Literary fiction Autumn 2019 - Immaterial Agents
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Literary fiction
Autumn 2019
1
Gyldendal Denmark
318 pages
Literary fiction
Nominated for DRs NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2019
Sample English available
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Rights sold:
Mare Verlag, Germany
Solum Bokvennen, Norway
Eva Tind
Origins Eva Tind
The 18 year old Sui decides to moves away from home. Eva Tind is based in Denmark. She
She was brought up by her father Kai, because her mother was born in 1974 in Pusan, Korea. At
the age of one, she was separated
Miriam, a world famous artist, left them when Sui was a
from her biological family and
toddler. When she moves out, Kai is driven into a deep, adopted by a Danish couple. Today
personal crisis. He leaves his architect studio in the hands she has a mother in both countries.
of his colleague for an undefined period of time, and goes Based on her education from ‘The
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
to an alternative community in India to regain his strength. School of Architecture’ known
After he leaves Denmark, Sui discovers a cyst in her objects, space and places are an
tummy, and since her father is away she decides to pay a integrated part of her writing and
visit to her mother. The last time they met Sui was 7 years work. She often manifests her
novels, literary portraits and
old, Miriam is now 70. She has turned her back on society collections of poetry in the related
and lives isolated in the deep, Swedish woods building her fields of film and fine art.
final artwork: A circular wall that seals the area around the Eva Tind often explores the whole
concept of origin in relation to her
world’s oldest tree leaving this piece of land untouched by own story. She reflects on the nature
humanity for hundreds of years. of belonging and the way we forge
After an unresolved meeting with her mother, Sui decides to our own identity – How much of it is
look for her father´s roots in South Korea. She ends up on shaped by our environment and what
is internal, highlighting how the world
the Island of Marado; a matriarchal society where women can seem very different depending
make a living of diving for pearls. on who is looking at it and from
ORIGINS is a story about a family of three that separates where. Both fictional and non-
fictional characters, themes and
and travels into the world to find peace with themselves and
matter unfold in her storytelling and
each other. An adventurous tale of the love and pain that new connections appear releasing
separates, but also connects a family. About the feeling of the fixed ideas of what is possible
not belonging, and the search for a meaningful life. and what is not.
Eva Tind’s Origins is written with humour, wisdom, warmth
and a touch of magic.
«I feel with Eva Tind's work, like I do with Siri Hustvedt and Josefine Klougart: No
matter what they write about - they do it so aesthetically that it by definition becomes
a pleasure reading»
Litteratursiden.dk, Denmark
«Origins is a liberating, atypical, strongly outgoing and engaging humanistic, feminist
and idealistic novel on abandonment traumas, family communities and other forms of
community, love, cynicism, reconciliation and chronology of death. Eva Tind
accelerates her narrative story in soft jerks and confirms herself as a wild, discreet
and unique author»
Weekendavisen, Denmark
«Eva Tind writes with energy, humor and cheekiness (...)
Refined, intelligent, elegant (...)
Such a beautiful novel»
5/6, Politiken, Denmark
Pelikanen Forlag
111 pages
Literary
English translation available
Winner of the Tarjei Vesaas debut award
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Kenneth Moe
Restless Kenneth Moe
A young man writes a letter to the woman who rejected him. Kenneth Moe (born 1987) grew up
Driven by doubt and unbridled desire, he tries to write near Larvik, a small town outside
Oslo in Norway. He currently lives in
himself to a new understanding of his loneliness.
Oslo.
At the same time, he suspects literature is to blame for all He has studied creative writing in
of this. Bø, Bergen and Lillehammer,
He therefore dreams of literature that cures the need for Norway.
Moes debut novel Restless won the
literature, literature where life has precedence. Tarjei Vesaas debut award.
Restless is a disobedient short novel, narrated by
aphorisms and small episodes of everyday life, conveyed
by a presence and an intensity that never folds back to a
Rights sold:
personal darkness.
Residenz Verlag, German
Restless also contains remains of an almost extinct classic Nordisk Books, World English
ideal. At least hope: Books can make us better people. Poklonka, Argentina & Colombia
“I only have one book in me, after all. It’s called “How I
Learned to Love,” and I hope to write it over and over
again, with little variations until I die. “
«I admire this book a lot (...) The overwhelming majority of the work I see feels to me
as if it were written in the mid-19th century. The best work, from any era, always feels
shockingly contemporary. This is true of RESTLESS. There is, for me, no higher
praise»
David Shields, author
«Kenneth Moe is a clear literary talent – it was obvious to us that we were dealing
with an author right from the start. I needed only to read a few sentences of his
manuscript to understand that this was something I wanted to work with and
eventually publish.Kenneth has a strong awareness of form; he’s also stubborn and
possesses a completely original literary voice. We’re sure that Restless will be the
first of many books in a promising career»
Karl Ove Knausgård, author
«A rare example of what intelligence, irony, tenderness do to a man and his novel!
„Restless“ shows us the contemporary way to tell a love story.»
Jessica Beer, editor, Residenz Verlag
Bjartur,Iceland 111 pages
Original language: Icelandic
Literary fiction
English translation available
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Bergsveinn Birgisson
Reply to a Letter from Helga Bergsveinn Birgisson
Bergsveinn Birgisson holds a
Bjarni has long held onto a letter from former lover Helga,
doctorate in Norse philology and has
with whom he shared an illicit, impassioned love and whom an expansive background in folklore,
invited him to leave his wife and his farm and follow her to oral histories, and lyrical poetry.
the city. Years later, as he reflects on a long and simple life Birgisson is also happy having learnt
about the cultural institution a sheep
shepherding in the Icelandic hillsides, he finally finds farm represents.
himself ready to explain why. With retrospective clarity and A true researcher at heart, Birgisson
poetic affection, Bjarni pens his Reply to a Letter from has spent his life studying language
Helga, weaving a life of longing for Helga’s sensual and how it represents the truth of the
human condition. He currently
presence and the visceral pleasures of daily exposure to resides in Bergen, Norway, where he
the elements. He has knowingly avoided the glamorous continues to write classical tales.
choices of modern living and taken comfort in the measured Birgisson’s work has been widely
recognized through prestigious
cadence of nature’s cycles—and thus he reduces the awards and nominations.
human condition to a series of mating seasons, passed on
the land toiled by his forefathers. Rights sold:
Pelikanen Forlag, Norway
Lumen, Spain
Awards: Poklonka editores, Columbia
The Icelandic Bookseller ́s Award Zulma, France
C&K, Denmark
Prix des lecteurs Nantais Palto, Turkey
Prix Amphi, France Bompiani, Italy
Prix du Cercle de l'Union Interalliée Bazar Förlag, Sweden
Bazar Kustannus Oy; Finland
Nominations: Al Arabi, Egypt
Dublin Literary Award: Lesa Press, Israel
Film rights:
Nordic Council Literary Award ZikZak film
The Icelandic Literary Award Theatre rights:
Norway
Iceland
«Beautiful and erotic» France
Kristeligt Dagblad, Denmark
«More erotic than 50 shades» 4
Dagbladet, Norway
«Touching and deeply sensual»
VG Norway, 5/6
«One of the stories that makes the reader hurt with nostalgia for a world and a time never lived in
(...)
