The world’s northernmost literature festival has begun in Svalbard, bringing six days of literature, film and music to Longyearbyen for its tenth anniversary.
Running from 6 to 11 September, the Longyearbyen Literature Festival includes author talks, concerts, film screenings and launches. Literary events are free and open to everyone, while the programme has been intentionally designed to engage different generations.
A literary celebration in the High Arctic
The festival opened on Sunday with Norwegian journalist and author Marte Michelet, known for her award-winning historical non-fiction, speaking about her book Det har skjedd verre ting i utlandet (Worse Things Have Happened Abroad), a personal portrait of her father, Norwegian writer and journalist Jon Michelet. Her opening talk was followed by a screening of the 1985 Norwegian film Orion’s Belt, an adaptation of her father’s 1977 novel. The thriller follows three sailors whose discovery while travelling around Svalbard unexpectedly draws them into Cold War geopolitical tensions.
The programme continues throughout the week with a broad group of writers, journalists, musicians and performers, including Mikael Niemi, Gaute Heivoll, Åsne Seierstad, Lars Saabye Christensen, Ørjan Nordhus Karlsson, Jon Niklas Rønning, Hilde Eliassen Restad, Helge Iberg, Bjørn F. Rørvik, Beate Heide and Kari Hustad.
Svalbard itself features prominently in the programme. Crime and thriller writer Ørjan Nordhus Karlsson, who has published more than 20 novels and set several of them on the archipelago, will meet Svalbard Museum director Eystein Markusson at Karlsberger Pub.
Engaging the community
Longyearbyen’s younger residents have their own place in the programme. Children’s author Bjørn F. Rørvik, whose nearly 50 publications include several popular Norwegian picture-book series, will meet kindergarten children and school pupils. Separate events at Longyearbyen School will bring pupils together with Marte Michelet, author Beate Heide, and storyteller, musician and teacher Kari Hustad.
On the final day, the festival will launch the third issue of Polarlit. The magazine provides a platform for poetry, prose and visual work created within the Svalbard community as well as contributions from people whose work draws inspiration from the archipelago. Its first issue brought together 15 contributors writing in seven languages and was presented at the festival in 2024, with a second edition following last year.
The anniversary programme will close with several events on Friday evening. Among them, composer Helge Iberg and author Lars Saabye Christensen will present The Nowhere Men, combining Iberg’s interpretations of Beatles songs with poetry and texts written by Christensen for the performance.
The festival began with a much smaller initiative. Norwegian broadcaster NRK approached Longyearbyen Public Library about organising a literary event for a Svalbard edition of its programme Brenner & bøkene. NRK brought several authors to the archipelago, while the library added more writers to the programme. Following the success of that first edition, the organisers decided to continue. Ten editions later, the festival brings visiting writers and performers together with Longyearbyen’s schools, cultural institutions and residents.
Polar Journal AG Team