Stone to Stone

Jon Fosse

Original title: Stein til Stein
Publisher: Samlaget, 2013
Genre: Poetry
Pages: 59 pages

Stone to stone was received with outstanding reviews, with several critics praising Fosse’s ability to speak about the human condition, and bringing often grand question of existence into everyday language.

Fosse characterizes this as a small effortless collection of poetry. In addition to the 39 poems, there is a Psalm, Night Psalm, which is included in the new Norwegian psalmbook.

A wonder of a little book. The collection comprises 39 poems and one psalm, and every single verse is a source for years of quiet meditation.

Fartein Horgar, Adresseavisa

Jon Fosse

Photo: Tom A. Kolstad

Jon Fosse is widely considered one of the world’s most important living writers. Born in 1959 in Strandebarm, a small village in the western part of Norway, he lives today in the Grotten, an honorary residence, as well as in Hainburg, Austria, and Frekhaug, Norway.

Fosse has received numerous prizes, both in Norway and internationally, and he is mentioned increasingly often as a likely contender for the Nobel Prize. He has currently finished a major seven-volume work of what he calls “slow prose”. Septology consists of three volumes: The Other Name: Septology I – II was published in 2019 to international praise and longlisted for the Booker International Prize. I Is Another: Septology III – V was published autumn 2020 and A New Name: Septology VI – VII in September 2021.