Vigdis Hjorth has been longlisted to the prestigious US National Book Award for Translated Literature for the novel Will and Testament. The book is published by VERSO BOOKS in both The US and UK.
The book, in translation by Charlotte Barsnes, has been received very well in the English market, with remarkably good reviews in The Financial Time, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly and The Paris Review:
"Will and Testament is a compulsively readable novel, one that turns questions of shame into weapons against silence."
– Paris Review
"Hjorth’s thoughtful, drily funny, and often devastating novel will leave a deep and lasting impression on readers."
– Publishers Weekly
"In this unappealing but compelling book, Hjorth proves brilliant at revealing the stubborn, unredemptive quality of childhood suffering."
- The Guardian
“In a ruthless yet patiently delivered work, Hjorth does something that few writers achieve: Will and Testament is both economical and overwhelming.”
– Financial Times
"Hjorth’s precision, on the other hand, becomes a quietly devastating mimicry of the effects of trauma, and of ambiguous and conficting memories, on a human being."
- New Statesman
The book has so far been published in 21 territories, been staged as a very successful play by Den Nasjonale Scene in Bergen and is also optioned for film/TV.
Fingers crossed that she will make the cut on October 8th when the short list is announced!