Presenter of
the National Book Awards
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Presenter of
the National Book Awards
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Martin Aitken is the translator of numerous novels from Danish and, most recently, Norwegian and Swedish, including works by Peter Høeg, Ida Jessen, Kim Leine, Hanne Ørstavik, and Karl Ove Knausgård. More about this author >
Hanne Ørstavik published the novel Cut in 1994 and embarked on a career that would make her one of the most remarkable and admired authors in Norwegian contemporary literature. More about this author >
Filed in the following archives
Translated by Martin Aitken
Love is the story of a single mother, Vibeke, and her son Jon, who have just moved to a remote small town in the north of Norway. It’s the day before Jon’s birthday, but with concerns of her own, Vibeke has forgotten this. With a man on her mind, she ventures to the local library while Jon goes out to sell lottery tickets for his sports club. From here on we follow the two individuals on their separate journeys through a cold winter’s night, their experiences nevertheless linked in seamless narrative. The reader is privy to each character’s intimate thoughts as suspense builds and tragedy looms. Translator Martin Aitken has done a beautiful job of capturing the raw power, rhythms, and electricity of Ørstavik’s prose.
Hanne Ørstavik and Martin Aitken read from "Love" at NBA Finalists Reading