Birgisson's novel becomes a song, with the capacity to turn the love of a woman into love for a
landscape - and that manages to melt the inner glaciers to the one who chooses to live with love,
not against love»
La Stampa, Italy
Bjartur, 2019
230 pages
Original language: Icelandic
Literary fiction
English translation available
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Bergsveinn Birgisson
VITALITY BROOK Bergsveinn Birgisson
Nominated for the Icelandic Literary Award 2019 Bergsveinn Birgisson holds a
doctorate in Norse philology and has
an expansive background in folklore,
On the far northern, most thinly populated shores of the oral histories, and lyrical poetry.
Westfjords in Iceland flows a little brook that the inhabitants Birgisson is also happy having learnt
believe to have great healing power. It is said that anyone about the cultural institution a sheep
farm represents.
who drinks one cup of the brook’s water per day, cannot die A true researcher at heart, Birgisson
— which in turn gives the body the opportunity to heal itself. has spent his life studying language
Even now, the brook is still called Vitality Brook. and how it represents the truth of the
This was in the days when the life of the Icelandic nation human condition. He currently
resides in Bergen, Norway, where he
hung by a thread. The greatest volcanic eruption in the continues to write classical tales.
history of Iceland began in 1783, with the earth spewing fire Birgisson’s work has been widely
and toxic gases for nearly an entire year. Men and beasts recognized through prestigious
awards and nominations.
were decimated, grass could no longer grow, the sea froze
and hindered fishing.
A plan was proposed by the Danish authorities, then the Rights sold:
colonial lords of Norway and Iceland, to relocate all able- Vigmostad & Bjørke Norway
bodied Icelanders to Denmark and Finnmark in Norway. Residenz Verlag, Germany
Corvina, Hungary
This historical fact forms the framework of this novel. Iperborea, Italy
The Danish authorities´representative sent to Iceland, a
scientist, falls in love with a local woman; he gets severely
injured one one of his expeditions, and his beloved goes
looking for the healing water which she strongly believes
will cure him. Birgisson elegantly tells a lovestory while
discussing science, faith, and colonialism.
«5/5 stars; Vitality Brook will find its way to many readers; this adventorous and well
5
written story deserves it (...) masterfully and powerfully written (...) Incredibly funny!»
Morgunbladid, Iceland
«Extraordinarily well written and interesting story with a stunning final chapter
Fréttablaðið, Iceland
Beautifully done (...) a fantastic novel (...) will give you goosebumps»
Þorgeir Tryggvason, Kiljan, Iceland
«Particularly well written (...) hits the right spot for the lover of historical novels»
Víðsjá/RÚV, Iceland
«This is the best Birgisson has done so far (...) a grand novelty (...) Warmly
recommended»
Egill Helgason, Kiljan, Iceland
Pelikanen Forlag
316 pages
Literary
English sample available
Nominated for the Tarjei Vesaas debut award 2019
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Ragnhild Eskeland
Insulated
Insulated is a moving and plain-spoken novel about living with
Ragnhild Eskeland
a chronic disease that affects all the aspects of life we usually Ragnhild Eskeland (b. 1986) trained
take for granted and never think about. It explores what it in literary studies and writing at
Gothenburg and has also studied
feels like to be ill, what it means when the body attacks itself creative writing at the Nansen
and how illness has always been viewed judgementally with Academy in Lillehammer. She has a
moral overtones. master’s degree in French literature
from the University of Oslo. Insulated
‘Diabetes is a feeling of squandering ones desires. It is the
is her first novel.
disease of greed. It is lack of restraint. The disease strikes
those who are governed only by their feelings, those who lack
common sense and self-control. The blood sugar level affects
how you feel. Hypoglycaemia (‘a hypo’) can make you feel
very odd. Diabetes is the punishment for displaying your
feelings, wearing them on your sleeve, lack of restraint. The
punishment for a big appetite for food and a big appetite for
life. The shame of having too many feelings, too many
desires.
Diabetes is a vulgar disease.
If tuberculosis is a love poem, diabetes is porno.
If minimalism is fear of ones body, diabetes is maximalism.
Diabetes is flesh. Diabetes is food and urine. It is blood and
pee.
It is sugar in blood and urine.
It is shame.’
Insulated is a novel about diabetes, a novel about growing
up, about being young and struggling to accept oneself.
«A powerful portrait of living with a chronical disease, through adolescence and as a
young adult.
The novel also explores, in an open and intellectual manner, the disgraceful aspects
of a so-called lifestyle disease, which to a greater extent than many other disorders
can be self-inflicted, and which imposes a kind of moral guiding on the sick's way of
life, entails an extra responsibility that can be heavy carry. INSULATED gives insight
into a life situation that is more rarely illuminated in the literature, depicted with both
great intellect and physicality»
Jury, Tarjei Vesaas debut award
«A page-turner! (...) INSULATED is a debut novel that places itself at the forefront in
the field of important pathographies. But regardless of that INSULATED is an
excellent novel»
Aftenposten, Norway
«This is a language-driven novel. Eskeland´s debut is brilliantly written. The «now»
form in the book creates proximity and her style is scarce, almost laconic»
Klassekampen, Norway
Cappelen Damm
234 pages
Literary fiction
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Gert Nygårdshaug
The Rainmaker
The globe is in deep crisis. There are blazes, large forest
Gert Nygårdshaug
fires raging, and there is not a drop of rain from the sky. Gert Nygårdshaug was born in
Everywhere there are desperate people on the run, who are Tynset, the mountains of Norway.
