I found myself on the cover of the Culture & Opinion section of Aftenposten/Evening Post, the largest newspaper in Norway, together with 9 other non-fiction debutants last Thursday morning. It was quite a shock to see myself there despite knowing it would be in the paper soon, but not necessarily on the cover! All 10 of us were interviewed by journalist Kaja Korsvold, at an impressive speed, while we kept commenting and occasionally interrupting in the background, and then photographed both together and separately by Trygve Indrelid. From top left:

• Benedicte Rasmussen describes her burnout experience (publisher: Cappelen Damm).
• Roger Pihl/Stein Inge Johannessen (standing next to Pihl on the photo spread) describes the legal injustice done to Johannessen, who was wrongly accused and imprisoned of a murder he did not commit (Juritzen).
• Eline Johnsen Helledal writes about her brother’s drug addiction (Gyldendal).
• Peter Wallace/Peder Kjøs demystifies burnout therapy (Vigmostad & Bjørke).
• Anne Marie Fosse Teigen writes about couple therapy and lasting love (Samlaget).
• My book cover and yours truly (Cappelen Damm).
• Anne Synnøve Simensen publishes a biography of the feminist Bertha von Suttner responsible for the Nobel Peace Price (Cappelen Damm).
• Anders Ravik Jupskås writes about extreme Europe, ideology, causes and consequences (Cappelen Damm).
• Not photographed on the cover (standing behind Jupskås on the photo spread): Kristenn Einarsson tells the book clubs’ history and his own experience as a book pusher (Gyldendal).

Anders Ravik Jupskås, with his PhD thesis on right populist parties in Scandinavia, has already had world wide press coverage after the terror attack of 22nd July in Norway. It is still a topic on everyones’ lips due to the preparation of Anders Behring Breivik’s court case to be held in April. In the aftermath of the terror attack, the outrage and sorrow each and every Norwegian feel continues, throughout the constant press coverage, on behalf of all the bereaved families whose grief we can only imagine…

“The reasonable debutants

Fiction: The genre has been strong in Norway, but it is changing. We have met 10 of the spring’s newly out sprung authors on the non-fiction front. They are publishing everything from knitting books to a book about right extremism.”

So many interesting books well worth reading, all of us debutants agreed upon.

The well chosen heading for the presentation of my book is ‘A different Knitting book’. Kaja Korsvold has included my art history background, my inspiration from international designers, my choice of dancers from the National Ballet as models and that the book is suitable for everyone from new to more experienced knitters.

I was fortunate to have both my photo and my book cover on the front of the Culture section. Francesca Golfetto, the ballerina on the cover of my book, was told by numerous friends that she was on the cover of the newspaper and had to consider for a moment why on earth she would be there…

Next week, I am going to be interviewed by Lev Landlig, formerly Country Life, and have my book launch. I will keep you posted.