The themes of this year’s festival have much in common with Erika Fatland’s literary work, particularly her books Sovietistan and The Border. Several performances explore the period following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and how relations with Russia have shaped countries like Ukraine, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan in their struggle for true independence.

With Erika Fatland’s visit to the festival, we aim to bring her books into dialogue with contemporary theatre. How do the performances reflect the stories Fatland has documented in her books? Can theatre provide a deeper understanding of today’s wars and conflicts?

Erika Fatland was nominated for the Brage Prize for her first nonfiction book, Englebyen, in 2011. Since then, she has published Året uten sommer about the July 22 tragedy, as well as the travelogues Sovietistan (2014), The Border (2017), and High (2020). Her latest book Sjøfareren (2024) won the Booksellers’ Prize and became the best-selling book of the year in Norway. Fatland has received numerous awards, and her books have been translated into many languages. She is educated as a social anthropologist and speaks eight languages.