Crime Fiction Festival Preview: Krimfestivalen 2020
Oslo, Norway | March 5 - 7, 2020
Give me any reason to travel to Norway, and I’ll be there. Give me a reason to travel to Norway and hang out with a bunch of amazing crime writers, and I will drop everything and be on the next flight to Oslo. Each spring, Norwegian crime writers and crime writers from around Scandinavia - and the world - gather in Oslo for Krimfestivalen, an annual crime fiction festival that has quickly become one of my absolute favorites. I’ve been attending Krimfestivalen for a few years now (you can check out my very first trip to Krimfestivalen recapped here!) and it’s now something I look forward to every single spring. I’m in Oslo for Krimfestivalen this week, and can’t wait to take you guys along with me and share the crime festival fun with you all!
I’ll answer the biggest question I get about this crime festival right off the bat: no, not all of these panels and events are in English. I’m studying Norwegian (I’m by no means fluent yet—still a relative beginner here!) so I love using these events as a bit of practice listening to and trying to understand as much as I can. There are panels in English at this festival, particularly for the international authors who visit, but this is truly a festival geared towards Norwegian authors and readers, which I think is fantastic. There are lots of English-focused crime festivals around the world, and I love that this one really serves Norwegian crime fiction fans!
I’ll be sharing live updates from Krimfestivalen on Instagram and Twitter, and I’ll also be recapping my time in Oslo for Krimfestivalen 2020 on my website once I return to New York. In the meantime, read on for a preview of this year’s festival, including my most-anticipated author appearances, an overview of the festival’s special events, and more!
Krimfestivalen 2020 Preview
I have to say, this year’s Krimfestivalen lineup looks to be the festival’s most extensive and exciting program yet. I am so looking forward to attending these amazing events! There is truly nothing more thrilling to me than having the opportunity to hang out in Norway with a bunch of crime writers, and this is going to be an absolute dream week. You can view the full Krimfestivalen schedule online here! Highlights will include:
Author Appearances & Panels: Krimfestivalen includes three full days of author panels and interviews! This will range from events with authors of Norwegian crime fiction and international crime fiction alike.
The Crime Quiz: Okay, so I’m not the most helpful teammate during the annual crime quiz (considering it’s all in Norwegian!), but I always have so much fun participating in this evening of crime fiction trivia.
Exploring Oslo: One of my favorite elements of this festival is how it utilizes different venues around the heart of Oslo. There’s a central venue for the festival, but additional events take place in different local bookstores and in a theater, too! It’s such a fun way to see different bookish spots within the city.
Seeing CBTB-Favorite Authors: From Ragnar Jonasson and Yrsa Sigurdardottir to Jorn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger, a whole bunch of authors whose books I love will be at this festival. I can’t wait to catch up with them all!
Krimfestivalen 2020 Most-Anticipated Author Appearances:
Yrsa Sigurdardottir
One of my all-time favorite authors and all-time favorite people. Yrsa is known as Iceland’s “Queen of Crime,” and she’ll be participating in a number of panels at this year’s crime festival! Here in the US, she’s in the midst of releasing her fantastic Children’s House series (the most recent installment of which I absolutely loved when I read it a few months ago!), and I’m hoping I can grab a quick interview with her to see what she’s up to next.
Thomas Enger
A fantastic Norwegian crime writer, Thomas Enger has been beloved for quite a while now for his top-notch Henning Juul crime series. However, he’s recently taken Norway by storm with a new venture: a serial killer thriller series that he’s co-writing alongside another superstar of Scandinavian crime fiction, Jorn Lier Horst. I read and absolutely loved the English translation of the first book in this series, DEATH DESERVED, over my holiday break from work, and simply can’t wait to chat with Thomas about it!
Jorn Lier Horst
...Unsurprisingly given what I just wrote about DEATH DESERVED, I am also very much looking forward to seeing Jorn Lier Horst and speaking with him about his new English-language release, too! Jorn Lier Horst is one of Scandinavia’s bestselling crime writers, and his procedural series featuring William Wisting is an excellent choice for anyone who loves realistic, detail-oriented crime fiction.
Alex Michaelides
Yes, you read that right: the author of THE SILENT PATIENT (a thriller I read over a year ago and absolutely loved!) will be at Krimfestivalen! I am such a fan of Alex’s and have yet to meet him, so I’m really hoping to have the chance to say hello while in Oslo. (PS. If you haven’t yet checked out THE SILENT PATIENT and are in the market for a great psychological thriller, look no further!)
Ragnar Jonasson
Another CBTB favorite author! I’m a huge fan of Icelandic crime writer Ragnar Jonasson’s classic crime-inspired storytelling. In the US, readers are gearing up for the final installment in Ragnar’s fantastic trilogy following Hulda Hermansdottir of the Reykjavik police force. (Book 1 is THE DARKNESS, and Book 2 is THE ISLAND - both are fantastic!) THE MIST goes on sale in the US this June, and I’m trying to hold off until a bit closer to its release to read it… but I’m hoping I can get a little sneak peek from Ragnar this weekend!
Stina Jackson
Anyone who loves Scandinavian crime fiction and rural noir simply must read Stina’s excellent debut, SILVER ROAD. Stina is originally from Sweden and now lives in the US, and her debut blew me away! It’s a lyrical, intricate crime novel about a father who searches endlessly for his missing daughter. It’s not available for sale in the US yet, but you can always order it online! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Stina in the past, and am looking forward to seeing her again!
Camilla Grebe
Swedish author Camilla Grebe wrote one of my absolute favorite Nordic Noir-meets-psychological thriller stories, THE ICE BENEATH HER. She is a hugely talented author, and she’s one of those people I’ve exchanged messages with on social media but never actually had the opportunity to sit down and chat with in real life. I’m hoping to change that this week!
Helene Flood
Okay, I haven’t actually had the chance to read Helene’s work yet (as it hasn’t been translated into English!), but from what I’ve read about her novel The Therapist, I have a feeling it will be extremely up my alley when I’m able to get my hands on an English copy. I’m excited to see what I can learn about her crime fiction debut while at the festival!
I couldn’t be more excited for the Krimfestivalen festivities to begin tomorrow, and I can’t wait to bring you all along for the adventure! Be sure to following along on my Instagram and Twitter for live updates from the festival over the next few days, and stay tuned for a festival recap (and maybe a few author interviews!) coming to my blog shortly after the festival wraps up! As always, thank you for following along with my crime fiction adventures. It makes all of this even more fun to be able to share it with readers as passionate about this genre as I am! xx A
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