Explore the "history of Maja Lunde".
Maja Lunde, who was born in Oslo in 1975, still lives in the city together with her husband and their three sons. She has written scripts for television and books for children and young people. Bienes historie (The History of Bees, Scribner UK 2015) was Lunde’s first book for adults. It was a success and sold to more than thirty countries; in 2017, it was Germany‘s bestselling novel. The History of Bees is also the first volume in Lunde’s ‘climate quartet’, planned as a series of stories focused on aspects of how human activity affects the natural environment. During 2018, the second volume Blå (The End of the Ocean, Scribner UK 2019) has again reached the bestseller list in Germany under the title Die Geschichte des Wassersor ‘The History of Water’. At present, Lunde is working on the third volume in the series.
This is one of her typical working days:
7 a.m.
She gets up and breakfasts with her family. “It’s always rather chaotic before we get the children out of the house,” she admits.
8 a.m.
The weekend is set aside for long excursions with her family but during the week, she either goes for a brief run or a walk in the woods that surround her home. “What I love best of all – apart from writing, that is – is being outdoors in nature, walking or skiing far away from all distractions, free to move and breathe. This, it seems to me, makes me very Norwegian. We call it ‘the open-air life’ – friluftsliv.
9 a.m.
She has a study in the House of Literature in the centre of Oslo. “I grew up just round the corner but at the time, the building was a teacher training college. As a child, I’d go along to their Christmas tree party – the juletrefest. Later on, the building was refurbished and, in 2007, became the House of Literature, which is run as an independent institution. It is an important meeting place, and arranges public readings and panel discussions.My study is one of the rooms on the top floor, just under the roof. It is such a good place to write.” Quite a large number of writers, journalists, script writers and translators have their offices in the ‘writers‘ attic’ or skriveloftet.
12 noon
Time to take a break and meet her colleagues: “Some of my friends are also working here and there is always someone to lunch with. I feel that’s so important.” In the winter, they go to the Common Room and eat their packed sandwiches but, in the summer, they often go sit on the seats outside – the building is situated on the edge of the Castle Park
3 p.m.
Lunde gets on the phone for a brief chat with her husband, whose turn it is to prepare the family supper.
Between 5 and 6 p.m.
In Norway, supper time is normally early. “I love having an evening meal with my four lads.” After all, as a writer, Lunde often has to be away on professional trips and appointments. One such event even took her to the royal castle, where a dinner had been arranged to celebrate the visit of Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. Maja Lunde, who was seated between King Harald and the Duchess, had already met Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway. “She is really interested in literature, nature and the environment in general. Actually, the royal family keeps bees in the castle grounds.”
5.30- 8 p.m.
In the evening, her usual tasks are at first typically Norwegian: “I deliver my sons to their various hobby activities, do the laundry and try to bring some order into my home.”
9.30 p.m.
When her sons are in bed, she reads books and newspapers for an hour or so, and might watch something on TV. She reads a little more in bed before she goes to sleep around 11.15 p.m.
https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Maja-Lunde/2118814809
https://booksfromnorway.com/authors/Maja+Lunde
Translated from the German by Anna Paterson