Norwegian novelist Pål H. Christiansen
celebrates his 50th birthday today
South of France Summer 2008:
Did he accomplish anything of importance in his first 50 years on Earth?
Pål H. Christiansen cannot remember anything worth mentioning... ;-)
Interview Annette Schwindt
Seriously, Pål: Have you always wanted to be a writer and did it turn out to be the way you had expected it?
Pål: Ever since I was about ten years old I wanted to be a writer, but It took a while before the dream came true. When I was twenty I was sure it would only take a year or two to make the big breakthrough, but my debut came when I was 31.
Is it better to read a book instead of browsing the web or watching tv and why?
Pål: Not always. But reading means a more complex relation between reader and text than while watching TV etc. Reading is a creative meeting between text and reader, while lots of other stuff going on these days are about getting entertained or simply about consuming trash floating around. Reading books is normally also something very silent There's so much noise around and we need to be totally alone with ourselves and our thoughts from time to time. So we should never stop reading.
If you could change anything about the writer's or book business, what would that be?
Pål: Things are changing very fast in the business. What I really think is a sad thing in a small country like Norway is the ever increasing focus on bestsellers in the book chains. This is of course an old phenomen, well known for decades in other parts of the world, but still worth mentioning. While the less known writers in Norway earlier were quite visible in the bookshelves in the shops, they are now often hidden in a corner or not in stock at all.
What has been the most interesting thing that happened to you as a writer?
Pål: The publication of "Drømmer om storhet" in 2002 started a very interesting conversation with an audience on the internet. This is an ongoing project that resulted in the translation of that very same book to German in 2007 ("Die Ordnung Der Worte") and my decision to publish it in English through my own publishing company Fabula this autumn. It is available at www.forlaget-fabula.no. Travelling around and visiting schools and talking to pupils about my children's books is also a great experience.
What are your plans for the next 50 years?
Pål: Trying to figure out what I really want to do with my life. ;-)