I woke up on Friday to heavy snow. Loads of it. I had a free day in Oslo and there were lots of people willing to entertain me so I made the most of the invitations.
Breakfast was with Mari from the Norwegian Publishers Association, the woman who was paying for me to come over. We met in part of the city that is away from the main tourist drag so I got to see areas that I probably wouldn't have known existed otherwise. I was most perturbed when she selected a tomato and mozarella sandwich for breakfast - that's lunch in my book - but Scandinavians do that sort of thing so I didn't make too much of a fuss. We walked back into town through the graveyard where Ibsen, Munch and all manner of Norwegian national figures are buried. It was beautiful and silent with the snow falling and covering the graves.
She kindly helped me select some books as gifts (more on these later) and then we said our goodbyes with the promise to meet up again when she comes to London later in the year.
Next up was lunch at Press Books. Their office was amazing, more like an apartment than an office really. You walk into a kitchen and there is a board room cum dining room as well. I was reunited with crime writer Matt Rees and also Thomas Mala, the publisher who invited me to Oslo in the first place. Another guest at the lunch was Monica Kristensen, a polar explorer who has also turned her hand to crime novels in the past few years. She was full of tales of the famous polar expeditions, and full of gossip about them too. I am sworn to secrecy but she really did have some tantalising tales.
Monica's books are all set in the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svarlbard which is where she works for much of the year. Given the current vogue for Scandinavian crime writers in the UK I am pretty sure she will be snapped up by a publisher over here soon.
The rest of the team from Press Books were there as well and we had an animated chat about the book world and I learned a great deal about Norwegian publishing. Håkon, who heads up Press Books, was a most congenial host and is pictured here with me, Matt and Monica. Can you tell who Håkon's famous brother is?
After lunch, Matt and I went sightseeing. We visited the Ibsen Museum which is actually the apartment he lived in for the last decade or so of his life. They have recreated how it looked at the time with as much of the original furniture as possible. It is a fascinating insight into his home life - his study is amazing - and well worth a look if you are in Oslo. Ibsen was a huge celebrity in his final years. Crowds used to wait outside his house to follow him when he walked for his daily lunch at the local cafe. This was in the late 1890s!
And then off for a stroll along the harbour, looking out over the fjords, and a relaxing cuppa in an empty coffee bar before we said our goodbyes and I set off for my hotel to pack up and leave.
But I haven't told you about the brown cheese yet. I will do that tomorrow.
Sorry, but I can't stop thinking about who Håkan's famous brother is. It's been nagging me for weeks. Please reveal it.
Posted by: Elisabeth | April 15, 2009 at 11:04 AM