Since his literary debut in 1966, he is
kept at a distance up by barbed wire fences, sticks and the author of nearly 40 books, both
rifles. novels for children, poetry and
Only one place remains idyllic. It is a nameless little village fairytales- together with literary
works, thrillers and crime novels.
that, strangely enough, is blessed with adequate doses of
The trilogy of Mino (Mengele Zoo,
rain. There the 800 inhabitants live in peace and tolerance, The Heaven ́ s Flower Tree and The
until a great danger threatens. Basin of Aphrodite) earned him
The agency, the state, the hierarchy and the mighty ally are immense recognition from critics and
the public. Nearly 400,000 copies
looking for this village. They want to find the cause of the sold in Norway, and elected Norway
strange weather phenomenon. The methods they use are ́ s favorite novel in the Norwegian
relentless. international literature festival in
Lillehammer in 2007.
This title adds to the narrative tradition Nygårdshaug is best
His crime novels where the main
known for, and is often associated with names in Southern character is the chef and cryptologist
European or Latin American literature, where the form of Fredric Drum, also make
the fable contains social criticism and philosophical issues. Nygårdshaug appear regularly on
the bestseller lists in Norway.
Concerned about the environmental
cause, Gert Nygårdshaug fights for
the preservation of rainforests,
especially the Amazon, where he
has spent much time.
.
«Nature and human nature are intimately connected and constitute a kind of
collective organic consciousness in the service of potential good (...)
stimulating perspectives»
Aftenposten, Norway
7
«A political novel and a fairytale (...) Nygårdshaug has created a playful, quirky
and engaging book»
5/6, Hamar Arbeiderblad, Norway
«The author has created a fable, a kind of unreal story, which in its naive
language points to the simple and a child’s world. This is the strength. Lurking
under this surface a darker reality unfolds (...) Nature and the environment are
the main issues in this book as in many of his other works. Reading him is
pure joy»
Kulturspeilet, Norway
«Well done, witty and subtle»
Dagbladet, Norway
«Another energetic fable»
Lierposten, Norway
Idunn, Iceland
166 pages
Literary
Rights sold:
Rowholt, Germany
Rosinante, Denmark
Vega, Sweden
China International Radio Press, China
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Steinunn Sigurdardottir
The love of fish
Steinunn Sigurdardottir
"The love of fish is as cold as they themselves are."
Baron Cuvier
Samanta is reasonable, well behaved and a confident single. Steinunn Sigurðardóttir is one of
Her secret passion though are Sanskrit poems which she Iceland´s most highly acclaimed
novelists and poets.
translates. But then, vacationing in Ireland, she meets her She has sustained a writing career
real live darling, a young fellow Icelander called Hans since 1969, as well as a
Örlyggson. distinguished career in journalism.
In France, she made a name for
They swim around each other for years, like the fish do.
herself with the best-selling novel
It’s very late until Samanta finally learns to accept the power Voleur de vie. It was adapted to the
of this love. screen, starring Emmanuelle Béart
Too late? and Sandrine Bonnaire. In 2017 the
same novel was adapted to the
stage by The National Theatre of
Iceland, to high critical acclaim.
«Fish are slippery and sluggish against each other and apart. Perhaps, therefore, the
title "The love of the fishes"; It is also with us people, which is why this book may be
relevant at any time. It is based on existential and philosophical issues, but also
psychological, including In terms of how we meet people, go apart and communicate
as well as we can with the tools we have»
Bogrummet, Denmark
«Light as a feather and yet meaningful. This is the short and also cheerful love story
of the Icelander, a reading suitable for men and women alike. It is about the "passion
against all reason", which happens to the independent editor Samanta when meeting
the married manager Hans. The impossibility of the relationship turns around and
becomes a stimulating and intensifying moment. Since the first-person narrator
reports from memory, her grief still seems to be locationless, the event remains
unresolved until a new love finds itself and the pain flows into the elemental Icelandic
soul landscape. Steinunn Sigurdardottir, also in her other novels, added to the insular
writing a self-assured note that, away from the purely epic, combines irony with
melancholy, the unfathomable with the neurotic, and yet does not lose sight of the
Icelandic forces of nature, and leaves me such a happy reviewer!!»
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Germany
EINAUDI, Italy
136 pages
Literary fiction
English sample available
Nordic Rights
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
Valeria Parrella
ALMARINA
Can a prison free the people who enter it?
Is there an island in the Mediterranean from which you can
never reach the sea? Valeria Parrella
It happens at Nisida, just beyond the promontory of Posillipo.
Nisida, moored like a boat, is a small island nestled between
Capri and Bagnoli. This is where Elisabetta Maiorano does VALERIA PARRELLA was born in
1974; she lives in Naples. She
sums at the blackboard with a mixed group of young debuted with the collection of short
inmates. stories Mosca piú balena (minimum
She is fifty years old; she lives alone; every morning she fax 2003). She has published with
Einaudi: Lo spazio bianco (2008,
crosses the city with all its contradictions. 2010, and 2018), on which
But one day, Almarina shows up in her classroom. The Francesca Comencini based the
prospects change, the earth becomes the sea and its same-titled film; Tre terzi (2009, with
opposite, and those stairs always leading downward – ener- Diego De Silva and Antonio
Pascale); Lettera di dimissioni
vating bureaucracy, unexpected deaths, sleepless nights – (2011); Antigone (2012); Tempo di
reveal the other possibility: an opportunity to ascend them. imparare (2014); Ma quale amore
In a dry writing style, warm, intimate, and political, Valeria (2014); Troppa importanza all’amore
(2015); and Enciclopedia della
Parrella precisely touch- es our emotions, giving voice to two
donna. Aggiornamento (2017).
forms of loneliness whose power will move us. “The hardest For years she has written the book
thing is to see them go away, because of where will they go. column for Grazia and collaborates
They are still so young, and they will go back to where they with la Repubblica.
came from, and where they came from is the reason they are
here”.
“For years, I entered the Nisida juvenile detention center
without ever being able to really recount it. It was the same
thing with Naples: I always found it elusive, so I would talk
about it without ever naming it (and then: I was too afraid of
reducing it to a label). In this book, I tried to go the extra
mile. To name Naples and talk about Nisida: to conjugate the
world with our intimate solitude. And since it wasn’t an easy
project, I decided to use an easy, un- derstandable
language: a way to write respectfully”.
