Bjørn F. Rørvik and Gry Moursund's picture book 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff at the Water Park' ('Bukkene Bruse på Badeland') has been voted Best Picture Book of the Year in Sweden. Congratulations! The book is translated by Pija Lindenbaum, and published by Lilla Piratförlaget, with a translation grant from NORLA. The book is also available in Danish, published by Rosinante & Co.

More about the book here

More about the competition (in Norwegian) here

NORLA congratulates Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold on being shortlisted for the 2013 International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award with her first novel 'The Faster I Walk, The Smaller I Am'. The books is translated from the Norwegian by Kerri A. Pierce, and published by Dalkey Archive Press, with a translation grant from NORLA. Foreign rights are so far sold to 20 languages worldwide.

Read more about the book here

Foreign rights here

See the complete IMPAC shortlist here

Thomas Enger's 'Pierced' ('Fantomsmerte') is shortlisted for a new Scandinavian crime fiction award, the Petrona Award. The shortlist also includes among others Arnaldur Indridason, Liza Marklund and Leif G W Persson. The winner of the Petrona Award will be annonced at the CrimeFest festival, May 30- June 2. Enger's crime fiction series is so far published in 23 countries.

NORLA congratulates Jørn Lier Horst on winning this year’s Riverton Prize (Norway’s Golden Revolver) for 'The Hunting Dogs'. It is the third time the Riverton jury has nominated Horst for the Riverton Prize. This time he has rocketed straight to the top with 'The Hunting Dogs', which was also a major hit with the critics.

NORLA congratulates translator Tiina Nunnally with becoming a Knight of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit!
The Order is given in recognition of her translator's oevre of Norwegian literature into English.

Nunnally was awarded The Order of Merit by Norwegian Embassador Wegger Chr. Strømmen, during a ceremony at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington D.C., March 1.

NORLA congratulates the winners of the Norwegian Literary Critics Prizes for Literature 2012:

Best fiction title:
Vigdis Hjorth - 'Long Live the Post Horn!' (Cappelen Damm).
Read more.

Best non-fiction title:
Aage Storm Borchgrevink -
'A Norwegian Tragedy: Anders Behring Breivik and the roads to Utøya' (Gyldendal).
Read more.

Best title for children/young adults:
Kari Stai - 'Yesper and Noper. The Thief Strikes Back' (Samlaget).
Read more.

Happy New Year!
'Språkåret 2013' (The Year of Languages) will put focus on and celebrate the diversity of languages in Norway.

NORLA congratulates Marianne Molenaar on being awarded the Dutch translation prize The Amy van Marken-Prize for her translation of Karl Ove Knausgård's 'My Struggle' vol 1.
The prize is awarded every two years to a translator of Scandinavian languages, for an outstanding translation of a single work or for a translator's oevre of exceptionally high quality.

Read more (in Dutch)

The nominations for the Nordic Council Literature Prize 2013 have been announced by the national members of the Adjudicating Committee. The two Norwegian nominees are:

Nils-Øivind Haagensen:
'God morgen og god natt', Poetry, Forlaget Oktober, 2012. Read more

Ole Robert Sunde
'Krigen var min families historie', Novel, Gyldendal, 2012. Read more

See all the nominees here

The Honorary Award: Knut Faldbakken.
Children's and young adult's literature: Kari Stai - 'Jakob og Neikob. Tjuven slår tilbake'.
Open class (young adult fiction): Linn T. Sunne - 'Lille Ekorn'.
Non-fiction: Torbjørn Færøvik - 'Maos rike. En lidelseshistorie'.
Fiction: Lars Amund Vaage - 'Syngja'.

More about the Brage Prize here
And more (in Norwegian) on the winners here

Per Petterson has won the Norwegian Booksellers’ Prize 2012 for his novel 'I Refuse'. This is the second time Petterson wins this prize – the first time was in 2003 for 'Out Stealing Horses'. The Booksellers’ Prize is a coveted prize where all booksellers in Norway can vote for their favourite Norwegian book of the year.

Three great Norwegian novels are longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2013. Fingers crossed for Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold, Tomas Espedal and Roy Jacobsen!
Read more

The Nordic Council has decided to establish a brand new prize for children's and young people's literature. The prize will be awarded for the first time in 2013 and will be independent of the Nordic Council's prestigious Literature Prize.

