“I’m looking forward to embarking on a challenging and important book project”, she comments. “It will help to shed light on how freedom of expression has been understood in Norway over the past 50 years. Fritt Ord has been a key factor in influencing freedom of expression in public discourse and the culture of freedom of expression in Norway during this period”, Slottemo adds.

“We had a number of highly-qualified applicants”, comments Chair of the Fritt Ord Board Grete Brochmann. “We chose Slottemo because she is a critical, independent thinker, in addition to being methodical and reflective. She recognises the correlations between the Foundation and society. We know her as a versatile, enthusiastic contributor to public discourse in recent years”, Brochmann continues, and Executive Director Knut Olav Åmås agrees.

The book will be published in 2024 to commemorate the Fritt Ord Foundation’s 50th anniversary. The work will be fully funded by Fritt Ord for two years, and the goal is to produce a critical, independent book that will reach as many readers as possible.

Hilde Gunn Slottemo is a professor of History at Nord University in Levanger. She has broad-based experience as an historian, with focus on the 1900s. Her topics have included local and regional history, labour history and the history of knowledge. Slottemo has been especially concerned with gender and class. Her doctoral thesis was on male industrial workers in Rana during the post-war years.

Slottemo has published numerous books and articles. She is currently writing a history of Norway in the 1900s for the publisher Cappelen Damm. She is also a regular contributor to the newspapers VG and Trønder-Avisa.

Contact:

Hilde Gunn Slottemo, mobile +47 908 82541, email hilde.g.slottemo@nord.no
Grete Brochmann, mobile +47 992 78730, email grete.brochmann@sosgeo.uio.no
Knut Olav Åmås, mobile +47 908 68139, email knut.olav.amas@frittord.no