The Norway Model: How the Scandinavian country became a literary powerhouse
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Re: The Norway Model: How the Scandinavian country became a literary powerhouse
#2I never paid attention to the degree translation can shape our literary landscapes... Fascinating!
> At the conference, NORLA also underlined that translators are its most important talent scouts, not agents, making passion rather than profit the driving force of the literary export machinery. A month after the conference, NORLA gathered 150 translators from across the world at a retreat in the countryside. The application process for participating in the gathering had been open to anyone with a love for translation, and I assume NORLA encouraged all the attendees to like what they liked in the pool of Norwegian books and then to take it from there.
Re: The Norway Model: How the Scandinavian country became a literary powerhouse
#3What does it even mean to be a literary powerhouse in 2023? Of the Norwegian authors they listed, the only name I recognized was Knausgård. His most famous books came out like 10 years ago, and while they were a sensation for a while, I believe they still sold best in Norway. And I think that even the most successful literary novelists of today are selling fewer copies than the moderately successful literary novelists of 30 years ago. Their novels are surely enjoyed by far fewer people than an only-relatively successful niche Youtube or TikTok content creator. Literary novels don't make money, and don't shape the culture, so what does it even mean to be a 'powerhouse'?
Re: The Norway Model: How the Scandinavian country became a literary powerhouse
#4I liked this. Good analysis.
> Norwegian novels are toned down, rarely noticeably conceptual, rarely in direct conversation with theory or tradition. Here, you find page after page of plot driven middle-class angst, minimalism and melancholy, closeness to nature, mellowness, humility, and what presents itself as stripped-down honesty. Here and there a funny novel does appear, but when it does, it’s usually funny in a purely observational and demonstratively folksy way.
A Man Called Ove was excellent while the American remake A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks was garbage.
Re: The Norway Model: How the Scandinavian country became a literary powerhouse
#5I liked this. Good analysis. > Norwegian novels are toned down, rarely noticeably conceptual, rarely in direct conversation with theory or tradition. Here, you find page after page of plot driven middle-class angst, minimalism and melancholy, closeness to nature, mellowness, humility, and what presents itself as stripped-down honesty. Here and there a funny novel does appear, but when it does, it’s usually funny in a…
A Man Called Ove was written by Fredrik Backman, who is Swedish.
Not to be confused with Karl-Ove Knausgaard.
Re: The Norway Model: How the Scandinavian country became a literary powerhouse
#6I liked this. Good analysis. > Norwegian novels are toned down, rarely noticeably conceptual, rarely in direct conversation with theory or tradition. Here, you find page after page of plot driven middle-class angst, minimalism and melancholy, closeness to nature, mellowness, humility, and what presents itself as stripped-down honesty. Here and there a funny novel does appear, but when it does, it’s usually funny in a…
A Man Called Ove was written by Fredrik Backman, who is Swedish. Not to be confused with Karl-Ove Knausgaard.
I did take a cursory look at the IMDb page, but should have looked more. I'd been thinking all this time it was Norwegian, d'oh.
Re: The Norway Model: How the Scandinavian country became a literary powerhouse
#7This feels like over-analysis.
Norway, with 0.07% of the world's population, has the world's best chess player ever. Two of the top ten bridge players. One of the very best soccer players under 25. And so on.
Basically, it's a very oil-rich country that uses its wealth to invest in its people. And we see the results in every field of endeavor.
Many other "rich" countries, whatever the source of their wealth, do not have the same people-investment attitude.
Funny: I learned recently that Norway's Ekofisk oil field almost ended up with Denmark. It came down to a negotiation that went Norway's way - against a drunk Danish minister.
Re: The Norway Model: How the Scandinavian country became a literary powerhouse
#8This feels like over-analysis. Norway, with 0.07% of the world's population, has the world's best chess player ever. Two of the top ten bridge players. One of the very best soccer players under 25. And so on. Basically, it's a very oil-rich country that uses its wealth to invest in its people . And we see the results in every field of endeavor. Many other "rich" countries, whatever the source of their wealth, do not…
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Re: The Norway Model: How the Scandinavian country became a literary powerhouse
#9This feels like over-analysis. Norway, with 0.07% of the world's population, has the world's best chess player ever. Two of the top ten bridge players. One of the very best soccer players under 25. And so on. Basically, it's a very oil-rich country that uses its wealth to invest in its people . And we see the results in every field of endeavor. Many other "rich" countries, whatever the source of their wealth, do not…
Basically, it's a very oil-rich country that uses its wealth to invest in its people
I think a more impressive country is Singapore, which has no natural resources, but projects well above its weight.
Re: The Norway Model: How the Scandinavian country became a literary powerhouse
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