RIGHTS SOLD:
John Murray, World English
Hanser, Germany
The Ohio State University Press
Literary
Nordic & Dutch rights
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
David Shields
The Trouble with Men:
David Shields
Reflections on Sex, Love, David Shields is the internationally
Marriage, Porn, and Power bestselling author of twenty-two
books,
David Shields’s The Trouble with Men: Reflections on Sex, including Reality Hunger (named one
of the best books of 2010 by more
Love, Marriage, Porn, and Power is an immersion into the
than
perils, limits, and possibilities of human intimacy. All at once thirty publications), The Thing About
a love letter to his wife, a nervy reckoning with his own Life Is That One Day You’ll Be Dead
fallibility, a meditation on the impact of porn on American (New York Times bestseller), Black
Planet (finalist for the National Book
culture, and an attempt to understand marriage (one Critics Circle Award), and Other
marriage, the idea of marriage, all marriages), The Trouble People: Takes & Mistakes (NYTBR
with Men is exquisitely balanced between the personal and Editors’
the anthropological, nakedness and restraint. While Choice). .
unashamedly intellectual, it’s also irresistibly readable and
extremely moving. Over five increasingly intimate chapters,
Shields probes the contours of his own psyche and
marriage, marshalling a chorus of other voices that leaven,
deepen, and universalize his experience; his goal is nothing
less than a deconstruction of eros and conventional
masculinity. Masterfully woven throughout is an
unmistakable and surprisingly tender cri de coeur to his
wife.
The risk and vulnerability on display are in the service of
radical candor, acerbic wit, real emotion, and profound
insight—exactly what we’ve come to expect from Shields,
who, in an open invitation to the reader, leaves everything
on the page.
«A fearless consideration of sex and power that is also a moving meditation on
the possibility of love»
Amy Fusselman
«His honesty would be startling if we didn’t already expect just this from David
Shields: a willingness to ask what no one wants to ask (but everyone longs to
know) and say what no one will say (but everyone longs to hear)»
Sallie Tisdale
«David Shields is the most honest writer alive»
John ScoylesGloria Forlag
166 pages
Literary
English sample available
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Mari Ann Augestad
Three Women
Maria has started looking back. She studies the choices she
made, wondering about small and big events in her life and Mari Ann Augestad
their consequences. Mari Ann Augestad was born in
Especially when it comes to love, Maria ponders and reflects 1963.
She grew up in Ski outside Oslo; and
around why she chose and acted as she did. Her beloved currently lives there with her family.
one, that was never only hers, the replacement she took Augestad studied pedagogy and has
instead of him, and the student she finally settled with, who worked as a teacher for many years.
Three Women is her debut novel.
became the father of her child.
Maria discovers how events in her life are connected. She
sees how the footprint of her strict grandmother and well
meaning mother has influenced her, and the reader gets a
small insight of the dramatic life both Marias mother and
grandmother had as a result of a mystical grandfather
described as a charlatan.
We follow Maria through her not so streamlined maneuvers
and choices, always sensing the presence of her beloved
one, Marias grandmother; the mothers sometimes
demanding softness and Marias daughter Rakel.
With wit, humor, sharp observations, warmth and honesty,
Mari Ann Augestad gives the reader a taste of a universe
somewhere between Sally Rooney and Elena Ferrante, set
in Norway.
«The well-studied and stylish study of an uncompromising but, after all, quite ordinary
life»
Adresseavisa, Norway
«How can Three Women be compared to Anna Gavalda and her books? To me
because of the direct and naked language, the credible feelings described without
excessive patos and the openness Augestad has given to her main character. I can
cite directly what I wrote about Gavaldas book Someone I loved - feeling the same
the same about Three Women: "It's a beautiful story of love, honesty and loss,
showing clearly human doubts and weaknesses when it comes to big choices in life. "
This is also what Augestad expresses in her book Three Women.
I simply loved the language, the frequent stage shifts and the evolution of the story -
and will definitely read Augestad again if she decides to publish a new title. This
really gave me a taste for more»
Marianne Søiland, Ebokbloggen, Norway
«So elegant and delightfully written about three women who loves and hates men,
and loves and hates each other! Finely tuned, with vulnerability, and a great
atmosphere. Great stuff!!»
Unni Lindell, author, NorwayNon-fiction
Autumn 2019
12Picador, Australia
374 pages
English
Nordic Rights:trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Behrouz Boochani
NO FRIEND BUT THE MOUNTAINS Behrouz Boochani
Where have I come from? From the land of rivers, the Behrouz Boochani holds a Masters
degree in political geography and
land of waterfalls, the land of ancient chants, the land
geopolitics. He is a Kurdish-Iranian
of mountains… journalist, scholar, cultural advocate,
In 2013, Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani was writer and filmmaker, founder of the
Kurdish language magazine Weya,
illegally detained on Manus Island. He has been there an Honorary Member of PEN
ever since. International. In 2013, he fled Iran
People would run to the mountains to escape the and became a political prisoner of
the Australian Government
warplanes and found asylum within their chestnut incarcerated in the Manus Regional
forests… Processing Centre (Papua New
This book is the result. Laboriously tapped out on a Guinea).
mobile phone and translated from the Farsi. It is a
voice of witness, an act of survival. A lyric first-hand
account. A cry of resistance. A vivid portrait through
five years of incarceration and exile.
Do Kurds have any friends other than the mountains?
Winner of 2019 Victorian Prize for Literature
Winner of the Australian National Biography award
Winner of New South Wales Premier’s Literary Award
Rights sold:
Picador UK
Hugo & Cie, France
Penguin Random House, Germany
House of Anansi, US/Canada
Add Editore, Italy
Homeward, Taiwan
Jurgen Maas Uitgeverij, The Netherlands
Leya, Portugal
Rayo Verde, Spain
Gyldendal, Denmark
Screen rights: Aurora AustraliaVigmostad & Bjørke 2013
303 pages
Original language: Norwegian
Non-fiction
English translation available
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Bergsveinn Birgisson
The Black Viking Bergsveinn Birgisson
Nominated for Brage award 2013 Bergsveinn Birgisson holds a
doctorate in Norse philology and has
an expansive background in folklore,
This story begins in Rogaland year 846 AD. One day a very oral histories, and lyrical poetry.
special royal son is born- Geirmund Heljarskinn. But we Birgisson is also happy having learnt
know almost nothing about this personality, there is no saga about the cultural institution a sheep
farm represents.
about him, and posterity has done it´s best to forget him. A true researcher at heart, Birgisson
Why? has spent his life studying language
We know that his mother was from Siberia, therefore, he and how it represents the truth of the
was born with Asian features. Geirmund Heljarskinn human condition. He currently
resides in Bergen, Norway, where he
becomes the “Black Viking” – the most powerful settler on continues to write classical tales.
