LONGYEARBYEN to Germany, Croatia and Denmark!
Longyearbyen came out in late April - in other words in the middle of the first coronavirus peak in Europe. I’ve never published a book during a pandemic before, and I’m sure I speak for most authors who had books out this year when I say that there have been some disappointments! No release party, no going to festivals, no public readings or signings, no traveling and so on. Add to that the uncertainties of how a pandemic will affect the international book industry in both the short and the long term. I was mostly concerned with the latter - because I really wanted my book to travel even if I couldn’t!
And as it turns out - Longyearbyen will be traveling! So far rights have been sold to three countries: Germany, Croatia and Denmark.
Shortly after publication in Norway, rights were sold on a preempt to Forlaget Grønning1 in Denmark. This is what they had to say about Longyearbyen:
“It kept us up reading all night. Longyearbyen is a phenomenal debut novel, that in both story and subject really hits the mark. I admire how nature is the driving force of the story, the vast, merciless North, as well as the character’s inner landscapes, their relationships, their homes. And it brings out a longing in us, after all that is perishing before our eyes - the snowy mountain plateaus, the wilderness – only to lift the veil from our eyes in the very next instant, showing us that our romanticism doesn’t hold water.
And nature - the outer one as well the nature within, serve as a constant reminder of the stirring, thin line between life and death in this novel. This existential suspense is embodied by the novel’s very strong female protagonist, fighting her own shame and sense shortcoming while trying to hold on to the things that matters the most. We are so happy to bring this book to Danish readers! “
After Denmark came Croatia and Naklada OceanMore:
“We are extremely happy and excited to be the Croatian publisher of “Longyearbyen“. We were impressed with the author's immersion into what is essentially another world, and at the same time the book's striking relevance in our recent circumstances of isolation and claustrophobia. The book works on many levels and all the layers are woven into a beautiful and elegant story."
My German publisher will be Suhrkamp / Insel, and they had this to say:
“ This story is so beautifully crafted, nature and feelings so subtly and cleverly interwoven. The way Sævereid creates the immersion into this remote world on the island of Spitzbergen and into the fiftees era is extremely compelling. Her characters come to life by her precise descriptions and observations. Her protagonist Eivor is figure to deeply identify with. It is a powerful novel, narrated with compassion and subtle tension. It is like a looking glass into the past, at the same time a parable to our current world – and in that, a unique combination. (…) Longyearbyen” is an outstanding novel, being a very literary yet accessible, rewarding read. Heidi Sævereid’s literary talent is more than obvious, and we are proud to publish her novel in Germany.”
I’m extra excited about Germany - the reason being that a close friend will be translating it. I met Karoline Hippe at the book fair in Leipzig in 2017, and we became fast friends. It’s a fun coincidence that she was asked to translate my book!
Oh - and I was exaggerating when I said that I didn’t get to do any events this year! Thanks to zero coronavirus cases in Svalbard, I did manage to get to Longyearbyen literary festival in September. Karoline came with me. Like me, she takes research very seriously and wants to get everything just right. I feel very confident leaving my story in her hands!
My German translator and I in Longyearbyen