Scan Magazine | Issue 78 | July 2015

Page 40

2_Q9_ScanMag_78_July_2015_Text_JOE _Scan Magazine 1 07/07/2015 15:46 Page 40

Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Culture in Norway

A celebration of literature and free speech Kapittel Festival is all about words, lots of them. Each year Stavanger transforms into a literary wonderland full of writers and book-lovers who all share their passion for the freedom to speak up. This year guests will be taken across the Atlantic to America. Take part in debates, explore new writing, watch documentaries and learn more about American culture and society, as Kapittel Festival celebrates its 20-year anniversary.

large nation. The human rights record of the USA will be discussed during the festival, not least through the visit of Larry Siems, editor of prisoner Mohamedou Slahi’s Guantánamo Diary,“ reveals Røsbak.

By Caroline Edwards | Photos: Kapittel Festival

Between 16 and 20 September, Stavanger transforms into a creative camp with streets buzzing of ideas and dreamy expressions. This year is no exception. With America as the theme, Kapittel Festival is bound to be exciting. People tend to forget that America does not equal United States, it’s a continent boasting a variety of nations and cultures, each with their own societies and literary traditions. “At this year’s festival visitors are taken, not only to the US, but also further South, where the tense social and political situation in Mexico will be an important focus. Thanks to the contribution of the prominent journalist Alma Guillermoprieto, the audience get to look at Mexican issues in

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new ways," explains Espen Røsbak, manager of Kapittel Festival. The festival was founded on strong principles, fuelled by a determination to protect the freedom of speech by creating public discussions on human rights and presenting the voices of silenced writers. This is a legacy they still honour today, 20 years after the first festival took place. With the American theme set, guests will learn more about current important global issues, and as Kapittel moves further North, the US will take the centre stage, where both the good and the bad will be put on display. “The US’s position as a global superpower gives us an ambivalent relationship to the

The festival program consists of concerts, talks and debates on books, shows and exhibitions. Kapittel presents meetings with famous authors and experimental newcomers alike, often combining music and literature in mesmerising performances, and this year Teju Cole, Vanessa Diffenbaugh and Karl Ove Knausgård will pay a visit. If you care about world issues and artistic mastery, then Kapittel Festival is for you.

For more information, please visit: www.kapittel.no


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Scan Magazine | Issue 78 | July 2015 by Scan Client Publishing - Issuu