Trude Marstein
Trude Marstein (b. 1973) grew up in Tønsberg and now lives in Oslo. She has studied pedagogy, psychology and literature at the University of Oslo, but it was during her time at Telemark University College that her focus on writing really gained momentum. In 1998, Trude Marstein received the Tarjei Vesaas' debutant award for her prose collection Sterk Sult, Plutselig Kvalme (Strong Hunger, Sudden Nausea). She has since published novels, essays and a children's book, and has received several awards for her writing. She has in her books succeeded in revealing the gaps in closeness, care and love between people, and all the trivial, forbidden, and crazy feelings that lie beneath the surface when people meet. For the novel Gjøre Godt (Doing Good) she received the 2006 Critic Award, and in the speech to the prize winners, Margunn Vikingstad said: 'Marstein's sharp vision and unpretentious narrator's voice adds a special quality to her already established authorship.' After a few years of silence, this year we got a striking new novel from Trude Marstein, Conscience, which was nominated for the Brage Prize and has been one of the most sought-after books in the country's libraries since its release. With Conscience, Marstein has consolidated her position as one of the most precise and ambitious writers we have in Norway. Use your time in the run-up to the festival to dive into this outstanding author.