19 authors will travel across Germany in the Crown Princess’s literary train to Frankfurter Buchmesse.
On 14–15 October Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess Mette-Marit will travel on the literary train from Berlin via Cologne to Frankfurter Buchmesse, accompanied by 19 authors. The literary train in Germany is a collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NORLA and Deutsche Bahn.
“The literary train in Germany is a unique opportunity to present literature from Norway to a large German-speaking audience. We are really looking forward to having 19 wonderful authors travel with the Crown Princess to Frankfurter Buchmesse,”
says Margit Walsø, director of NORLA.
Ambassador for Norwegian literature abroad
Crown Princess Mette-Marit is the ambassador for Norwegian literature abroad. Through a series of activities and events, the Crown Princess shares her commitment to literature and reading – with the conviction that there is a book out there for everybody. In connection with Frankfurter Buchmesse, the Crown Princess will travel on the literary train – now for the first time outside the borders of Norway – from Berlin via Cologne to Frankfurt, arriving with authors from Norway.
“I am proud and happy for this unique opportunity to promote Norwegian literature. I look forward to meeting German readers – as well as some of our best-known authors on our journey through Germany. And of course I look forward to representing Norway at the world’s most important arena for literature and freedom of expression. Frankfurter Buchmesse is a unique opportunity to disseminate Norwegian literature to a whole world of readers,”
Crown Princess Mette-Marit says.
Collaboration with booksellers
On Saturday 12 October, Crown Princess Mette-Marit will visit Pankebuch bookshop in Berlin, which specialises in books from the Nordic countries. Booksellers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are among the most important partners in the Guest of Honour project. The Guest of Honour always runs a competition to see which of the booksellers can design the best window display of the guest country’s literature. But Norway has significantly expanded this collaboration.
“We have invited booksellers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland to events – among others at Frankfurter Buchmesse last year and Leipzig Buchmesse this year. NORLA also invited close to 30 booksellers to Norway, where they met Norwegian authors, publishers and agents, and had an opportunity, among other things, to experience the Norwegian Festival of Literature in Lillehammer. Petra Wentzel of Pankebuch went on one of the trips to Norway so we think it’s great fun that Petra Wentzel and Katrin Mirtschink’s bookshop Pankebuch is the one the Crown Princess is visiting,” says Halldór Guðmundsson, project leader for Norway as Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse.
Literature for children and young people
On Monday 14 October the Crown Princess will travel by train from Berlin to Cologne with a group of German schoolchildren. So the topic for the first day will be literature for children and young people.
“Norwegian literature for children and young people is especially bold. Curious children and young people are right at the centre of the books, whose boldness may lie in anything from a controversial choice of topic to the style of the language, the visual expression and illustrations, the angle, the format, the form and the genre. Svein Nyhus, Anna Fiske, Jostein Gaarder and Maria Parr will meet German schoolchildren on the train on 14 October,”
Margit Walsø says.
When the train arrives in Cologne, there will be an event at Ludwig bookshop with Maja Lunde and Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson.
Arrives in Frankfurt by rail
On Tuesday 15 October, the Crown Princess’s literary train travels onwards, from Cologne to Frankfurt, along with the authors.
Its arrival will coincide with Frankfurter Buchmesse’s official opening day, which will mark the prelude for more than 100 Norwegian authors to participate in programmes over the duration of the fair – in the Norwegian pavilion, in the centre of Frankfurt and other places at the fair..
The following authors will be aboard the literary train
- Andreas Tjernshaugen
- Anna Fiske
- Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson
- Edvard Hoem
- Erik Fosnes Hansen
- Erika Fatland
- Herbjørg Wassmo
- Inga Ravna Eira
- Johan Harstad
- Jostein Gaarder
- Lars Mytting
- Lars Saabye Christensen
- Lotta Elstad
- Maja Lunde
- Maria Parr
- Mona Høvring
- Simon Stranger
- Svein Nyhus
- Synnøve Persen