About The House of Literature
We are Norway's only national literature house and work to promote literature in a broad sense, protect freedom of expression, and contribute to a knowledge-based public conversation.
The House of Literature Foundation was founded on December 19, 2006. We opened our doors in the fall of 2007 and are Norway's first and Europe's largest literature house. The House of Literature has now become a well-known concept and is Norway's only national literature house. We work to spread literature in a broad sense, protect freedom of expression, and contribute to a knowledge-based public conversation. The house's nearly 1700 annual events attract around 125,000 spectators and are physically visited by around a quarter of a million people each year.
In addition, the House of Literature offers a wide range of podcasts and fully digital events with a national and international audience. To create a common national literary conversation, we collaborate with over 60 public libraries, from Longyearbyen in the north to Lillesand in the south, by live streaming selected events.
The physical base is located at Wergelandsveien 29 in Oslo, in a building leased by the Foundation from Fritt Ord. Here, we have space for many different activities. On the ground floor, there is a bookstore, café, and our main stage, Wergeland. In addition, we have 7 different stages and rooms for conversation, debate, dissemination, and podcast recordings.
The attic floor accommodates authors and writers who need a workspace and meeting place in downtown Oslo. In addition, we have a separate writer's apartment for foreign authors and intellectuals.
Throughout the year, the staff at the House of Literature program content for children and adults. With a strong focus on programs for children and youth, we aim to educate a new generation of readers, regardless of ethnic background and size of their wallet. Through a diverse range of international voices, we bring new perspectives into the Norwegian public sphere while also focusing on reflecting the breadth of Norwegian literature. We are particularly committed to supporting and promoting new voices through initiatives such as De store debutantdagene (The Big Debutante Days) and have presented 700 debut authors on our stages since our inception.
In addition, a wide range of actors contribute to a variety of panel discussions, seminars, debates, and other events by renting space from us. Together, this provides an important contribution to a functioning public conversation. Free exchange of opinions through a broad and public discourse is the cornerstone of any democracy.
Permanent tenants at the house
In the third and fourth floors of Litteraturhuset, you will find the offices of a handful of valuable organizations that work in various ways for and with literature:
The Board
The board of the House of Literature Foundation is
