International Authors' Stage: Kim Leine (NO/DK) in conversation with Hilde Sandvik (NO)

At the age of 46, Kim Leine made his debut with the memoir Kalak and has since cemented his place as one of the Nordic countries' most popular literary voices. Over the years, he has received several awards for his writings. In 2013, Leine received the Nordic Council Literature Prize for his masterpiece Profeterne i Evighedsfjorden, a book about a dramatic clash of cultures in late 18th century Greenland.

At International Authors' Stage, you can experience him in conversation with the influential Norwegian journalist Hilde Sandvik, who is, among other things, the host of the popular pan-Scandinavian podcast Norsken, svensken og dansken. Sandvik is an experienced moderator and interviewer who is known for creating honest, exciting conversations that relate to complex cultural and societal issues.

Literature in the encounter between society and the personal

Kim Leine excel in the personal and socially relevant novel. Through careful research and with an autobiographical touch, his writing explores life in, among other places, Denmark and Greenland, where he himself has lived. Leine's latest book, Olavs Hus, is the tale of his Norwegian family and the dreams and limitations of three generations. Reviewer Erik Skyum-Nielsen writes this about the novel:

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“Leine opens the doors to his literary engine room and shows us the world in which he lives and from which he writes.”

(Information, 5 June 2026)

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Like Leine's other writings, Olavs Hus deals with the harshest aspects of life in a broader historical context. It is precisely this interplay between the intimate human story and the broader currents of society that gives Leine's writing its impressive scope. At International Authors' Stage, he will talk to Hilde Sandvik about what inspired him to write Olavs Hus and the trilogy that followed, which is based on his own life.

Participants

Kim Leine

Kim Leine is one of the most prominent literary voices in the Nordic region. He has published a number of novels, most recently the first of the Kors og Kød trilogy, Olavs Hus. Leine was born in Norway and has lived in both Denmark and Greenland.

Hilde Sandvik

Hilde Sandvik is a renowned Norwegian journalist, editor and opinion maker based in Bergen, Norway. Sandvik is deeply interested in the culture, society and cohesion of the Nordic countries. He is also, among other things, the organiser of the popular pan-Scandinavian podcast Norsken, svensken og dansken, which can be heard on DR.