The annual Norwegian Festival of Literature kicked off at Lillehammer earlier this week. This year's topic is money.
Several big names in the world of literature are gathered at Lillehammer this week to celebrate Norwegian contemporary literature, and the interaction between literature and society. The event attracts a large international audience and speakers from all over the world. Money is this year's theme, a hot topic in the midst of the financial crisis in Europe. Contributors and writers discuss whether money makes us happier, and what money does to us as humans. Norway went from being a small nation of farming and fishery to become the richest country in the world. How has this development affected Norwegian writers and the way we write? "Money has always been an important topic in literature, from Platon's dialogues and the Bible to Hamsun's Hunger, Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks and modern financial thrillers," according to the festival's website. "Few trades have an equally tense relationship to money as artists do, most likely because artistic work is almost always caught in a unsolvable conflict with the demands of profitability and efficiency." Each year, regardless of topic, the festival has two main goals: To increase the general interest in literature, and to be a central arena for literature in Norway. What started as a seminar about the Norwegian author Sigrid Undset in 1993 turned into a foundation two years later, and is now the largest non-commercial meeting point in the literary world of the Nordic countries. Some of this year's guests include Norwegian writers Thomas Espedal, Anne B. Ragde, Linn Ullmann and Jostein Gaarder; Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre, Russian author Mikhail Sjisjkin, Korean author Ko Un and American author Nicole Krauss. (www.litteraturfestival.no) Julie Ryland
Statistics show that Norwegians' use of cultural venues and institutions shows a significant decline from 2008 to 2012.(Photo: The Oslo National Theatre)..
Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard's second book in the six-volume success series was released in the U.S. on May 15th.
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Emmelie de Forest from Denmark won first place in the Eurovision Song Contest, and Norway's Margaret Berger ended up in fourth place...
Today, May 17th, is Norway's National Day. It is celebrated all across the nation, from the largest community to the smallest, with parades, bands, flags, national costumes, festival services and festivities with everyone taking part, marking the day in 1814, when Norway adopted its new Constitution.
With all of the important outdoor festivities, the weather is very important on this day, and the whole nation watches the weather forecasts..
The government and the farmers have agreed on this year's settlement, which entails NOK 1,27 billion more funds allocated to Norwegian agriculture.
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The weather prognosis for Norway's National Holiday calls for both rain and sunshine. Bring an umbrella - and your sunglasses, say meterorologists...
Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit last days in the U.S. were focused on tourism, innovation and technology.
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On the second day of the Crown Prince couple's visit in the U.S., Crown Princess Mette-Marit traveled on to San Francisco, where the couple has a busy program over the next few days.
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Norway's King Harald has just fulfilled a long-held dream when he spent four days living with the Yanomami people in a remote part of Brazil's Amazon River basin.
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The Ministry of Environment has set aside an additional NOK 10 million in order to better secure and fireproof Norway's ancient stave churches.
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Today, Wednesday May 1st is also Labour Day in Norway, with parades and speeches, - and also a sort of practice day for May 17th, which of course is Norway's Birthday, our Constitution Day.
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The Band and Drill team of the Norwegian King’s Guard will perform at Stoddert Elementary School in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, April 30.
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Norway's Queen Sonja this week opened the exhibition entitled “Munch|Warhol and the Multiple Image” in New York City. The exhibition brings together the works of two of the greatest printmakers of the 20th century.
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The Norwegian film "Kon Tiki" opens in theatres in LA and New York today, Friday. The movie is expected to screen in 400 theatres across the U.S.
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