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Whose: Maja Lunde (49).
What: Author.
Why: Has written the book “Snøsøsteren”, a popular story both in Norway and abroad, which has now been made into a film and premieres on Netflix on 29 November.
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How are the premiere nerves?
– I am quite calm. I haven’t seen the fully finished version with music and all the effects, so it will be a bit exciting for me too. But I know that the story is in very good hands with director Cecilie Mosli.
The film gets an international platform that reaches a lot of people, but are you used to that with the book?
– Yes, it has been translated into 30 languages ​​now. At the latest yesterday, I was sent the book in a new language. It’s not always so good to understand which language it is, ha-ha. But it’s great fun to see that the narrative lives on out there. It often feels like a rather lonely existence to write, but that it reaches so many people, also through the film, is a writer’s dream.
Which feedback has surprised you the most since the launch of the book in 2018?
– I get a lot of feedback that is strong and emotional. The book gets new readers in many countries every Christmas. What really strikes me is that families use the book to process grief. They say that they have struggled to find a way to talk about the grief of having lost someone, and that “Snøsøsteren” has helped create that way. In addition, I am very happy to hear that it contributes to parents in Norway and other countries reading more aloud to their children, something we do less than before, at a time when the book is under threat. It is also very good to hear that the book creates moments where people are together. Perhaps the film can contribute to a bit of the same? I hope so!
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To what extent will the fans recognize the story in the film version?
– I think that the public will recognize the book well. The film is faithful to the book – also to the wonderful visual universe Lisa Aisato has created. I have written the script myself, as I have also done for the theater performance which is currently being played at Det norske teatret in Oslo. Recreating your own stories in new formats is fun!
Should we prepare to shed as many tears as when we read?
– Yes, I might think so, in a sense I hope so. As a writer, you are happy to make people cry, heh-heh. Early in the writing process, I spoke to Kagge publishing house about a happy Christmas calendar book. But when the idea developed, I had to warn the publisher that it would probably be a sadder and more dramatic story than they had intended, and perhaps not so commercial. We were very surprised at how many people this book reached. But perhaps it is not so strange after all, as death and life are connected. And at Christmas we think extra about those who are no longer here. Christmas is also a time for longing.
What do you like best about the film?
– It must be the child actors. They are so nice. I spent a couple of days on the film set and got to know them a bit. It was cozy!
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I have to ask: Which book has made the biggest impression on you?
– “The Brothers Lionheart” by Astrid Lindgren. It was actually buzzing in the back of my mind when I wrote “The Snow Sister”. My father read it to me when I was little, and cried at the end of the book, and it was at that moment that I truly understood how powerful literature can be on us humans.
What makes you happy?
– I am happy to be with my family and to be out in nature – preferably in combination.
Who was your childhood hero?
– I probably looked up to the authors I read a lot, such as Astrid Lindgren and Lucy Montgomery. And of course South Africa was very relevant when I was growing up, and Nelson Mandela was a clear role model.
Which choice would you like to make again?
– I’m not too concerned with thinking about regrets, but rather think that I have to stand by the choices I’ve made, make the best of the situation and look ahead.
What are you willing to march for or against?
– Climate and nature, women’s rights and more sensible use of technology among children and young people.
Who would you rather be stuck in the elevator with?
– The most banal answer is probably a lift fitter, but in any case it must not have been someone who gets very stressed.
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