Read more

Per Petterson's novel 'It's Fine by Me' is Oprah's book of the week (week 40). The book was recently launched in the US by Graywolf Press, translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett, with translation subsidy from NORLA. Read more here
The book has also received rave reviews in the UK, Germany and Denmark. Click here to read more.

The father's house in Karl Ove Knausgård's novel 'My Struggle - Book 1/A Death in the Family' appears in The Guardian's list of Top 10 Homes in Literature. The book is translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett, and has been published with a translation grant from NORLA. 'My Struggle' is so far published, or under publication, in 18 languages.
See the 'Top 10 Homes in Literature' here

Read more on Knausgård here

Ragnar Kvam Jr.'s biography on adventurer Thor Heyerdahl is voted one of the 25 most beautiful German books in 2012 by the foundation German Buchkunst. The book is translated from the Norwegian by Karl-Ludwig Wetzig and published by mare verlag with a translation grant from NORLA.

NORLA congratulates Stian Hole on winning the Italian Premio Andersen Award for his picture book 'Garmann's Summer' (Garmanns sommer).
The book has previously won Hole the BolognaRagazzi Award 2007 and the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis 2010.

Henrik Hovland's picture book 'John Jensen Feels Different' (Johannes Jensen føler seg annerledes), illustrated by Academy Award-winning illustrator Torill Kove, has recently been published in the US. The book is translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, with a translation grant from NORLA. And the critics love the book!

The New York Times writes " .. an appealing blend of straightforward compassion and sly, deadpan humor that works marvelously well." Read more.

Petterson's novel 'It's Fine by Me' (Det er greit for meg) has received great reviews in The Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Scotsman. The novel is translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett, and published by Harvill Secker with a translation grant from NORLA.

Read more and order a free copy here

NORLA is proud to contribute to the A&A Book Trust's ‘World Girl-Child Picture Books Project’ in India, by granting subsidies for the publication of two Norwegian picture books in both Hindi and English. The books are:

Gro Dahle: ‘Snill’, illustrated by Svein Nyhus and translated into both Hindi and English by Arundhati Deosthale with Mira B Laurantzon.

illustrated by Helena Ohlsson and translated into both Hindi and English by Arundhati Deosthale with Mira B Laurantzon.

Read more about the World Girl-Child Picture Books Project here
And more about A&A's important work by creating 'Reading Corners' for children all around India here

“There will be a before and an after MY STRUGGLE. Knausgård will have the same status as Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun.”
(Kristeligt Dagblad, Denmark)
The sixth and final volume of Karl Ove Knausgård’s MY STRUGGLE was hailed as a monumental end to a work of immense importance all over Scandinavia upon its Norwegian publication in November. The first printing disappeared from stock in three days and the book went straight to the top of the bestseller list.
Read more here

The film rights in Helene Uri’s 'Bitches' are sold to the film company 4 ½. The film company is looking very much forward to transfer the lively scenario of this novel into a movie.
Translation rights to the book are sold to Denmark and Sweden, and Norstedts would like to introduce Helene Uri at the Gothenburg Book Fair in 2012, when the focus is on the Nordic Literature.
Helene Uri’s writing is translated into many languages, and her previous novel 'The righteous' has received excellent reviews in Sweden and France.

The prestigious design award iF Design Award was awarded to the book 'Betongoverflater' (Concrete Surfaces), published in collaboration between Gyldendal Academic and byggutengrenser.no. It is both a guide and an inspirational book for architects and concrete workers, designed by Laboremus.

In relation to "The World Through Picture Books Project," which aims to create a list of picture books from around the world, librarians from all over Norway have voted for the ten best Norwegian picture books. NORLA has provided subsidies for the translation of several of these books into seven languages. See the ten titles below

Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold's prize-winning first novel 'The Faster I Walk the Smaller I Am' is recently published in the USA by Dalkey Archive Press with a translation grant from NORLA, and translated from the Norwegian by Kerri Pierce.
Translation rights to the book is so far sold to seven countries, and the US edtition now receives great reviews in several newspapers.

Read the review in The Harvard Crimson here

And the review in the Irish Times here

More info about the book here

Nine Norwegian authors and illustrators have been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2012, the largest award for children’s and young adult literature in the world. We would like to congratulate Gro Dahle and Svein Nyhus (nominated as a team), Harald Rosenløw Eeg, Fam Ekman, Stian Hole, Ragnar Hovland, Gry Moursund, Bjørn Sortland and Øyvind Torseter on their nominations. The winner will be announced on March 20, 2012.
For a complete list of nominees, click here.

