This fall, NRK’s podcast Leseklubben (The Reading Club) launched a nationwide reading campaign to get Norwegians to read a book within the month of October. The Boktober (Book-tober) project hopes to spread the joy of reading and create a platform for Norwegians to talk about literature.
With reading proficiency among Norwegians on the decline, an increasing number of people want to find analog ways to unwind—with reading being one of them. “Boktober” encourages all of Norway to join one of five teams in a collective reading experience.
Tens of thousands chose a team and selected a book to follow throughout the month of “Boktober.” The team with the most participants wins. On October 1, the five selected books were posted as audiobooks on NRK Radio.
With influencers and comedians heading up the squads and books ranging from classics to Nordic noir and viral “BookToks”, there is a bit of something for everyone.
The Teams + The Books
Oskar Westerlin
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
“I’ve long been interested in old classics. Lord of the Flies was published in the 50s, so it’s exciting to look at the story through the lens of 75 years later,” says Westerlin.
The 28-year-old influencer says “life is too short to read bad books” and has managed to get Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on team Lord of the Flies.
In recent years, Westerlin has been a popular participant in a number of reality TV shows and has garnered attention for his role in the YouTube collective “Gutta.” He is also pursuing entrepreneurial ventures within the technology and startup sectors.
A suitcase full of books
To kick off Boktober, Westerlin brought a suitcase full of books to Western Norway, where students at Frakkagjerd Lower Secondary School in Haugesund received copies of “his” book to take part in a reading celebration.
Book synopsis:
A group of schoolboys are left to fend for themselves on a deserted island following a plane crash. They are forced to develop their own society in an existence where law and order no longer exist. Published in 1954, the book was Golding’s first novel. It has since been adapted for both film and the stage. It is a dystopian novel for young readers that explores hierarchies, power struggles, and rivalry.
Javad El Bakali
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
“The book is about video games, love, and relationships. It’s the thickest book in Boktober, but it’s all about the importance of nurturing close relationships,” says El Bakali.
Javad chose the longest novel and says it has taken some time to get into it. He wonders: when do you actually know if you like a book? His new slogan—going from “loser” to “leser” (reader)—hasn’t really caught on yet.
Book synopsis:
Sam and Sadie meet at the age of 11 in a children’s hospital. They become each other’s most important person, yet throughout their lives, they will lose and rediscover one another—both in the real world and as characters within a video game. This is an unconventional love story, a “hipster” novel centered on gaming, game development, and the high-tech scene on the U.S. West Coast; it is a story about friendship, love, and loyalty. The book has become a massive, global “BookTok” phenomenon.
Comedian and writer Javad has found great success with “Utlendingmemes” on social media, building a career out of poking fun at stereotypes about Norwegians and Norwegian culture. He is a regular on the NRK program “Humoretaten” (The Humor Department) and has also appeared in several reality series in recent years.
Linnéa Myhre
Verity by Colleen Hoover
“I’m truly ready to set aside my prejudices against this type of literature. On my team, you’ll get brutal honesty from start to finish—if I hate the book, I’m going to say so,” says Myhre.
Linnéa Myhre and the page-turner “Verity” have generated the most engagement—both in the comments section and beyond. Linnéa’s reading group never turns down a good discussion.
Program host and author Linnea made her major breakthrough as a blogger, writing one of Norway’s most-read blogs nearly two decades ago. Since then, she has written several books and appeared in both serious television productions and various reality TV shows. She now hosts the NRK podcast Lev vel (Live Well), where she and her guests guide listeners through the jungle of health and lifestyle advice.
Book synopsis:
Facing financial ruin, author Lowen Ashleigh accepts a writing assignment for bestselling author Verity, who has become incapacitated and bedridden following an accident. Lowen moves in with Verity and her husband, Jeremy, and begins sifting through Verity’s notes—where she discovers page after page of shocking revelations. This psychological thriller has set “BookTok” ablaze.
