Fictional novels about life and non-fiction about artificial intelligence have won Brig Awards

Frode Grytten received the Brage Prize for fiction, while Inga Strümke received the Brage Prize for nonfiction. The honorary award goes to Ingvar Ambjørnsen.

For “The Day Niels Fijk Died,” Freud-Greiten won the Prague Prize for best novel of the year.

That became clear on Thursday evening, when this year’s Brage Awards were handed out at Oslo’s Vulkan Arena. Grettin was inspired by his grandfather, a taciturn laborer, when he wrote the story of Niels Vik.

– The actual events of that day mixed with powerful and painful memories of a long life in close connection with the people and nature of the dense coastal community, write a jury that says the novel is beautiful, warm, and poignant with closeness and simplicity. Of which life consists.

But at the same time, it offers a beautiful depiction of friendship, love and death.

– Greten has written a tribute to simple people and their contribution to the lives of others in small communities that are slowly disappearing. The book is written in beautiful, flowing language and presents rich, complex images. Greten is not afraid to write about big topics in a humble and approachable way, the jury wrote in their justifications.

It could become an international bestseller

According to the jury, both winners of this year’s Courage Award in the non-fiction categories revealed truths that to many of us seem like secrets.

– Easy to understand, with a twinkle in her eye, particle physicist and AI researcher Inga Strömke offers a powerful historical overview and comprehensive vision of AI in “machines that think,” as the jury wrote in her justification.

– Inga Strömke’s book has the potential to become an international bestseller, and Aftenposten’s reviewer wrote about the book upon its publication.

They conclude that the book offers indispensable insight into how to take control of our future.

The book topped the Booksellers Association bestseller list for 16 weeks and had a circulation of more than 40,000 copies.

In the non-fiction category for children and young people, the film “Secrets of Poetic Words” won, which presents the origin and meaning of different words.

The words are placed under interesting and funny chapter headings, such as “Fårete böker”, “Buksene Bruse” and “Piss, bum and what comes out of there”.

– Ragnhild Holmås’s oral text is full of the joy of communication, and much energy has been expended on dragging the reader from one publication to the next. Henriette Osnes follows the wild play visually, and applauds the jury.

Ingvar Ambjørnsen received an honorary award

The 2023 Prague Honorary Prize goes to Ingvar Ambjornsen, who has distinguished himself as a courageous figure in the field of literature.

The honorary award was the final bragging rights of the year, which was announced from the stage at Oslo’s Vulkan Arena on Thursday evening.

-We are going for a far-reaching opus that challenges readers of all ages with thought-provoking and entertaining literature. The author who, through his realistic prose, has given us a series of wonderful literary portraits of the people around us, who rarely have the opportunity to speak, the jury said before announcing that Ingvar Ambjörnsen (67 years old) had won the 2023 Prague Honorary Prize.

Many in the audience may have already guessed who the recipient was, when the jury pointed out some chosen labels that cannot be ignored when describing the author’s literary production: “solidarity”, “vulnerability”, “counterculture”, “unity”, “order”. . Criticism and freedom of prejudice.

Maria Bar receives the “Oskar og me” award

In the Children’s and Young Adult Books category, Maria Barr won the Bragg Prize for her depiction of life as an older sister. Having younger siblings can be a blessing in life, but being the eldest can also be difficult.