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Meet the nominees for the Nordic Council Literature Prize

On 14 April, a new series of livestreamed author talks with the nominees for the Nordic Council Literature Prize will be premiered. Each week, we meet with some of the current writers to talk about survival, madness, relationships, travel desire, decay, and other perspectives that affect their works. There will also be readings with the nominees.

This year’s candidates span the entire Nordic region with works from all countries and language areas. A strong field of fiction, whose content is about writing on wet paper, the decay of capitalism and social-realistic conditions. In addition, there are offers of survival methods, a valley full of plastic flowers and an apocalyptic text about the future of the earth are also among the nominated works.

Nine novels, four collections of poems and one collection of short stories have been nominated, and among these are both Niviaq Korneliussen, Ursula Andkjær Olsen, Andrzej Tichý, Inga Ravna Eira and Vigdis Hjorth nominated before.

Inspirational meetings online
The author lectures give the opportunity to find out more about the authors from all over the Nordic region and hear them talk about their nominated works. The sections vary in both content and focus depending on the authors involved and the moderator leading the conversation.

The author lectures are broadcast live on Facebook and the Nordic Culture Contact’s website every week, starting on 14 April.

The interviews will be in Scandinavian, with the exception of 12 May and 26 May, where the events will be in English.

April 14: Vigdis Hjorth and Ursula Andkjær Olsen – moderator Yukiko Duke
April 21: Lars Amund Vaage and Sebastian Johans – moderator Marit Lindqvist
April 28: Andrzej Tichý – moderator Sara Nyman
May 5: Johanne Lykke Holm and Niviaq Korneliussen – moderator Janne Breinholt Bak
May 12: Pajtim Statovci and Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir – moderator Sofie Hermansen Eriksdatter
May 19: Heidi von Wright and Lív Maria Róadóttir Jæger – moderator Malan Marnersdóttir
May 26: Andri Snær Magnason and Inga Ravna Eira – moderator Sunna Dís Másdóttir

Nordic co-production
The digital conversation series is produced in collaboration between the Nordic cultural institutions: Nordic Cultural Contact in Helsinki, Nordic House in the Faroe Islands, Nordic Institute in Greenland (NAPA), Nordic Institute in Åland and Nordic House in Reykjavik, which also houses the Secretariat for the Nordic Council Literature Prize.

Here are the nominees for this year’s literature prize:

“Broarna” by Sebastian Johans. Novel. (Åland)
“Bolla” by Pajtim Statovci. Novel. (Finland)
“Autofiktiv digt af Heidi von Wright” by Heidi von Wright. Poet. (Finland)
“Penge på lommen. Scandinavian Star. Del 1” by Asta Olivia Nordenhof. Novel. (Denmark)
“Mit smykkeskrin” by Ursula Andkjær Olsen. Poetry collection. (Denmark)
“Eg skrivi á vátt pappír” by Lív Maria Róadóttir Jæger. Poet. (Faroe Islands)
“Naasuliardarpi” by Niviaq Korneliussen. Novel. (Greenland)
“Um tímann og vatnið” by Andri Snær Magnason. Novel. (Iceland)
“Aðferðir til að lifa af” by Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir. Novel. (Iceland)
“Er mor død” by Vigdis Hjorth. Novel. (Norway)
“Det uferdige huset” by Lars Amund Vaage. Novel. (Norway)
“Gáhttára Iđit” by Inga Ravna Eira, Poet. (The Sami language area)
“Strega” by Johanne Lykke Holm. Novel. (Sweden)
“Renheten” by Andrzej Tichý. Short stories. (Sweden)

Read more about the nominees at norden.org

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