Birkebeineren Hotel & Apartments 61 05 00 80 HI Lillehammer - Stasjonen Hotell 61 26 00 24
PHOTO RIGHTS Lunch in the park – Photo Therese Bendiksen, Vigdis Hjort – Photo Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet, Trilok Gurtu - Photo Madhur Shroff, Indian rape – Photo The Hindu, Jerry Pinto - Photo Chirodeep Chaudhuri, Nansen Academy – Photo Mette Banken, Happy ladies – Photo Bente Fagerlund, Mahsa Vahdat - Photo ICORN, Kamila Shamsie - Photo Murdo Macleod, Karl Ove Knausgård - Photo André Løyning, John Freeman – Photo Caroline Strømhylden, Bank night outside - Tor Alver Moen / LKK, Bank night people – Photo Rosel Svare, Laxmi - Photo Timothy Herbert, Maihaugen – Photo Anne Marit Eide, Majorstuen – Photo Marius Beck Dahle, Max Porter – Photo Lucy Dickens, Festival atmosphere – Photo Caroline Strømhylden
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THANKS TO ALL OUR PARTNERS! MAIN PARTNERS:
GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTORS:
A LARGE THANK YOU GOES TO: All of the volunteers, all collaborators, all of the venues and eateries and all others who have helped make the festival possible. Thank you for your support. Design: Blæst Design Illustration: Kim Hiorthøy Print: Grøset
LØKKEGATA
BØRRESENS VEG
TAD AU LE S AUSDA L G
TR ON DH EI M
TYRILI SENTERET
HAMMER HOTEL
S E TE R
HAAKONS
NORD
V E IE N
LYDVERKET
MØLLA HOTELL
LILLETORGET
LVA NAE ELEPHANT KUNSTHALL
ELVEGATA
KIRKEGATA
BIBLIOTEK FESTIVALKONTOR
SCANDIC VICTORIA HOTEL
MES
BJERKEBÆK
TOMTEGATA
BIRKEBEINEREN HOTEL & APARTMENTS
HVELVET
STASJONEN
TELTET
VINMONOPOLET
KUNSTMUSEET KINOEN
STORGATA
PLAN-B LYKKELIGE DAGER
FIRST HOTELS BREISETH
GALLERI ZINK
LILLEHAMMER HOTEL
O S LO
KULTURHUSET BANKEN/ CAFÉ STIFT
ANDERS SANDVIGSGT
KIRKEGATA
PARK CAFE’N
SØNDRE PARK
STORGATA
LEGEVAKT SYKEHUS
MAIHAUGEN
NANSENSKOLEN
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LANGESGT BANKGATA
JERNBANEGATA
TIRSDAG 30. MAI 31. MAI 1. JUNI 2. JUNI 3. JUNI 4. JUNI
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