Fridtjof Nansen was born 150 years ago on October 10, 1861. Many special events will be arranged in Norway and abroad in celebration of the anniversary. NORLA contributes by granting subsidies for the translation of several of Nansen’s books that are being published in foreign languages this year:

NORLA congratulates Damion Searls on winning the PEN Center USA's Literary Translation Award 2011 for his translation of Jon Fosse's 'Aliss at the Fire'. The book is published by Dalkey Archive Press with translation subsidy from NORLA.
Read more on the award here and on the book here.

Gaute Heivoll is awarded the Hunger Prize - Sultprisen - 2011. The Prize is granted by Gyldendal publishing house to a young, eminent author.
Heivoll's Brage Prize-awarded novel 'Before I Burn' (2010) received excellent reviews and foreign rights to the book are so far sold to 15 countries. Read more

German reviewers like Per Petterson's novel, 'It's Fine by Me' recently published by Hanser Verlag, translated into German by Ina Kronenberger. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung's critic thank Petterson and his translator for giving the readers 'reads that outlast the season', including books like 'Out Stealing Horses' and 'In the Wake'.
See the reviews (in German) in Welt, Kurier, Deutschland Radio and Frankfurter Allgemeine.
More on Per Petterson here

Bjørn Ousland's picture book 'Prince Doggy' was launched last year in Hindi (translated by Arundhati Deosthale and Inger Randi Rognøy) as one of several Norwegian childrens books published by A & A Publishing with translation subsidy from NORLA.

Herbjørg Wassmo is knighted with the French Order 'Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'. The award ceremony took place during this year's book fair Salon de Livre in Paris. More information on Herbjørg Wassmo here and on the French Order here.

Paula Stevens is awarded the Dutch translation prize The Amy van Marken-Prize for her complete work as a translator of Norwegian literature from Norwegian into Dutch.
The prize is awarded every two years to a translator of Scandinavian languages, for an outstanding translation of a single work or, as this year, for a translator's oevre of exceptionally high quality. See the amazing picture that proves the extent of Paula Stevens' oevre of translation.
(Photo: Pepijn van den Broek)

Loe's 'Muleum' was one of six novels shortlisted for the Grote Jongerenliteratuur Prijs. The 2010 edition of this prize is the first ever, and it is the only Jury Prize in the Netherlands that laurels fiction in the 15+ category. Two prizes of € 5000 are awarded: one for the best work of fiction in Dutch, and one for best translated work of fiction. In the latter category, Erlend Loe shares his prize with the translator Femmigje Andersen Sijtsma. A jury, consisting mainly of professional readers, selected Erlend Loe’s novel out of nearly 80 exhibits.

The book 'Hamsun – Holl – Hamarøy' by Erik Fenstad Langdalen, Aaslaug Vaa and Nina Frang Høyum is awarded the DAM Architectural Book Award 2010 in the category "Monograph of a Building". Read more about the award here and a presentation of the book (in German) here.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Oslo and the Norwegian Embassy in Kiev have invited a group of Ukrainian publishers and translator to Oslo. The purpose of the visit is to enhance the contact between Norwegian and Ukrainian publishing houses to increase the translation of literature both ways. NORLA covers the travel expenses of the Ukrainian guests. The program runs from 1-2 November at the House of Literature in Oslo. See the full programme here. For further information please contact the Ukrainian Embassy.

Stian Hole's book 'Garmann's Summer' is awarded the German Youth Literature Award 2010 (Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis) for best picture book. The book is translated into German by Ina Kronenberger. 'Garmann's Summer' is so far (being) translated into ten languages and the book has received several major awards both in Norway and abroad. Read more here about the award here and about the book here.

Jon Ewo's novels for young adults are heading the list of the most-lent library books at the St. Petersburg Library. The novel 'XXL' has recently been published in Germany and receives great reviews, one of which describes the book as "A mixture of 'The Catcher in the Rye' and 'Stand by Me', only funnier." Read reviews (in German) here and here, and contact his Norwegian publisher for further information here.

The Arts Council's Prize 2010 is awarded author, translator and playwright Tor Åge Bringsværd. The annual award is given for outstanding achievement in the arts to a prominent Norwegian cultural figure.

The three poets Tone Hødnebø, Marte Huke and Hanne Aga are part of the "Poems on the Underground" in Warsaw, due to translation subsidies from NORLA. More information in English on the poets and translators is found on the project's website, where the poems can be read in both Norwegian and Polish.

