Because Venus Crossed an Alpine Violet on the Day That I Was Born - Paperback

by Mona Høvring (Author), Kari Dickson (Translator), Rachel Rankin (Translator)

"In a way, the language is the protagonist in this book. It is luminous and vibrant, full of associations, reflections and quotes. The words embrace the world with sensuality, humour, wonder and a confusion of feelings."
--Fredrik Wandrup

In a hotel, high up in a mountain village, two sisters aim to reconnect after distant years that contrast their close, almost twin-like upbringing. Martha has just been discharged from a sanatorium after a mental breakdown. Ella agrees to keep her company in the hope that the clean winter air will provide clarity--and a way back to their childhood connection.

It's only when plans go awry, and Martha disappears in a rage, that Ella discovers a new sense of self outside her filial role. This identity is reinforced by various encounters: the hotel receptionist who takes her under her wing; the enigmatic love interest; the wistful, drunken Salvation Army soldier; the carpenter. And not least, Ella's encounter with the writings of Stefan Zweig, which have a profound impact.

Winner of the Critics' Prize 2018 and shortlisted for the Booksellers' Prize 2018, Mona H vring's work is as sharp as it sensitive; insightful as it is original when exploring the many distractions of the heart.

Author Biography

MONA HØVRING is an award-winning Norwegian author of many acclaimed books, including eight poetry collections and five novels. She has been nominated for and won various prestigious awards, including the Unified Language Prize and the Nordic Council Literature Prize. Because Venus Crossed an Alpine Violet on the Day that I Was Born translated into English by Kari Dickson in 2021, won the Norwegian Critics' Prize for Literature, was a finalist for the Norwegian Booksellers' Prize, and was included on numerous best of the year book lists. Høvring lives just outside of Oslo, Norway.

KARI DICKSON is a literary translator. She translates from Norwegian, and her work includes literary fiction, children's books, theatre, and nonfiction. Some recent literary translations include Rune Christiansen's Fanny and the Mystery in the Grieving Forest and The Loneliness in Lydia Erneman's Life, and Mona Høvring's Because Venus Crossed an Alpine Violet on the Day that I Was Born, co-translated by Rachel Rankin.She is also an occasional tutor in Norwegian language, literature, and translation at the University of Edinburgh, and has worked with the British Centre for Literary Translation (BCLT) and the National Centre for Writing. Dickson lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.

RACHEL RANKIN is a poet and translator based in Edinburgh, Scotland. She received a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award in 2019 and was selected for the National Centre for Writing's Emerging Translator Mentorship Programme in 2018. She has also worked as a tutor in Scandinavian Studies at the University of Edinburgh, where she has taught classes in Norwegian language and Scandinavian literature.