Iceland through times. Dark-skinned and with Mongolian Birgisson’s work has been widely
facial features he was a pioneer in international hunting recognized through prestigious
awards and nominations.
economy. Heljarskinn had hundreds of slaves; Christians
from Scotland and Ireland. Rights sold:
1100 years later a distant relative of Geirmund, author Paramount Pictures and Anonymous Content
(screen rights)
Bergsveinn Birgisson, addresses the question of Geirmund Gyldendal Denmark
Heljarskinn´s life, and why he is forgotten. Old fragments, Lira, Hungary
modern genetics and information collected on trips to Bazar Finland
Bazar Sweden
faraway places is put together, creating a fascinating and Albatros Media Czech Republic
shocking portrayal of a raw and poetic past. Varrak Estonia
Bjartur, Iceland, 2016
Rarely, if ever, has the Viking Age been introduced to us in Globo, Brazil, 2018
this way. Iperborea, Italy, 2018
Al Arabi Publishing, Egypt
Vigmostad & Bjørke, Norway
«Birgisson is a fine combination of a poet and an exciting and
original academic author. «The Black Viking» is a sensational
work, nothing but a newly written Icelandic saga from the
early settlers on Iceland. It differs from the classical sagas,
14
this is an alloy of academic historical and philological scrutiny
and impressive penmanship. Fascinating and innovative in its
own well documented saga with personal notes»
Jan Askelund, Stavanger Aftenblad
«A masterpiece! I have never been interested in Siberia. Not
until now. Maybe not really the Viking period either. Not until
now. This book presents priceless knowledge at a time when
humanities tales supposedly not are worth publishing
anymore. Thank goodness then for professional defiance and
the stubborn need to tell, and for publishers' efforts to keep
the stories alive. This book's wealth and excitement deserves
respect. It should get a lot of readers. They will be surprised
how history still has so much new to say. So many
undiscovered coasts»
Mona Ringvej, AftenpostenCappelen Damm, Norway
224 pages
Non-fiction
NTNU Literary award 2018
Norwegian Language Council Award 2018
Sample in English available
Contact: trude@immaterial.no
WWW.immaterial/no
Maria Berg Reinertsen
The Journey to Bretton Woods Maria Berg
Early one summer’s day of 1944 John Maynard Keynes, Reinertsen
together with a small group of economists, set sail across Maria Berg Reinertsen (b. 1980) is
the Atlantic on the former luxury ocean liner Queen Mary. an economist and journalist for the
The members of this group had various agendas- some of Norwegian weekly newspaper
Morgenbladet. There, among other
them wanted to create a better world. It was just 10 days things, she writes about economical
after the D-Day landings in Normandy. In their wake, topics for people who normally
London was getting over the first attack performed with the wouldn’t be interested in economics.
She’s published three critically
VI – the flying bomb – Hitler’s new super weapon. Under
acclaimed books. In 2010, she
the deck of the ship, 2000 German prisoners of war from published The Equation for
the landing at Normandy were kept. Ahead of them were Happiness. The Numbers, Thoughts
seven days at sea, journeying to the Bretton Woods and Accidents Behind the Prevailing
Economic Sense. For the biography
conference that was to shape the economic order of the Henriette Schønberg Erken. A
postwar world. This book tells the story of the boat trip that History of Norway Seen From the
laid the foundation for the world economy as we know it Kitchen Counter, she received the
today, 70 years later- and the fascinating characters on Booksellers’ Prize for Best Non-
Fiction Book in 2014. In 2017, she
board, the people behind this agreement. During the published The Journey to Bretton
crossing to the Bretton Woods conference, the travelers Woods, and for this she received the
wrote a draft of the organization of the World Bank and the Norwegian University of Science and
Technology’s Book Prize as well as
IMF (The International Monetary Fund) while the ship The Language Prize from the
Queen Mary sailed in zigzags to avoid German Language Council of Norway.
submarines- none of the passengers knew which route they
were sailing.
The mixture of solid academic content, reflected social
analyzes and a sophisticated literary form makes the
Journey to Bretton Woods an admirable piece of prose
Jury, NTNU literary award
15
Acquiring professional knowledge is only the beginning of
transmitting. The next step is to find a language that
communicates with people who lack prior knowledge and do
not know the jargon (...) Maria Berg Reinertsen conveys
extraordinarily
Jury, Norwegian language council literary awardBjartur, Iceland
316 pages
Non-fiction
Rights sold:
Hanser Verlag Germany
Gloria Forlag Norway
Mondadori, Italy
Kobiece, Poland
John Murray, UK
Harper Collins, Holland
LIKE, Finland
CLIO, Serbia
Capitan Swing, Spain
Forlaget KLIM, Denmark
Steinunn Sigurdardottir
Heida: A Shepherd at the Edge
of the World Steinunn Sigurdardottir
A seasonal portrait of an Icelandic superheroine Steinunn Sigurðardóttir is one of
Iceland´s most highly acclaimed
Heiða, named after the one-and-only Heidi of literary fame, novelists and poets.
is a solitary farmer, with a flock of five-hundred sheep on She has sustained a writing career
the farm Ljótarstaðir in a remorseless area bordering since 1969, as well as a
distinguished career in journalism.
Iceland’s highlands. One of Heiða’s nearest neighbors is In France, she made a name for
Iceland’s most notorious volcano, Katla, which has herself with the best-selling novel
repeatedly driven away the inhabitants of Ljótarstaðir ever Voleur de vie. It was adapted to the
since people first started farming there in the twelfth screen, starring Emmanuelle Béart
and Sandrine Bonnaire. In 2017 the
century. same novel was adapted to the
The heroic tale of this charismatic young woman, who had stage by The National Theatre of
a chance to work as a model in New York, is divided Iceland, to high critical acclaim.
Amongst Steinunn Sigurdardottir’s
according to the four seasons. Heiða tells of her struggles
other titles in French translation are
with herself and the powers of nature with deep feeling, La Place du Coeur, Le Cheval Soleil,
keen wit and humor, weaving the narrative with anecdotes and the recently published
of her animals and farm work. Heiða’s energetic narrative is Maitresses Femmes. Apart from
France, Steinunn Sigurdardottir’s
interspersed with her deftly-composed quatrains, as well as books have been extensively
her insightful reflections on Icelandic nature. translated, notably in Germany and
the Nordic countries.