Anne Oterholm is awarded the Aschehoug Prize 2010 for her collected works. The Aschehoug Prize consists of NOK 100 000 and the sculpture 'Eternal Life' by renowned Norwegian sculptor Ørnulf Bast. Read more on Anne Oterholm here.

Ingrid Storholmen is awarded the Hunger Prize 2010. The Prize is granted by Gyldendal publishing house to a young, eminent author.
Storholmen's latest book Chernobyl Stories (2009) has received excellent reviews and was nominated for the Brage Award, the Norwegian Critics' Prize and the Youth Critics' Prize. More information on the author here.

Per Petterson's latest novel I Curse the River of Time receives rave reviews both in the U.S. and the UK. Major newspapers like The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, The New York Times and The Washington Post all have starred reviews of the novel.

The International Ibsen Award 2010 is given to the Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse. The award will be presented on 10 September during the Ibsen Festival at the National Theatre in Oslo. Read the jury's statement here

Mary Parr's critically acclaimed first novel "Waffle Heart" is awarded the Prix Sorcières for best children's novel 2010. The book is translated into French by Jean-Baptiste Coursaud, and foreign rights are so far sold to 7 countries. More information about the Prize here.

Jo Nesbø, one of Europe’s leading crime writers, has just published 'The Snowman' to brilliant reviews in the UK press. This is Nesbø’s fifth internationally acclaimed novel featuring Inspector Harry Hole to be translated into English by Don Bartlett. Read more here

Tomas Espedal is awarded The Gyldendal Prize 2009 for his collected works, and in particular his latest novel 'Against Art'.
The book has been awarded the Norwegian Critic's Prize and is nominated for the Nordic Council's Literature Prize. More about the book here

Tom Egeland has been awarded the Golden revolver, the Norwegian prize for best literary detective work in 2009 for his book 'Gospel of Lucifer'. Read more here

Per Petterson's novel 'Out Stealing Horses' is awarded the Rashid Bin Hameed Cultural Award for best translated novel 2009 in the Arab emirate of Ajman. The book is translated by Sukaina Ibrahim and published by Dar Al-Muna, in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.

Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold and Eivind Hofstad Evjemo are awarded the Tarjei Vesaas' First Writer's Award 2009. Skomsvold receives the award for her novel 'The Faster I Walk, The Smaller I Am' (Oktober), while Evjemo receives the award for his novel 'Wake Me if I Fall Asleep' (Cappelen Damm). Read more about Skomsvold's book here, and Evjemo's book here.

Tomas Espedal and Maria Parr are awarded The Norwegian Critics' Prize 2009. Espedal for his novel Agains art, which is so far sold to four countries, and Parr for her children's book Tonje Glimmerdal, which is sold to six countries. More on Espedal's book here, and Parr's book here.

The American-Scandinavian Foundation has awarded the 30th annual ASF Translation Prize to Tara F. Chace from Seattle for her translation of a collection of short stories by Norwegian author Nicolai Houm, All Children are Made of Fire (Alle barn er laget av ild). More about the prize here.

The International Ibsen Scholarships were initiated by the Norwegian government and will be handed out for the third time in 2010. Scholarship funds amount to NOK 1.000.000,- (approx. Euro 125.000,-/US Dollars 150.000,-) will be awarded to Ibsen-related projects world wide. The application deadline is April 15th 2010, see more info and application form here

The first three volumes of Karl Ove Knausgård's six-novel project My Struggle have been chosen as Book of the Year by the readers of the renowned Norwegian magazine Morgenbladet. This is the second prize for this ambitious project.

Anne B. Ragde’s acclaimed novel Berlin Poplars was published in France last autumn and has received excellent reviews by French critics.

Translation is all around us; it’s something we just don’t usually think about. For three whole days focus will be placed firmly on translation in all its forms. Norway’s House of Literature will be filled from cellar to garret with translation, translators and translations.

Gunnar Staalesen's fourth crime novel has recently been published in the UK, and British critics and readers like what they find in The Consorts of Death.

Per Petterson's critically acclaimed and prize winning novel Out Stealing Horses is ranked as no. 68 of the 100 best books the last decade by the prestigous British newspaper The Times, and is called "a superb Scandinavian noir". The book is so far sold to 45 languages.

Petterson receives the prize for the novel I Curse the River of Time.

