Norway - Guest of honour at Leipzig Book Fair 2025
As Guest of Honour at Leipzig Book Fair 2025, Norwegian literature will be presented through a variety of expressions designed to surprise, spark unexpected connections and stories, offer new insights and ignite meaningful conversations.
Traum im Frühling is the slogan that will guide Norway as Guest of Honour at Leipzig Book Fair 2025. The slogan is rooted in the idea of new beginnings and fresh starts associated with the spring season.
Spring represents beginnings, the new, and what lies ahead. Through a broad literary program, both at the fair and in the city of Leipzig, NORLA aims to foster encounters between the German reader and Norwegian literature. The conversation about books and the joy of reading is what NORLA seeks to promote with the project.
The German market is one of the most important for Norwegian literary exports, and the Guest of Honour status in Leipzig gives Norwegian books and Norwegian authors a unique opportunity to reach German readers.
Norwegian authors
Over the course of four days, NORLA will fill stages at Leipzig Book Fair and in the city itself with a rich and varied program where Norwegian authors and literature will have the leading role. Nearly 40 authors have accepted the invitation to participate in Leipzig thus far - Karl Ove Knausgård, Matias Faldbakken and Maja Lunde amongst others.
Theme and Topics
In Leipzig, German readers will be introduced to a broad selection of contemporary Norwegian literature. The program covers a wide range of genres, with authors representing great diversity in form, style and background. There will be a book for every type of reader!
The diversity can be summed up in six topics, which will form a vision for the literary program the German audience will have a chance to experience when Norway is Guest of Honour at Leipziger Buchmesse 2025.
- Contemporary analysis
- Epic/ Historical narratives
- Nordic Noir – Norwegian Crime Fiction
- Knowledge from Norway – Non-fiction
- Literature for children and young adults
- Sámi literature
The Diversity in Norwegian Literature and Language
Diversity lies at the heart of Norwegian literature, and this is precisely what German readers will encounter in Leipzig in March 2025. From expansive and immersive novels to a wide variety of crime fiction, Norwegian fiction showcases an urge to experiment with form and content. This is particularly evident in poetry, short prose, and experimental genres/ forms of literary expression.
Norwegian children's literature is internationally celebrated for its boldness, openness, and freedom, complemented by works by illustrators of world-class caliber. Non-fiction from Norway spans a wide spectrum, including classical biographies, books on nature, societal issues, historical topics, hobbies, and sports. Sami and minority voices also hold a significant place in the Norwegian Guest of Honour presentation, offering stories that broaden perspectives and deepen understanding.
Readers in Norway relate to a great selection of different books. Norway’s linguistic diversity is unique in the Nordic region, with two official written languages, bokmål and nynorsk, several Sámi languages, and strong presence of regional dialects. This tradition continues to take new forms in today’s Norway.
The broad variety of literature from Norway, as well as its reach both domestically and internationally, cannot be fully understood without considering the role of Norwegian literary system. The system includes a robust book purchasing scheme, well-developed libraries, efficient nationwide distribution achieved through collaboration between public and private sectors, as well as standardization of agreements within the book industry. Norway is also at the forefront of digitalization, creating new ways of reading and engaging with literature.
Storytelling in times of change
Authors such as Vigdis Hjorth, Maja Lunde, Oliver Lovrenski, Linn Strømsborg, Nina Lykke and Matias Faldbakken offer sharp contemporary analyses in remarkably diverse forms. Their works range from coming-of-age novels to wild fables, contemporary satire, and concise, distinct short prose.
Rich, epic, and historical novels that carry forward the tradition of Norway’s great storytellers will also feature prominently. These authors delve into the world and history through their narratives. Interwoven into this is the Nordic crime genre, with its sharp focus on social structures and issues. Lars Mytting vividly portrays life in Gudbrandsdalen from the late 1800s to the 1930s, while Ingeborg Arvola delivers a sweeping love story set against the backdrop of Northern Norway. Karl Ove Knausgård continues his monumental work exploring the unleashing of dark forces in the world, while Simon Stranger, Edvard Hoem, Tore Renberg, and Trude Teige take readers beyond Norway’s borders with historical novels partially based on real-life events.
Anna Fiske writes and illustrates non-fiction books for children, skillfully presenting and explaining the world to the youngest reader. Bjørn Rørvik, together with illustrator Gry Moursund, has created a playful twist on a Norwegian folktale that has captivated hundreds of thousands of children. Maria Parr crafts richly detailed children's novels full of warmth, wisdom, hope, and humor.
Sámi author Sissel Horndal brings to Leipzig a story rooted in Sámi folklore and the Sámi starry sky. Alongside a selection of other Sámi authors, she will introduce German readers to the unique literary realm of Sámi culture.
Non-fiction – Knowledge from Norway
Norwegian literature is often said to be in its golden age. Authors examine contemporary life in Norway while remaining deeply connected to global culture. The program bridges the present with the past golden era, featuring works like Ivo de Figueiredo’s biography of Edvard Munch and King Magnus Lagabøte’s medieval National Law.
Knowledge that enriches and enlightens will be a key theme of the program, offering perspectives on the environment, war, digitalization, and society our times. Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson shares her insights into forests, while Linn Stalsberg captivates with timely reflections on war and conflicts in our era.