Sigrid Bonde Tusvik
Fugletribunalet (The Bird Tribunal) by Agnes Ravatn
“This is a perfect book! Many people dream of getting away, digging in the soil, and finding themselves—just like the protagonist in the book, says Bonde Tusvik.
Sigrid’s team quickly claimed the most followers and is holding at 29%. She calls author Ravatn “a cool cat” and says although it’s easy reading, the author is also smart and witty. Among this team’s members is Minister of Culture Lubna Jaffery. After receiving many unanswered questions in the comments section, Sigrid had to call the author, Agnes Ravatn.
Sigrid Bonde Tusvik herself has a razor-sharp wit. She is one of Norway’s most prominent comedians, known for her social commentary and highly-rated stage shows. Together with her comedic partner Lisa Tønne, she hosts one of Norway’s biggest podcasts, “Tusvik og Tønne”—a show where things often get quite heated.
Book synopsis:
Following an infidelity scandal, NRK celebrity Allis Hagtorn flees the public eye. She escapes to the countryside, where she becomes a housekeeper and gardener for Sigurd Bagge. Both have withdrawn from society for different reasons, and both harbor secrets—driven by a desire to atone for their sins. The book is a psychological thriller, a suspense novel with an at times unsettling atmosphere.
Jens Kvernmo
Pelsjegerliv (“Life as a Fur Trapper”- published in English as The Land of Feast and Famine) by Helge Ingstad
“This is a book about letting go of the grind and the rush of everyday life and living out a dream of freedom. I look forward to creating new dreams together with everyone on my team,” says Kvernmo.
Jens’s followers have been very curious about what beaver meat tastes like, after reading in Pelsjegerliv that it is something one would “sell one’s soul for.” Jens, has of course been served beaver in Canada, and is happy to share his experiences with his followers. He finds that many people dream of leaving the trappings of civilization and traveling through the wilderness.
As one of the country’s most well-known living adventurers, Kvernmo has spent a large part of his life out in nature with his dogs. He believes that the more we come to love nature, the better we will take care of it.
This is why he hopes to motivate and inspire others—through means such as public speaking, sharing his passion on television, or writing books. Much like author Helge Ingstad, Kvernmo is an avid hunter, fisherman, and forager.
Book synopsis:
Helge Ingstad was a Norwegian lawyer who, after a few years as a practicing attorney, sold his practice and traveled to Canada to live as a fur trapper.
This book was Ingstad’s debut. It was published in 1931, after he had spent four years living as a fur trapper. The book is an account of his experiences during those years. It describes life in the wilderness, hunting and subsistence, months-long canoe journeys, and time spent with Indigenous peoples—with whom he had lived for parts of his expedition.
Ways to take part in Boktober
If you understand Norwegian, you can join the Boktober challenge directly! The challenge started October 1st, but there’s still time to engage with the content.
- Find your Boktober team at NRK.no: Choose a book and sign up for a team, here.Audiobooks and podcasts: All the books are available as audiobooks via NRK Radio starting October 1, and the discussions can be followed in the podcast Leseklubben (The Book Club) throughout the month.On October 31, the challenge is over, so the audiobooks will be turned off and the winning team will be named.
- If you are learning Norwegian and would like to follow along, you could listen to one of the books in Norwegian while reading a copy in English. It’s like having a podcast with subtitles! All of the selected books are available in English.
- Read one of the books in English- check one out of the library or pick up a copy to read along at your own pace.
- Join the Sons of Norway Book Club. See each month’s selections in your copy of Viking magazine. October’s reads are Return to the Future: An Escape to Freedom by Sigrid Undset and the Mystery Read is “We shall Inherit the Wind” (Varg Veum #1) by Gunnar Staalesen.Interested readers should email [email protected] for the Zoom link and/or sign-on information. Please include your lodge name and number.
- Complete a level within the Cultural Skills Literature Unit. Go at your own pace and read books by Norwegian and Norwegian-North American authors. Log in as a member and challenge yourself to earn a pin for Literature.