Kielland Lecture 2025: Herbjørg Wassmo

The Kielland Lecture was established in connection with the opening of the Kielland Centre at Sølvberget in 2017 and has since become an important institution and a regular feature of the Kapittel Festival. In collaboration with the Kielland Centre, we invite a prominent Nordic author each year to reflect on the question: Why is literature important?

An author's perspective on the world around us can not only move and touch us but also challenge and inspire engagement. The lecture is based on Alexander Kielland’s concept of nyttepoesi (useful poetry) and aims to create a space for reflecting on the role of literature today—both for individuals and society. Can literature help us find answers to some of the great questions defining our time?

As the Kapittel Festival celebrates its 30th year, we are proud to present Herbjørg Wassmo as this year’s Kielland Lecturer. Wassmo, one of Norway’s most celebrated authors, was born in 1942 in Vesterålen and made her literary debut with the poetry collection Vingeslag in 1976. However, she is primarily known as a novelist, breaking through in 1981 with The House with the Blind Glass Veranda, the first book in the Tora trilogy. The final book in the trilogy, Hudløs himmel, earned her the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 1987. Another of her major works is the Dina trilogy, beginning with Dina’s Book in 1989 and concluding with Karna’s Legacy in 1997.

With The Seventh Meeting, Wassmo turned briefly away from historical fiction to explore contemporary themes. This is perhaps most evident in A Glass of Milk, Please, which tackled the difficult issue of human trafficking and became an important reference in the Norwegian government’s anti-trafficking measures. She later returned to historical fiction with A Hundred Years, a novel based on the lives of her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother. One could say she continued this thread in These Moments, an autobiographical novel chronicling her own journey to becoming one of today’s most acclaimed contemporary authors.

Herbjørg Wassmo has also written short stories and plays. Her books have been sold in 29 countries. In 2007, she was appointed Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav.

The event is part of Kapittel – Stavanger International Festival for Literature and Freedom of Speech, taking place 17–21 September 2025. More information, the programme, and tickets are available at www.kapittel.no.