Literature

A reading nation

Award-winning libraries, charming book towns, the world’s second-greatest playwright and a bizarre thirst for murders at Easter are just some of the reasons Norwegians read more than any other European nationality.

Portrait of The Nobel Prize winner in literature Jon Fosse from Norway

In the footsteps of famous writers

Plan your literatour

True literature lovers can visit authors’ homes, writers’ centres, book towns, and literature houses in several places in Norway.

Hamarøy
The Hamsun Centre museum
The Hamsun Centre is located by the vicarage ruins on the banks of the Glimma River in Presteid in Hamarøy Municipality in Northern Norway
Follebu
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson's home Aulestad
The Nobel laureate Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson lived here with his family from 1875. The home is one of the best preserved artist homes in Norway. Experience the atmosphere of beautiful Aulestad!
Oslo
House of Literature (Litteraturhuset)
Norway's first and Europe's largest house of its kind is dedicated to literature in the widest sense of the word. On the ground floor you find Kafé Oslo, a well-equipped book shop and the main stage room, Wergeland. On the higher floors, there are five other stages and rooms for conversation, debate and presentation. Children and youth also have a floor of their own. The loft has a separate floor where writers can work and meet, and The House of Literature also has a writer's apartment for writers and intellectuals visiting from abroad. The house is meant to be a creative meeting place for everyone who is interested in books and literature. The event programme should encourage debate and help important voices get heard. Work with children and youth, and with minorities, are important tasks for the house. Litteraturhuset is run by an independent and non-commercial foundation aiming to generate interest for literature and reading.
Tvedestrand
The book town Tvedestrand
The book shops of Tvedestrand offer a treasure of second-hand books for the collector or the enthusiast in a unique atmosphere by the harbour.
Lillehammer
Bjerkebæk - Sigrid Undset's home
Welcome to the home of Nobel laureate Sigrid Undset (1882–1949), one of Norway's great female writers. Her home is a short walk from downtown Lillehammer.
Ibsen Sitat
The art project SitatIBSEN consists of 69 Henrik Ibsen quotes in stainless steel that have been placed on the sidewalks of Oslo.
Jøa
Visit the childhood home of author Olav Duun
Olav Duun is a Norwegian author who was nominated to the Nobel Prize in Literature several times. Olav Duun is thought to be one of the great Norwegian authors of the early 1900s. He was born on Jøa island in 1876 and spent the first 25 years of his life there. Jøa and Namdalen were often referenced in his literary works. The childhood home of Olav Duun in Øver-Dun on Jøa is open every day between 12:00-16:00 in July 2022 Guided tours are available.
Fjærland
Bokbyen - The Norwegian Booktown
The Norwegian book town sells used books in beautiful Fjærland. Here are 150,000 books in all categories, for all interests - all well sorted.

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Four laughing women standing in the fountain surrounded by mirrors at Kistefos Museum in Hadeland

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