Stig Sæterbakken – writing, mediation, and friction

Stig Sæterbakken was a central figure in Norwegian literature, and he remains so, 60 years after his birth. Through novels, essays, and criticism he challenged both readers and the public with his explorations of morality, power, guilt, and the darker sides of human nature. He was also an important guide and mentor for many writers, and continues to inspire. Sæterbakken sought to open literature to the uncomfortable, the controversial, and the principled. This marked much of his work, including his contributions to the Norwegian Festival of Literature. In this event, it is first and foremost the fiction writer and essayist Sæterbakken who is placed under scrutiny. What did he write? What significance did he have? What do the texts mean today?