Anne Enright and Niall de Búrca at The Norwegian Festival of Literature

Dublin Book Festival, in collaboration with Norsk Litteraturfestival/The Norwegian Festival of Literature and with the support of Culture Ireland, is delighted to be bringing renowned Irish author Anne Enright and master traditional storyteller Niall de Búrca to audiences in Norway at the end of May. 

Anne and Niall will be heading to Lillehammer at the end of May to join a host of fantastic Norwegian, and international, authors for the The Norwegian Festival of Literature 2023, which takes place May 22nd – 28th. 

Anne’s two events on Friday May 26th see her in conversation with authors from Norway and Denmark who have explored similar themes in their works. In In the Shadow of Genius, Anne Enright – who has written about the daughter of a great, egocentric actor – meets Danish Jesper Wung-Sung – who has written about the artist Hammershøi’s wife, whom he always portrays from behind. What is the fascination in portraying the people behind the geniuses? 

A Changing Countryside will explore how both Anne Enright and Lars Mytting describe the countryside in their books. In both cases, it is about a traditional, conservative countryside slowly changing. But in Norway, as in Ireland, the gulf between city and country is also growing. How does one depict such problems in literature? The conversation is led by the Swedish journalist Po Tidholm, who is personally active in the current regional debate.

Niall will be taking part in three storytelling events.

Kveldseto: Storytelling on Friday May 26th will be a celebration of storytelling with Niall de Búrca and Norwegian storyteller Johan Einar Bjerkem. “Kveldseto” is an old Norwegian term that describes the time of day when people gathered around the fireplace in the evening, to do various needlework and tell stories. Norway and Gudbrandsdalen have strong storytelling traditions; the same strong traditions can be found in, for example, Ireland. 

At Would You Like to Hear a Story? Niall de Búrca will be telling stories for all the family to enjoy, with an Irish Storytelling Performance later the same afternoon, both taking place on Saturday May 27th. 

The Norwegian Festival of Literature is the largest of its kind in the Nordic countries, with a diverse programme catering to readers of all ages. At the end of May each year, literature fills the streets of Lillehammer, where festival goers can experience author events live, and discuss literature and current affairs with likeminded people. The small and idyllic city of Lillehammer offers a warm and friendly atmosphere with its green surroundings. The festival has events for both families and adults, offering on-stage conversations, debates, lectures, readings, award ceremonies, exhibitions, seminars, shows, quizzes and other festivities. Find out more about the festival and see the full programme HERE. 

These events have been made possible through funding support by Culture Ireland, a division of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, which promotes Irish arts worldwide. Culture Ireland creates and supports opportunities for Irish artists and companies to present and promote their work at strategic international festivals and venues, and develops platforms to present outstanding Irish work to international audiences, through showcases at key global arts events, including the Edinburgh Festivals and the Venice Biennales.

***

One of Ireland’s leading writers, Anne Enright lives in Dublin where she was born in 1962. The author of seven novels, two books of short stories and many essays, she is a winner of the Man Booker Prize (2007) and the Irish novel of the year (2007 and 2015). The first Laureate for Irish Fiction (2015-2018) she is Professor of Creative Writing at UCD. Her novel The Wren, The Wren will be published in September 2023.

Niall de Búrca is one of Ireland’s finest traditional storytellers. He was raised in Galway and displayed a talent for narrative from a young age. At home he has featured in theatre, radio and at many festivals including Féile Earraai, the CS Lewis Festival, and The National Children’s Book Festival. Abroad he has performed and held workshops in countries as diverse as Poland, Argentina, Italy and The Netherlands. Recognised for the diversity of his stories and with an ability to reach all ages, Niall is a familiar figure to many Irish children through his innovative school programmes.