I consumed the book at speed and on the few
occasions I had to put it down, one or other
members of my household were quick to pick it
up: the cover alone excited a wish to read it…I
had the feeling while reading it that Heida was in
MY kitchen, idly chatting to ME and that I was
getting to know her really well, as a close friend.
My overall feeling is gratitude for its transparent
honesty. So much biography sets out to paint a
picture of someone with at least some of the
flaws/facts removed or altered. It causes a huge
sigh of relief to read one where we are given a
rounded picture of a real person doing a real job. I
find any work about a farmer irresistible but am
often disappointed; not so this time… It was a
privilege to be 'talked to' as a friend and allowed
to share a fine farmer's life for a few hours.’
ROSAMUND YOUNG, author of Secret life of
cowsRes Publica, 2019
165 pages
Non-fiction
Selected title by NORLA autumn 2019
English sample available
Contact: trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Øystein Skjælaaen
Getting high and why- Øystein Skjælaaen
the meaning of alterring consciousness Øystein Skjælaaen (b. 1977) holds a
doctorate degree in sociology. He
has worked in alcohol and drug
Some people visit a pub in the morning, others shoot heroin research for many years, and his
in a park. Some go on a wine trip to Tuscany, others take thesis "Beer for breakfast. Identity
and community in the pub in the
mdma and dance in the woods. Why is it that in our culture, morning" received academic praise
some forms of intoxication are accepted, while others are and attention from the general press
forbidden? when published in 2018.
Øystein has published in numerous
Through all times and all over the world, people have
academic journals with articles about
sought to get high. Today it is part of most people’s lives. drugs, alcohol and intoxication.
Getting high gives a break from work and routines and can “Getting high, and why”. is his first
give us freedom and community – it helps us. But everyone book. Skjælaaen is also a musician,
and plays in the band Real Ones,
knows someone for whom alcohol and drugs no longer among others.
gives pleasure, only pain, shame and sadness.The use of .
substances has become a means of coping with everyday
life.
Øystein Skjælaaen has researched and worked with
intoxicants, but also shares his own experiences. Through
meetings with people and their stories, Getting high and
why challenges our perceptions of the importance of getting
high in society and for individuals.
«An author’s virtues such as simplicity,
clarity and precision makes "Getting high
and why" a text that caters to an
audience17 far beyond the universities»
Morgenbladet, Norway
«...elegantly formulated and thought
provoking about getting high»
5/6, Aftenbladet, NorwayRes Publica
166 pages
Non-fiction
English sample available
RIGHTS SOLD/ Forlaget FILO, Dnmark
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
Wegard Harsvik & Ingvar Skjerve
HOMO SOLIDARICUS
Wegard Harsvik & Ingvar Skjerve
New insights from biology, behavioral science and
economics have, over the last 50 years, turned ideas about Wegard Harsvik (b. 1967) is head of
human beings upside down. public relations and strategy in LO.
He has long political experience,
Especially the notion of Homo Economicus – the idea that including as state secretary at the
we all have narrow self-interest as a goal in everything we do Ministry of Health and Care Services
– has been changed. and the Ministry of Culture, political
In this book, Wegard Harsvik and Ingvar Skjerve introduce adviser at the Ministry of Education
and the Storting representative (AP).
us to an opposite to Homo Economicus: Homo Solidaricus. Harsvik holds a Master’s degree in
The book shows that selfishness and self-gain must be Social Economics, Sociology and
prevailing as an idea is wrong. History from University of Oslo, and
has written several books, including
It puts together new knowledge that shows cooperation is
“Blåkopi” (2013) and “Word is
fundamental to us as a species. The authors let us see how power”, with Sara Gunnerud, (2015).
this must also have consequences for how we discuss Ingvar Skjerve (b. 1978) is a nurse
politics and create good societies. Solidarity and community with a master ’s degree in
professional ethics and diakonia. He
is not a fight against human nature. It is deeply rooted in us. works as a political advisor.
Ingvar has co-written the book
“Participants. A journey in the future
of democracy ”(Manifesto, 2009).
«Homo solidaricus will kill the notion of the selfish […] All in all, this is a fine summary
of why Homo Solidaricus should be recognized as the opposite of the selfish person
Finansavisen, Norway
a thought-provoking and good book»
Vårt Land, Norway
«An excellent ideological tool for progressive forces fighting for a more just world»
Radikal Portal, Norway
«Solidarity and social behaviour is not learnt, it is found in our genetic material.
Therefore, we have the potential to create a more just world. We can become Homo
solidaricus, if we organize society so that it stimulates our empathic sides. It is not at
all a bad New Year's message. […] There are worse things to do in 2019 than
reading Homo Solidaricus»
Klassekampen, NorwayEINAUDI; Italy
166 pages
Non-fiction
Nordic rights through Immaterial Agents
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
Michela Murgia
INSTRUCTIONS FOR Michela Murgia
BECOMING A FASCIST
The incisive voice of an intellectual who puts a long silence MICHELA MURGIA was born in
Cabras in 1972. In 2006, she
to rights, reminding us that when we talk about fascism,
published with Isbn Il mondo deve
nothing is a given forever. sapere, the tragicomic diary of a
Fascism is a herpes which can resist for entire decades in month’s work, which inspired the
the marrow of a democracy; it makes us think it has movie by Paolo Virzì Tutta la vita
davanti. With Einaudi,
disappeared only to reappear more viral than ever at the first in 2008 she published Viaggio in
sign that the host’s immune system is weakening. Sardegna. Undici percorsi nell'isola
It takes an enormous effort to be democratic. che non si vede; in 2009, the novel
It means coming to terms with complexity, supplying the Accabadora, which won the 2010
Campiello Prize; in 2011, Ave Mary
greatest number of people with the instruments to decode (re-published in the Super ET series
and interpret the present times, guaranteeing areas and in 2012 and 2018); in 2012, Presente
meth- ods of participation to all those who want to exploit (with Andrea Bajani, Paolo Nori,
and Giorgio Vasta), and L'incontro.
them to improve collective life. More- over, not everyone is
With Einaudi, he has also published
interested in being democratic. And actually, if we take a look the novel Chirù (2015) and the essay
at pre- sent-day Italy, it seems that no one is interested in it Futuro interiore (2016).
anymore, least of all Italian politics. So then, why do we
continue to waste our time with democracy when we can
take a fast- er and more certain shortcut? Isn’t fascism a
well-oiled system for guaranteeing that the state is run
better, for less money, faster and more efficiently?
