Ali Smith, David Szalay, Georgi Gospodinov, Kathrine Nedrejord, Åsne Seierstad, and Lars Mytting to attend the Norwegian Literature Festival 2026
The stage is set for another fantastic festival experience in 2026, and many names are already confirmed. Ali Smith from Scotland, Sara Stridsberg from Sweden, Georgi Gospodinov from Bulgaria, Hallgrímur Helgason from Iceland, Theis Ørntoft from Denmark, Pajtim Statovci from Kosovo/Finland, Sofia Andrukhovych from Ukraine, David Szalay from Hungary/Great Britain, Irene Solà from Spain, Vincenzo Latronico from Italy, and Elif Shafak from Turkey are among the authors who will be attending the Norwegian Literature Festival from June 1 to 7, 2026.
On stage, they will meet Norwegian colleagues such as Åsne Seierstad, Simen Ekern, Dag Johan Haugerud, Kathrine Nedrejord, Leander Djønne, Agnes Ravatn, Tore Skeie, Gunnhild Øyehaug, and Lars Mytting.
What does Europe mean – politically, culturally, and literarily?
In 2026, the Norwegian Literature Festival will explore what Europe means right now – politically, culturally, and literarily.
How are identity, language, and belonging shaped in the face of war, migration, climate change, and technology? How can literature help us understand the times we live in and where we are headed?
What is being written, debated and read across languages and borders today? Is there a common European literary heritage, and do we have a shared understanding of the past? From June 1-7, we will bring authors from all over Europe to Lillehammer for conversations and discussions.
We look forward to bringing authors from all over Europe to Lillehammer from June 1-7, 2026!
Festival artist Sverre Bjertnæs
We are proud to present the renowned contemporary artist Sverre Bjertnæs as our festival artist for 2026. His artwork “Gjentakelser” (see top of this article) will adorn our festival poster and program catalog, and in connection with the festival, Bjertnæs will hold an exhibition of new works at Galleri Zink.
For more information, please contact:
Artistic Director Parisa Vaziri
Festival Director Marit Borkenhagen