Stian Hole picture book Garmann's Street is awarded the 2009 childrens' literature prize by the Nordic Association of School Librarians. The book is so far sold to six countries.

Maria Parr's début novel, Waffle Hearts (Vaffelhjarte, 2005) is nominated for the French Prix Tam Tam. The book is sold to six countries so far and the French translation is by Jean Baptiste Coursaud.

The prize is given to young talented European writers and aims to “put the spotlight on the creativity and diverse wealth of Europe’s contemporary literature, to promote more circulation of literature within Europe and encourage greater interest in non-national literary works”. Tiller is one of 12 prize winners.

The Independent's reviewer praises the author's
"superb knack of bringing characters to life with a few broad strokes, the prose flows deceptively easily, with a true master's witty choice of words." Read the review in full here.

Kjartan Fløgstad’s novel Grand Manila was recently published in France and the reviews were wonderful and enthusiastic. French critics are beside themselves with joy over Fløgstad’s smooth transitions between the local and the global, the individual and the international.

says The Independent's Boyd Tonkin on Norwegian literature in Britain, and NORLA. Read more

Kjell Askildsen is awarded the Swedish Academy's Nordic Prize 2009.

Gabriele Haefs and Jean-Baptiste Coursaud received The NBU (Norwegian Writers for Children) prize on October 25. They have both been working persistently promoting Norwegian children's literature in Germany and France respectively.

Click here to learn more about Norway's national day.

NORLA are inviting a selection of highly skilled translators of Norwegian literature to participate in the Norwegian Literature Festival (Sigrid Undset Days) in Lillehammer, May 28 - June 2.

And, staying faithful to tradition, NORLA and the Norwegian Publishers Association will also co-host a seminar for approximately 15 invited foreign publishers of fiction during the festival.

The festival's website

The forthcoming application deadlines for NORLA's translation subsidy are:

June 1, for Norwegian non-fiction titles

August 1, for Norwegian fiction titles

More information is to be found under 'Translation Subsidy' in the left-hand margin, or by clicking here.

We look forward to receiving your application.

NORLA and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in London are organizing a professional seminar for British translators and publishers of Norwegian Literature, June 10-11. After the seminar and workshops NORLA advisors will visit British publishing houses.

Program events include meetings with Norwegian publishing houses and literary agents, a visit to the House of Literature in Oslo, presentations of Norwegian publishing organizations and contemporary literature, and much more.

By end of March, 34 applications regarding Norwegian non-fiction titles have been granted translation subsidies of NOK 621.000 for translation into 17 languages. The total sum applied for was NOK 1.250.500, and a total of 36 applications were received.

See list of all grants below

Grants, March 2013 49.50 kB

In 2012, 351 books have been published, in 42 different languages, with the support of NORLA’s translation funding programs.

See detailed information about all the titles published:

Published books 2012 133.50 kB

Take a look at the great book covers by clicking here.

Learn more about NORLA's translation subsidy here

Norwegian Literature is doing extremely well abroad, and NORLA (Norwegian Literature Abroad) is experiencing a large increase in the number applications from foreign publishers for translation subsidies for both fiction and non-fiction books.

A grand total of 431 publications were granted support by NORLA in 2012 – a marked rise from the previous year, when 383 publications received support. The rise has been seen in all genres, and in both children’s and adults’ books.
English was the dominant language, followed by Danish, German, Swedish, French, Russian and Dutch – but NORLA also supported translations into another 41 languages, bringing to the total to a record breaking 47.

See list of all grants below

NORLA's translation grants 2012 620.00 kB

The English language book market functions as a door opener that enables Norwegian literature to enter many other international markets. With this in mind, NORLA has taken the initiative to make Norwegian literature more visible in the English speaking market.

We are very pleased to announce that NORLA, with the support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has increased the amount of money available for English sample translations.

In the autumn of 2012 NORLA established a trial subsidy program for the production of picture books for children and young adults. The trial program is now extended beyond 2013.

Foreign publishers wishing to publish picture books by Norwegian authors and illustrators may apply for translation subsidies. In addition, they may apply for production subsidies of up to Euro 1000. The application for production subsidies must be submitted in the form of a letter, and must include a detailed budget outlining the anticipated costs.

NORLA's English brochure on Norwegian literature for children and young adults is available on our website, please click here. You may also download a brochure containing two articles on Norwegian fiction and non-fiction from our site. Choose between the Spanish, Russian, French and English version here.