RIGHTS SOLD:
Brazil (Editora Ayiné)
Catalan language (Grup62)
Galician (Rinoceronte Editora)
Germany (Wagenbach)
World English rights (Pushkin Press)
World Spanish rights (Seix Barral)Bjartur, Iceland
341 pages
Non-fiction
Sample English available
TV rights sold to Palomar Pictures
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Ásdís Halla Bragadóttir
Blood Ties Ásdís Halla Bragadóttir
In 2011, Ásdís Halla Bragadóttir got a phone call from a Asdis Halla Bragadottir is a Harvard
man she’d never met who said his father thought she might graduate, and has worked as a
journalist for the largest daily
be his daughter. At the time, Ásdís Halla was a 43-year-old,
newspaper in Iceland. She was an
nationally known woman who had variously worked as a assistant to a government minister,
journalist for the largest daily newspaper in the country, an the mayor of a conservative
assistant to a government minister, the mayor of a municipality, and was the CEO of a
large home improvement company.
conservative municipality, the CEO of a large home She has also founded a private
improvement company, and was now founding a private health clinic.
health clinic. Given that she had no reason to think she had
any connection with the stranger, Ásdís Halla took the call
with a grain of salt. She had been raised by a man who she
looked upon as her father; she thought she knew who her
biological father was, but didn’t have any contact with him.
When Ásdís Halla asked her mom about the man who the
stranger suggested could be her father, it turned out that
her mother did know him, and little by little, Ásdís Halla
began to uncover a family saga that was more dramatic
than she’d ever anticipated. As she did so, she was forced
to relive her own childhood, which was no walk in the park.
«A well-wrought, well-written, and truly effecting story that plays on all of the reader’s
emotions»
Fréttablaðið (Daily Paper), Iceland
«One of the most poignant family sagas this reviewer has ever read»
Morgunblaðið (Daily Paper), Iceland
«Ásdís Halla’s family story is a tragic one, and her mother and grandmother’s story is
heartbreaking. The book is written with considerable confidence, as if Ásdís Halla
was already a seasoned author. Great book»
Kiljan (TV show about literature), IcelandTiden Forlag 2019
180 pages
Non-fiction
Sample in English available
Rights sold:
Wielka Litera, Poland
Siw Aduvill
The Value of Rest – and what we Siw Aduvill
gain from refrain Siw Aduvill has a background from
contemporary circus arts where she
We live in a society where stress is a public disease and worked as a performer, teacher, and
where action, work and constant activity is supposed to director.
She holds certifications in several
solve everything for us. The Value of Rest – and what we different styles of yoga, bodywork
gain from refrain – is a personal and multifaceted book and meditation. Her main interest is
about NOT doing anything in the best possible way. in exploring in the intersection
Research shows that when we learn to step out of the between movement, art, philosophy,
personal practice and social change.
hustle and bustle, the grass will become greener, the Siw is a sought after workshop
quality of the wine improves and the orgasm can be faciliator and teaches on these
enjoyed more deeply. subjects at teacher training programs
in Norway and internationally.
Not to mention that we become more generous, more
.
productive and more intelligent when we rest, so there is no
doubt that rest is worthwhile.
So why don’t we manage to stop?
Siw Aduvill takes us through brain research and floating
thoughts, everyday life and refugee camps, yoga, sex and
wine tasting in this entertaining, educational and wise book
about the simplest and most difficult of all: doing nothing.
«An important and universal message»
Fevennen, Norway
«Aduvill conveys old and new knowledge
21
from physiology, biology and biochemistry
and thoroughly examines how our
nervous system works (...) The strength of
this book is the self-help it offers in a fair,
green light»
Stavanger Aftenblad, NorwayNon-fiction
Nordic rights through Immaterial Agents
RIGHTS SOLD:
UK – Head of Zeus
US – Forge
Holland – HarperCollins
Italy – Mauri Spagnol
Portugal – ASA;
Brazil - Autentica;
Sweden – Nordstedts
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
Louise Callaghan
FATHER OF LIONS Louise Callaghan
Between 2014 and 2017, the 'Islamic State' ruled the city of At the age of 26, Louise moved to
Istanbul as Turkey correspondent for
Mosul, in northern Iraq, killing 'traitors', destroying books and
The Sunday Times (one of the
oppressing women. But miraculously, in a park on the youngest foreign correspondents
eastern edge of the Tigris, a zoo was kept open. ever hired by the paper) and with the
Father of Lions is the story of Mosul Zoo. It survived under following year, won young reporter of
the year at the 2016 British Press
the stern hand of Abu Laith, the zookeeper, a man with an Awards and the 2017 British
interesting past and a lifelong animal lover. His real name Journalism Awards, as well as being
was Imad, but for as long as he could remember everyone highly commended for Foreign
had called him by his nickname, Abu Laith 'Father of Lions'. Reporter of the Year. After two years
of reporting on the ground on the
And the lions and bears survived not only two years of Isis failed coup in Turkey and the sieges
occupation, but starvation and bombardment by liberating of Raqqa and Mosul, in 2017 she
forces. realised her current position as
Middle East correspondent for The
As the animals began to starve, Abu Laith and his family and
Sunday Times. This year, she was
helpers went hungry to keep them alive. They risked their named as one of Forbes Europe 30
lives to pick through bins for leftovers in Isis-occupied under 30 in media and shortlisted for
neighbourhoods. In a final heroic effort, the surviving animals Foreign Correspondent of the year in
the British Journalism Awards.
were smuggled out of Iraq in a daring rescue operation.
This is a story of human decency in the midst of barbarism.
’An unexpectedly funny and moving book. You
might not expect to laugh when reading about
ISIS-held Mosul, but through the story of a
man who loves both lions and life, Louise
Callaghan shows how humour and defiance
can counter cruelty, and why both humans and
animals crave freedom'
Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4 NewsAdd editore, Italy
144 pages
Non-fiction
Rights sold:
J´ai Lu, France
Gursli-Berg, Norway
Manuscript in French, Spanish, Norwegan, Italian available
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
Claudio Fava
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is a story about standing up and sacrificing
everything for what you believe in. Claudio Fava
The year is 1978. The military dictatorship reigns with hard
Claudio Fava is an Italian journalist,
measures. Thousands of opponents disappear, many never writer and politician.
found again. Torture and killing is practiced by the junta- He has depicted many places and
and Argentina will soon host the World Cup. many wars, from Sicily’s fight against
Cosa Nostra to the difficult peace
But first, troublesome elements must disappear. Like these processes in Latin America, for both
rugby players from Mar del Plata. newspapers and television. He also
In the team you find Raul with a Sicilian grandfather, “The writes for the cinema and theatre.
