Naturally, many of the writers and participants of the festival are Norwegian, and although we do not have so many American or British writers this year, there will still be numerous excellent English language events for those unfamiliar with Norwegian, or the many Norwegians that love to read and talk English.
Here at the festival we like to provide our guests with ‘trails’ and this years ‘English Language Trail’ looks to be a very interesting journey.
Start your festival with some Berlin inspired poetry with Husband and wife Christian Hawkey and Uljana Wolf who meet Shane Anderson to talk about Berlin as a city of poetry and as a theme for their poems.
Add some music to your day, as Mieko Kawakami, Shane Anderson and Erlend O. Nødtvedt read to the accompaniment of Hedvig Mollestad, one of Norway’s most exciting young jazz guitarists.
If your reading habits are less about fiction there will be a debate about the latest direction that non-fiction writing is taking, or hear Turkish writer Elif Shafak, in conversation with literature theorist and gender researcher Jørgen Lorentzen.
But if it is fiction that inspires you, don’t miss the chance to see Italian literary star, Domenico Starnone for the first time in Norway.
Below is just one was to enjoy the English Language parts of this festival, but it is far from the only way – with nearly 50 English events, it will be difficult to know which one’s to miss. Check out the full programme from the link at the bottom of this page:
English Literary Trail
Berlin – a poetic exile | torsdag 31.05 | 14.00-14.50 | Elephant Kunsthall
Literary Gala | torsdag 31.05 | 19.00-21.00 | Maihaugsalen
Guitars and Literature | torsdag 31.05 | 23.00-00.00 | Teltet på stortorget
The institution and poetry | fredag 01.06 | 10.00-10.50 | Café Stift
Bjørnson Lecture | fredag 01.06 | 10.00-11.00 | Høgskolen i Innlandet, Storhove
Documentary poetry or lyrical non-fiction? | fredag 01.06 | 11.00-11.50 | Lillehammer kunstmuseum, sal 2
Choice and Translation | fredag 01.06 | 12.00-12.50 | Elephant kunsthall
Bjørnson Discussion | fredag 01.06 | 13.00-14.15 | Nansenskolen
Main Lecture: Degrees of Censorship | fredag 01.06 | 17.00-17.50 | Litteraturhus Lillehammer
Starnone’s blue box | fredag 01.06 | 18.00-18.50 | Teltet på Stortorget
Trojanow and Lunde | lørdag 02.06 | 13.00-13.50 | Litteraturhus Lillehammer