Trilogy
Jon Fosse
Original title: Trilogien: Andvake (2007), Olavs Draumar (2012), Kveldsvævd (2014)
Publisher: Samlaget, 2014
Genre: Novels and short stories
Pages: 239 pages
Andvake, Olavs draumar and Kveldsvævd start with Alida and Asle who come to Bjørgvin to find work and a place to live. Alida is in the advanced stages of pregnancy, but nobody is willing to give her and her boyfriend shelter. They become more and more discouraged as they walk around in the rain. They carry with them memories of a happier time, from when the two of them met and understood immediately that they were meant for each other. But painful memories also interfere and the echo of the Bible story is strong throughout.
The sequel Olavs draumar gives us a brilliant portrait of the love that the two young people share, rendered in a simple and potent language. It is a dreamlike, disturbing and claustrophobic story, similar to a Biblical allegory. They decide to leave Bjørgvin, but in Kveldsvævd Asle, who now decides to change his name to Olav, returns to Bjørgvin to purchase a gift for Alida. It does not turn out as he had hoped.
Foreign rights
Albania, Egypt (Arabic) Czech republic, Denmark, US / UK, Estonia, Faroe Islands, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Russia,The Netherlands (the first title: Andvake), Slovakia, South – Korea, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, USA.
Awards
Some few prizes:
2014 European Prize for Literature
2015 Nordic Council’s Literature Award, for Trilogy
2016 Willy Brandt Prize
2017 European Poetry Prize of the City of Münster, Germany