Turk”, there is the trainer “Mister” and the long hinged boy
“Mono”. There are Otilio, Pablo, Santiago and all the others.
And what they have in common is that they don’t
particularly like Jorge Rafael Videla appointing himself as
president for a lifetime, shutting down all opposition
elements to make the country appear spotless before the
World Cup.
One day Mono disappears. They find him dead. Killed. And
before kicking off in the next game, they ask the referee to
remember Mono with silence for a minute. The minute turns
into two… to ten. Ten minutes of an intense silence.
The junta learns about this silent protest, and soon another
player from Mar del Plata disappears. Then another one.
Mar del Plata is based on a true story from Argentina’s so-
called “dirty war” in the seventies, when tens of thousands
of protesters disappeared to never be found again. While
the World Cup was held with Argentine victory and dictator
Videla on the honor stand.
It’s a shaky story, portrayed in a soft voice. Which probably
makes it even stronger.
«A powerful and heartbreaking story about sacrifice»
Le Monde, France
«Indispensable! SILENCIOS (original title Mar del Plata) the novel by Claudio
Fava, retraces a forgotten event of the Argentine dictatorship, a must read! (...)
a strong and moving book that discusses dictatorships, and the silence of the
people»
Domiclire, France
«A shocking story told with a low voice- something probably making it even
stronger (...) A touching tale of courage, will, and great sacrifice. From a pretty
close past we almost forgot»
Bok395, Norway- 5 out of 6
«A small book but a big story you will never forget»
Gert Nygårdshaug, author, NorwayAdd editore
128 pages
Non-fiction
Theatre rights: Italy
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Claudio Fava
The Oath
«Heads can be cut or counted»
Claudio Fava
In 1931 the Italian fascist regime chose both solutions and
Claudio Fava is an Italian journalist,
forced all university professors to swear an oath of writer and politician.
allegiance to the Duce. He has depicted many places and
1,238 took the oath. Only twelve refused. This is the story many wars, from Sicily’s fight against
Cosa Nostra to the difficult peace
of one of those twelve, freely inspired by the figure of Mario processes in Latin America, for both
Carrara (1866 – 1937), one of the fathers of Italian legal newspapers and television. He also
medicine and a leading expert in forensic medicine. writes for the cinema and theatre.
While the university celebrated the concept of race, careers
were made with the party card, students wore black shirts
even in the lecture halls. Carrara sensed the ignominious
agony of the country and when the rector announced the
date and the terms of the oath, that is, loyalty to the king
and to Mussolini, he realised he could not do it. Not for any
ideological obstinacy on his part but due to a sense of
decency. Because that oath was above all ridicu- lous,
grotesque, a fake, in a word – indecent. The story of Mario
Carrara, who was arrested and died in prison, is a
metaphor for our modern times, pervaded as they are by
new conformisms and old acquiescences.”
«Fava's style creates a slow awareness, but the dramatic events triggers a reaction
(... The highly lucid and still current analysis of a collective madness concealed by
the blood of resilience that we have the duty to remember and defend. Always ready
to say the NO that keeps us free»
La Repubblica, Italy
«Fava is good at catching the main scenes, there are no smears, we see the
24
professor - who has no name, almost to incarnate the other twelve, and then others
still able to say no to the conformism of violence, to the acceptance of a fidelity
imposed at the expense of differences and ideas - in private and at university, while
maturing his choice, while holding classes and deciding to be himself in a country of
puppets. And his choice is even stronger because it is of fidelity to doubt, which
science brings with it, and not of loyalty to an ideology. Fava manages to make
Carrara's natural freedom and those like him feel»
Il Mattino, Italy
«Mario Carrara's story is an inevitable metaphor for our time, pervaded by new
conformisms and ancient resignations»
Tempo Ritrovato, ItalyAschehoug forlag
188 pages
Non-fiction
Sample in English available
Contact:
trude@immaterial.no
www.immaterial.no
Magnus Helgerud
Tell me why you travel and I´ll
tell you who you are
Why do people queue for hours to have their photo taken Magnus Helgerud
on the ledge of a cliff? Why are some travelers afraid of
getting caught in “tourist traps” in Rome? And why are there Magnus Helgerud (born 1983) is a
graduate in history of ideas from the
so many tourists hating other tourists? University of Oslo.
This book is like an organized tour for people that don´t
really enjoy organized tours, guided by journalist and History of ideas linked to traveling is
his field of expertise.
historian Magnus Helgerud, who sets out to connect the
dots from the travelling artists of the 19th century up to the Helgerud has written about tourism
selfie-tourism of today. and travels for many Norwegian
First we go to Rome, where through literature, film and art, newspapers and magazines, among
others Aftenposten, Klassekampen,
he seeks to understand why so many travelers enjoy Vagabond and Harvest.
renting Airbnb apartments in “Rome´s most roman
neighborhoods” and flirt with the locals in their pursuit of Tell me where you travel and I tell
“authentic Italy”. In the second part of the book, traveling you who you are is his first book.
along the Norwegian coast with a cruise ship, the author
goes all the way up to Cape North, where we come to
understand what motivates many travelers to seek extreme
experiences in nature.
This book is a blend of live travel portraits and a popular
science essay that draws on everything from recent
research literature to Hollywood movies. With an eclectic
cast of characters joining the travels, such as the poet Lord
Byron, the painter Caspar David Friedrich, the philosopher
Edmund Burke, a famous Latin Lover, Audrey Hepburn and
a German guide pretending to be leading a polar
expedition.
“Tell me why you travel – and I´ll tell you who you are” also
addresses the problematic aspects of tourism today, such
as climate issues and gentrification.
«The anecdotes about Lord Byron's horror when bumping into his
countrymen in Italy is enjoyable reading (...)Helgerud is brilliant when
discussing the questions Why do we travel? What is motivating us?»
Author Erika Fatland for Aftenposten. Norway
«Helgerud addresses all the myths related to tourism, takes them apart
and shows what dreams and longings they consist of»
Fædrelandsvennen, Norway
«A highly entertaining and thought-provoking book! Ideal reading for
anyone who’s ever been a tourist - or tried not to be one»
Katharina Vestre, author of The first MysteryYou can also read
