Author: Johanne Elster Hanson

The history of the Norwegian term ‘jøssing’ is as curious and complicated as the political situation that birthed it. First used in 1941 as a snide characterisation of Norwegians sympathising with the British war effort, the word took on a different meaning as the Second World War progressed. Norway was invaded by German forces on … Continue reading Jøssing

I England går en fireukers lockdown mot slutten. Teatrene i hovedstaden vil fra 2. desember kunne åpne for sosialt distanserte forestillinger, men mange frykter at den forestående koronavinteren vil drive en allerede sterkt presset sektor mot bristepunktet. Det er ikke bare i Richard III at Storbritannia opplever en «winter of discontent»; årsskiftet 1978-1979 var preget … Continue reading Vårt tunge mismots vinter

The literary map is full of iconic writers virtually unknown to the English-speaking world. In Norway, Inger Hagerup is considered one of our finest twentieth-century poets, with more than twenty publications under her belt, but the very nature of her work seems to have made it all but untranslatable – until now.  Born in 1905, … Continue reading When Mount Galdhopiggen moved by almost an inch

‘A friendship can be among the most important events in a life,’ Graham Greene wrote in his second memoir, ‘and a way of escape’. In this volume, fittingly titled Ways of Escape, Greene also described his meetings and correspondences with the Norwegian writer Nordahl Grieg. Although they met only three times, Grieg ended up making … Continue reading Ways of Escape

I kjølvannet av Black Lives Matter-protestene som har funnet sted verden over, har Europa og Amerikas mange statuer blitt et tema – også i dette tidsskriftet. Er det riktig å la uttalte rasister forbli på sin opphøyde sokkel? I Norge tok diskusjonen en ny vending for noen måneder siden, da den med Carl von Linnés … Continue reading Glemte helter

Timing er alt. Den engelske forfatteren Olivia Laing kunne neppe ha forutsett at Funny Weather, hennes essaysamling med undertittelen Art in an Emergency, skulle bli publisert noen uker inn i den største verdensomspennende krisen i nyere tid. Men slik ble det, og koronapandemien gjorde derfor en allerede tidsriktig bok desto mer aktuell. Gjennom korte essays, intervjuer, bokanmeldelser … Continue reading Et underlig vær

23. mars i år, samme dag som den engelske regjeringen innførte en mye etterspurt lockdown, fikk dramatikeren David Hare Covid-19. Noen dager i forveien hadde han sittet i et trangt klipperom sammen med regissøren og produsenten av hans nye TV-serie Roadkill. Regissør Michael Keillor hadde laget te, de hadde snakket tett til hverandre og spist kjeks fra samme … Continue reading Å få has på djevelen

When the German occupation of Norway ended in May 1945, those who had quietly profiteered from the miseries of war began the process of burying the previous five years. As King Haakon of Norway returned from his London exile and was greeted by jubilant, flag-waving crowds, it could seem as though no “good” Norwegian had … Continue reading Peace and lies

“Literature from Norway is characterized by good stories that don’t avoid discussing topics that are difficult and important,” Margit Walsø, director of Norwegian Literature Abroad (NORLA), recently observed in an interview with Norwegian Arts. That potent blend of narrative and candor travels well: Norwegian has recently become the second most translated language after French. And, … Continue reading Thinking Independently: How Britain’s Small Presses Championed Norwegian Literature

With the onset of COVID-19, Norwegians found themselves suffering from a peculiar case of cabin fever. Cabin-owners across the nation were no longer allowed to stay at holiday houses outside their home municipality, something that led Norwegians closer to civil disobedience than they had ever ventured before. This obsessive attachment to our holiday homes is … Continue reading Pining for the fjords