In the wake of war: Fritt Ord allocates MNOK 2.5 for promotional activities at Norwegian public libraries
Press release, Friday, 16 August 2019
This past spring, Fritt Ord invited applications for grants of NOK 60 000 each for debates and discussions based on non-fiction and fiction literature. The Foundation received 99 applications, and decided to award funding to 42 applicants. Collectively, MNOK 2.5 will be divided among libraries all across Norway.
The Fritt Ord Foundation has given priority to projects that are innovative, and has tried to select projects that represent the full range of promotional activities. The projects receiving support will be promoting literature through panel discussions, lectures, talks with writers, and discussion fora.
Examples of projects receiving support:
Elverum Library, “Literature on war”
Meetings in connection with the film festival “Movie on War”, featuring the themes "Who writes history, and who owns it?» and “How is war presented in comic strip format?”.
Deichman Library, Nydalen branch, “War and Literature”
Five meetings that deal with how wars and conflicts are depicted in literature, focussing on Hannah Arendt’s philosophy, Astrid Lindgren’s war diaries, the civil war in Syria and the Afghan refugee situation.
Voss Library, “Children of War”
The Lebensborn Home in Voss, the refugee crisis and IS children are topics for a series of programmes for children and adults.
Østre Toten Public Library, “Repercussions”
“What happens after war?” Series of events on topics such as the Norwegian children of German soldiers during WWII, local participation in the Nazi Party, the traumas of war, and the war in Bosnia.
This invitation from the Fritt Ord Foundation is intended to encourage the innovative promotion of language and literature, and to strengthen public libraries as communications arenas. The projects will be carried out in autumn 2019 or in 2020.
Read more about the Fritt Ord Foundation’s call for applications from libraries.
Contact: Oskar Kvasnes, Fritt Ord Foundation,
Tel: +47 230 14644, mobile: +47 408 53370
Applications granted: “In the wake of war”
Arendal Library, “Shame – and forgiveness?”
Askøy Public Library, “What we forgot to talk about …”
Bamble Library and the House of Literature, “The many faces of war”
Bergen Public Library, “In war and conflict”
Bindal Public Library, “Who was the resistance leader Ingeborg Holm?”
Bård Kjøge Rønning and Tøyen Branch, Deichman Library, “War: Tøyen Forum”
Elverum Library, “Literature on War”
Farsund Library, Four themed evenings about war
Fredrikstad Library, “In the wake of war”
Grimstad Library, “The war and the local community – a symposium”
Hadeland Literary Forum, “In the wake of war”
Haugesund Public Library, “In the wake of war”
Hole Library, “In the wake of war”
Hå Public Library, “In the wake of war – does it concern us?”
Kristiansand Public Library, “In the wake of war”
Kristiansund Library, “In the wake of war”
House of Literature Lillehammer and Lillehammer Library, “Who narrates and in what ways?”
Luster Library, “The spring of peace – 75 years ago”
Majorstuen branch, Deichman Library, “War of Words”
Narvik Library, “After the war …”
Nordic poetry festival – Rolf Jacobsen Days, Hamar Library and Inland University College, “In the wake of war”
Nordre Follo Library, “The war’s us and them”
Nordreisa Library, “75 years since the forced evacuation of Finnmark and Nord-Troms counties”
Nydalen branch, Deichman Library, “War and Literature”
Ringsaker library, “You never told me about this”
Rælingen Municipality, library, “How does Norwegian literature deal with war as a topic?”
Røros Library, “From death march to stumbling blocks”
Sel Library, “In the wake of war – promoting literature”
Skien Library, “The war then and wars now”
Sogn & Fjordane County Library, “How do we tell the stories?”
Stange Library, “Someone to hate”
The Falstad Centre Foundation and Levanger Library, “The after-effects of war”
Stord Public Library, “War&Peace” in 2020
Stryn Library, “When the bombs have stopped”
Stor-Elvdal Library, Liberation anniversary 2020
Sørum Library, “War – yesterday and today”
Trondheim Public Library, “Speech after war and war-mongering speech”
Tysvær Library, “Echo of war”
Ullensaker Library, “Women and war”
Voss Library, “Children of War”
Østre Toten Public Library, “Repercussions”
Ålesund Library, “The tabus of war”
Illustration: Cam Stock Photo Inc.
